Ballistic's Best 2025 .357 Mag Revolvers

Revolvers continue to stand tall in a world dominated by polymer frames and striker-fired pistols. There’s something enduring about a machine that works without fanfare, cycles without hesitation, and rewards skill instead of shortcuts. As the firearms community rediscovers its appreciation for mechanical guns, revolvers are once again finding their way into holsters, range bags, and hunting blinds. For 2025, we gathered six of the top revolvers from across the globe to see which ones deliver on performance, personality, and pure shooting satisfaction. This is Ballistic’s Best 2025: .357 Mag Revolvers.

Ballistic’s Best .357 Mag Revolvers Protocol

Over four evenings, eleven evaluators met on the range to take part in an open invitational shoot. Each shooter ran two full cylinders through every revolver, using a structured course of fire designed to represent both defensive and recreational use. The targets included a paper silhouette at 15 feet to test sight alignment and immediate accuracy, two steel plates at 20 and 30 feet for quick indexing, another paper target beyond those for refinement, and a final four-inch steel plate at 50 feet for a true test of sight control and consistency.

Every shooter completed the test using both double and single-action operation. No one turned in a scorecard until they felt confident in their evaluation. That discipline mattered, because this test wasn’t about speed it was about understanding what each revolver offered in hand, in motion, and in recoil.

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Scoring

Scoring was handled using a 1.00 to 5.00 scale across nine categories: Aesthetics, Ergonomics, Sights, Trigger, Recoil, Reload, Accuracy, Reliability, and Value. Each evaluator’s impressions remained private until all cards were submitted. Those quarter and half points proved decisive, several revolvers traded places by less than a single point.

Ammunition was provided by HSM in the form of a 158-grain .38 Special jacketed soft point running about 975 feet per second. It’s a warm but manageable load that’s accurate, consistent, and mild enough to reveal mechanical differences rather than shooter fatigue. For reload evaluations, Speedbeez speedloaders were used to explore how each revolver’s frame, grips, and ejection system affected reloading under realistic conditions with the factory grips installed.

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.357 Mag Revolvers Contenders

This year’s field covered the entire modern revolver spectrum. We tested the Manurhin MR73, Taurus Combat 66, Ruger GP100 Match Champion, Smith & Wesson Model 19, Colt Grizzly, and Spohr L562. It was a mix of heritage, innovation, and old-world craftsmanship. None of the revolvers failed mechanically during testing (though some trigger stops came loose or a loose grip-screw), and all displayed accuracy and build quality that reaffirmed why this platform still matters.

Manurhin MR73

The French-built MR73 has long been regarded as the gold standard of durability and precision. Originally designed for the elite GIGN counter-terrorism unit, its reputation for surviving tens of thousands of full-power .357 Magnum rounds is legendary. The 3-inch “Gendarmerie” model we tested came equipped with large overmolded rubber grips, an interesting choice for what is otherwise a concealment-sized revolver. Shooters praised the gun’s reliability but found the trigger heavier than expected in this configuration. The ramped concealment sight worked well for draws, but the grip size raised questions about its intended purpose.

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Highest Evaluators Score: 40
Lowest Evaluators Score: 21
Highest Average Category Score: Reliability 4.2
Lowest Average Category Score: Trigger 3.1
Value Avg: 2.5
Total Score: 32.9

Taurus Combat 66

Taurus continues to reinvent itself, and the new Combat 66 is proof. A double-action-only revolver with seven rounds on tap, it’s purpose-built for defense and features a fiber-optic front sight, Hogue Bantam grips, and an optic-ready topstrap drilled and tapped from the factory. The Combat 66’s stainless finish and tight lockup made it one of the more modern-feeling revolvers in the lineup. Shooters loved the reload speed, aided by its compact grip geometry, though accuracy numbers came in slightly lower than average. Still, for under a thousand dollars MSRP, it represented incredible value and forward-thinking design.

Highest Evaluators Score: 40.5
Lowest Evaluators Score: 19
Highest Average Category Score: Reload 4.2
Lowest Average Category Score: Accuracy 2.9
Value Avg: 4.3
Total Score: 33.9

Ruger GP100 Match Champion

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Few modern revolvers bridge the gap between duty and competition like the GP100 Match Champion. Its Hogue Monogrip divided opinions. Some loved the control, others wanted more traditional lines, but everyone praised the 1911-style dovetail sights. The GP100’s stainless finish balanced beauty with function, giving it the feel of a serious working gun that could still dress up. Recoil control and follow-up speed earned top marks, and Ruger’s proven action kept the groupings tight.

