Six Shooter Showdown: Colt Python vs. Ruger GP100 vs. S&W 686

Six Shooter Showdown: Colt Python vs. Ruger GP100 vs. Smith & Wesson 686

Ask a room full of revolver guys to name the best medium-frame .357 Magnum and you'll start a friendly argument that lasts all night. It almost always comes down to the same three: the Colt Python, the Ruger GP100, and the Smith & Wesson 686. They're right around the same size, they're all chambered in .357 Magnum (and they'll all shoot .38 Special too), and they're far and away the three .357s I build the most holsters for.

I'm not going to hand you a fake range report full of numbers I didn't shoot. What I'll give you is an honest rundown from the fella who's handled and wet-molded leather for more of these than most folks will ever own. Two of the three live in my own safe, too — a 6-inch GP100 and a 5-inch Colt Python, both six-shooters — so a fair bit of this comes from carrying and shooting them myself. Here's what each one is, what people love about it, and who it's for.

The Colt Python

The Python is the one that turns heads. Colt introduced it in 1955 as their top-of-the-line .357, and it earned a reputation as the “Cadillac of revolvers” — famous for its deep bluing back in the day, that distinctive vented rib and full-underlug barrel, and a silky action Colt hand-fit at the factory. Colt dropped it in the early 2000s, then brought it back in 2020 as a beefed-up stainless gun that's tougher than the originals.

The Python is always a six-shooter — six rounds, no more, no less. It's the priciest of the three and the most collectible, the revolver plenty of people buy because it's beautiful as much as because it shoots. If you want the classic, the one with soul and status, it's the Python. Mine's a 5-inch, and it's every bit as pretty as they say.

The Ruger GP100

The GP100 is the tank of the group. Ruger brought it out in 1985 to answer Smith's L-frame, and Bill Ruger built it to eat full-house .357 Magnum for a lifetime and ask for more. It's got a triple-locking cylinder, a beefy top strap, a full-underlug barrel, and the cushioned Hogue grip most of them ship with. It's a heavy, overbuilt gun, and that heft is exactly why it soaks up magnum recoil so well.

The GP100 is most often a six-shot, but Ruger also offers it as a seven-shot if you want the extra round. It's not the fanciest gun here, and it's not trying to be — it's the one you buy when you want a .357 that's overbuilt, dead reliable, and priced so a working man can own it. It'll outlast you. Mine's a 6-inch, and that longer barrel makes a heavy magnum load downright pleasant to shoot.

The Smith & Wesson 686

The 686 is the balance of the three. Smith & Wesson introduced the L-frame 686 in the early 1980s as the “Distinguished Combat Magnum,” and it's been the medium-frame benchmark ever since. It's known for the smooth, flowing Smith double-action trigger a lot of shooters call the best in the business, a clean stainless finish, and a profile that carries and points beautifully.

Like the GP100, the 686 is usually a six-shot — but Smith offers the 686 Plus as a seven-shooter. It splits the difference between the Python and the GP100: more refined than the Ruger, more shootable and affordable than the Colt. For a lot of folks, it's the “just right” .357.

So Which One Should You Buy?

Honestly, you can't go wrong — these are three of the finest .357s ever made. But here's the short version:

• Colt Python — if you want the classic, the finish, and the status, and you don't mind paying for it. Always six shots.
• Ruger GP100 — if you want the toughest, most overbuilt gun for the money and you plan to actually shoot a lot of magnums. Six shots, or seven if you order it that way.
• Smith & Wesson 686 — if you want the best trigger and the best all-around balance of refinement, carry, and price. Six shots, or seven in the 686 Plus.

Carrying Your .357: The Leather I Build for All Three

Whichever one you land on, you'll want to carry it right. Whether you're after a Colt Python holster, a GP100 holster, or a 686 holster, it's the same story here — because these three are so close in size, I've got the molds dialed in for all of them, wet-molded to your exact gun. Three ways to carry:

1. Classic Pancake — my traditional strong-side belt holster, cut from 8–8.5 oz Wickett & Craig leather with a smooth liner. Rides close for everyday carry while keeping a full firing grip.
2. Outdoorsman — built tougher, with a reinforced mouth and hip, paddle, or crossdraw options. This is the one for hard field use — horseback, hiking, working outdoors.
   
3. Kodiak Chest Holster — my most popular rig. When you're wearing a pack or a heavy coat, a hip holster disappears on you; the Kodiak carries your .357 up on your chest, out of the way and easy to reach. It's ridden through bear country on a lot of GP100s, 686s, and Pythons.

Every one is made in the USA, wet-molded to your exact revolver, and built to last. Whether it wears a Colt, a Ruger, or a Smith & Wesson rollmark, I've got the leather to carry it.

Bottom Line

The Python, the GP100, and the 686 are the three kings of the .357 Magnum — one built for beauty, one built like a tank, one built for balance. Buy the one that speaks to you; there's no wrong answer here. And whichever one turns your cylinder, I'll build the leather to carry it.