I've been shooting both of these pistols side-by-side now for the past month. Time for a comparison.
First, why? Simple - both pistols fill the same niche. Small frame 5 shot .357 Magnum pistols that are roughly the same size and are designed for concealed carry/personal protection.
Let me start out by saying that both are great pistols. They truly are. Ultimately you won't go wrong with either one. However, right out of the box there is a clear winner. We'll get to that in a bit.
First lets talk about size. As you might expect the Ruger is a bit beefier. It has 'broader' shoulders, so to speak. The frame is just a little thicker (by perhaps 1/32") all the way around. However, overall dimensions are pretty much equal. Remember, on a revolver the cylinder width is what counts, and the width on both of these pistols is about equal. At the end of the day both revolvers fit into my Galco IWB holster and carry the same.
Weight? Yeah, OK, in the hand the Ruger is a bit more weighty. That's to be expected with more metal in the frame. But on the hip that weight difference isn't really noticable.
Accuracy? It's a wash. Both exhibit the same level of accuracy for the same loads. With my lousy eyes, coupled with each guns lousy sights, I can shoot 3" groups at 7 yards with little effort. Keep in mind that neither of these revolvers have rear sights and the front sights are just small vestiges. At least they are black, which helps with contrast. You don't so much as aim these guns as you do point them.
Fit. Both guns are very well fitted. The Model 60 seems just a little bit better fitted. This is where S&W shines - they do a really good job fitting their all steel guns.
Finish. The clear winner is the Model 60. The gun carries a very nice polish that is just short of a mirror finish. Plus, it's subdued where it needs to be subdued - like on the top strap sight channel. The finish on the Ruger is good, but clearly a few notches below the Model 60.
In the hand. Right out of the box the Model 60 wins. The factory grips Smith & Wesson puts on the Model 60 (shown above), while sort of plain, are actually quite good. They put the gun into your hand right where it needs to be and provide just the right amount of palm swell. This pistol points beautifully. The Ruger factory grips are good, but merely good. There's a reason most serious shooters replace them with something more substantial like the Hogue grips seen in the picture above. With the Hogues the Ruger points just as nicely as the Model 60.
Trigger. This is where it all falls apart. The stock Model 60 trigger is awful. While the DA trigger pull is short, it is excessively heavy. I'm guessing 15+ lbs. I say 'guess' because my trigger pull gauge doesn't go high enough to measure the pull on this thing. By comparison the Ruger DA trigger is very nice. Yes it is long - loooooong - but it is relatively smooth and far lighter than the Model 60. You can actually shoot this thing accurately in DA right out of the box. No way are you going to do that with the Model 60.
I firmly believe that the trigger design in the S&W is better than in the Ruger. It is much shorter and has a more predictable let-off than the Ruger. With a good trigger job and replacement hammer and trigger rebound springs the Model 60 can achieve a nice, smooth and light(er) pull, but that work will run at least $100 in the hands of a competent revolver smith.
So out of the box what is the better pistol if you actually want something you can shoot? No contest. Get the Ruger.
- bwh
P.S. - I forgot to add that the SA triggers on both pistols are about the same. That is, excellent.
P.S.S - in the interest of full disclosure, I did a trigger job/spring replacement on this Model 60 using the Wilson Combat J-Frame spring kit. While the trigger is still not as light as the Ruger, it is vastly improved and because of the shorter trigger pull it can now hold its own against the Ruger when fired double action. Total cost of the trigger job (minus the special tools needed) is $10 for the springs. If you are not afraid to get into the guts of a revolver it's not hard to do.
First, why? Simple - both pistols fill the same niche. Small frame 5 shot .357 Magnum pistols that are roughly the same size and are designed for concealed carry/personal protection.
Let me start out by saying that both are great pistols. They truly are. Ultimately you won't go wrong with either one. However, right out of the box there is a clear winner. We'll get to that in a bit.
First lets talk about size. As you might expect the Ruger is a bit beefier. It has 'broader' shoulders, so to speak. The frame is just a little thicker (by perhaps 1/32") all the way around. However, overall dimensions are pretty much equal. Remember, on a revolver the cylinder width is what counts, and the width on both of these pistols is about equal. At the end of the day both revolvers fit into my Galco IWB holster and carry the same.
Weight? Yeah, OK, in the hand the Ruger is a bit more weighty. That's to be expected with more metal in the frame. But on the hip that weight difference isn't really noticable.
Accuracy? It's a wash. Both exhibit the same level of accuracy for the same loads. With my lousy eyes, coupled with each guns lousy sights, I can shoot 3" groups at 7 yards with little effort. Keep in mind that neither of these revolvers have rear sights and the front sights are just small vestiges. At least they are black, which helps with contrast. You don't so much as aim these guns as you do point them.
Fit. Both guns are very well fitted. The Model 60 seems just a little bit better fitted. This is where S&W shines - they do a really good job fitting their all steel guns.
Finish. The clear winner is the Model 60. The gun carries a very nice polish that is just short of a mirror finish. Plus, it's subdued where it needs to be subdued - like on the top strap sight channel. The finish on the Ruger is good, but clearly a few notches below the Model 60.
In the hand. Right out of the box the Model 60 wins. The factory grips Smith & Wesson puts on the Model 60 (shown above), while sort of plain, are actually quite good. They put the gun into your hand right where it needs to be and provide just the right amount of palm swell. This pistol points beautifully. The Ruger factory grips are good, but merely good. There's a reason most serious shooters replace them with something more substantial like the Hogue grips seen in the picture above. With the Hogues the Ruger points just as nicely as the Model 60.
Trigger. This is where it all falls apart. The stock Model 60 trigger is awful. While the DA trigger pull is short, it is excessively heavy. I'm guessing 15+ lbs. I say 'guess' because my trigger pull gauge doesn't go high enough to measure the pull on this thing. By comparison the Ruger DA trigger is very nice. Yes it is long - loooooong - but it is relatively smooth and far lighter than the Model 60. You can actually shoot this thing accurately in DA right out of the box. No way are you going to do that with the Model 60.
I firmly believe that the trigger design in the S&W is better than in the Ruger. It is much shorter and has a more predictable let-off than the Ruger. With a good trigger job and replacement hammer and trigger rebound springs the Model 60 can achieve a nice, smooth and light(er) pull, but that work will run at least $100 in the hands of a competent revolver smith.
So out of the box what is the better pistol if you actually want something you can shoot? No contest. Get the Ruger.
- bwh
P.S. - I forgot to add that the SA triggers on both pistols are about the same. That is, excellent.
P.S.S - in the interest of full disclosure, I did a trigger job/spring replacement on this Model 60 using the Wilson Combat J-Frame spring kit. While the trigger is still not as light as the Ruger, it is vastly improved and because of the shorter trigger pull it can now hold its own against the Ruger when fired double action. Total cost of the trigger job (minus the special tools needed) is $10 for the springs. If you are not afraid to get into the guts of a revolver it's not hard to do.
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