Highest Evaluators Score: 40.3
Lowest Evaluators Score: 31.75
Highest Average Category Score: Recoil 4.3
Lowest Average Category Score: Aesthetics 3.6
Value Avg: 3.9
Total Score: 35.7

Smith & Wesson Model 19

Few guns carry as much legacy as the Model 19. The reintroduced blued revolver holds true to its roots with classic lines, target grips, and no internal lock. That omission alone earned nods of appreciation from shooters who see the modern lock as a blemish on the revolver’s otherwise proud history. Chambered in .357 Magnum, the Model 19 offered a balance of tradition and practicality that resonated with nearly every shooter. Its trigger and recoil scores were among the highest in the test, proving that classic designs still have teeth in 2025. (Editor’s Note: Check out the Rotten Gun Reviews of the S&W Model 19 here.)

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Highest Evaluators Score: 42.7
Lowest Evaluators Score: 22
Highest Average Category Score: Recoil 4.2
Lowest Average Category Score: Trigger 3.9
Value Avg: 3.9
Total Score: 37.1

Colt Grizzly

Colt’s Grizzly is the stainless sibling to its Python, featuring an unfluted cylinder, six ports beneath the front sight, and a Hogue Monogrip that anchors the hand in place. The ports worked beautifully, reducing muzzle rise and making the Grizzly feel more docile. Its polished finish drew universal compliments, and the forged internals provided that same bank-vault lockup Colt fans expect. This revolver showed how modern manufacturing can refine a classic idea without compromising soul.

Highest Evaluators Score: 42.5
Lowest Evaluators Score: 31
Highest Average Category Score: Aesthetics 4.2
Lowest Average Category Score: Ergonomics 4.1
Value Avg: 4.1
Total Score: 38.5

Spohr L562

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In first place, by the narrowest of margins, stood the Spohr L562. Hand-built in Germany, the L562 exemplifies precision. Each component is milled, wire EDM-cut, and hand-fitted. It features an adjustable mainspring for tuning, an LPA rear sight that’s interchangeable with S&W cuts, and a front sight that can be swapped with a single fastener. Out of the box, it ships with Nill grips that fit the hand like a custom mold and work with speedloaders. The finish is bead-blasted stainless and the trigger, both single and double action, was described with a healthy number of expletives. Shooters praised the ergonomics, balance, and reliability, which averaged near perfect scores.

Highest Evaluators Score: 41.5
Lowest Evaluators Score: 35
Highest Average Category Score: Ergonomics 4.9
Lowest Average Category Score: Sights 3.5
Value Avg: 3.3
Total Score: 38.8

And The Winner Is…

The Spohr L562 won Ballistic’s Best 2025 .357 Mag Revolvers. The Spohr and Colt Grizzly were separated by three-tenths of a point; a statistical tie in practical terms, but both showcased what happens when engineering and ergonomics meet passion. The Smith & Wesson Model 19 reminded everyone why history matters, and Ruger’s GP100 Match Champion proved that the company’s approach to modern revolvers remains unmatched in usability. Taurus impressed with its forward-leaning Combat 66, giving shooters true innovation at a working person’s price. Even the venerable Manurhin MR73, while lower on the chart, reaffirmed its legendary reliability and quality.

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In truth, there wasn’t a single “bad” gun in the bunch. Each revolver filled its intended niche and proved why this design continues to earn the loyalty of shooters who value mechanical honesty.

Final Shots

Revolvers remain relevant because they are transparent machines; every click, rotation, and fall of the hammer is visible and tactile. They reward discipline and punish sloppiness, yet they offer satisfaction that no polymer trigger pull can replicate.

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This year’s test reinforced that revolvers are not relics of the past but refined instruments for those who appreciate control, precision, and heritage. Whether your taste leans toward the modern utility of the Taurus Combat 66 or the refined perfection of the Spohr L562, there’s a revolver in this lineup that fits your hand and your purpose.

Special thanks to HSM for providing consistent ammunition, and Defender Training for hosting our long nights of testing. And above all, thanks to the eleven evaluators who kept this process honest and thorough.

Specifications