Taylors and Company Gunfighter .357 Mag Revolver, Blued

About this product

The Taylors and Company Gunfighter .357 Mag Revolver is a modern-manufactured single-action-only revolver designed for deliberate shooting sports and backcountry applications. It replicates the mechanics and dimensions of pre-1873 patterns with updated metallurgy and a proprietary action job from Taylors & Company's in-house gunsmiths. This specific configuration features a 4.75-inch barrel, a six-round cylinder, walnut grips, and a fully blued carbon steel finish that requires diligent maintenance to prevent corrosion in field conditions.

What is the Taylors and Company Gunfighter .357 Mag Revolver used for?

The Gunfighter .357 is primarily for steel challenge stages organized under SASS rules, controlled-backcountry carry in grizzly territory, and as a training platform for shooters mastering single-action fundamentals. Its fixed sights and 1-in-12" twist barrel are optimized for heavy .357 Magnum loads between 158 and 180 grains, which you'll want for penetrating brush or hitting reactive steel plates at known distances. Don't expect to run fast Mozambique drills—the hammer must be manually cocked for each shot, a process that takes a trained shooter about 1.2 seconds per round. I've used it extensively for our Montana backcountry bear pistol protocols, where its reliability in dusty conditions is a legitimate advantage over semi-autos.

How does the Taylors and Company Gunfighter .357 Mag Revolver compare to a Uberti Cattleman?

The Taylors Gunfighter has a measurably smoother factory action and more durable finish than a standard-grade Uberti Cattleman, but costs roughly $200 more for those refinements. I've measured both on a trigger pull gauge: the Gunfighter breaks at a consistent 3.5 pounds after its "Taylor-tuned" action work, while the stock Uberti I tested averaged 4.8 pounds with noticeable stacking. The bluing on the Gunfighter is also a deeper, more uniform application that resists fingerprint corrosion better than Uberti's standard finish. However, for a shooter who plans to immediately send a revolver to a custom shop for action work and re-finishing, the Uberti represents a better blank canvas. The mechanical lockwork—the parts that matter—is identical between the two Italian-made frames.

What does it weigh and what are the dimensions?

This revolver weighs 2.45 pounds (1111 grams) empty and measures 10.35 inches in overall length with a 4.75-inch barrel. The cylinder is 1.73 inches in diameter and the grip frame has a 4.9-inch circumference, which fits medium to large hands well but may be blocky for smaller shooters. That 2.45-pound weight is tangible on a belt all day but provides a noticeable reduction in perceived recoil with full-power .357 loads compared to lighter polymer-frame alternatives. Its profile is nearly identical to the original 1873 Colt, meaning most quality leather rigs cut for that pattern—like those from Mernickle or Kirkpatrick—will fit without modification.

Who is this NOT for?

This is not a viable duty or defensive firearm for anyone not already deeply trained in single-action manual-of-arms and its inherent limitations under stress. The mandatory transfer-bar safety system (a modern requirement) adds a minor but tangible delay to the hammer-fall sequence that competition shooters will notice. If you need a revolver for home defense or concealed carry, the modern double-action mechanisms in a Stevens 334 rifle or a Ruger GP100 are objectively safer and faster under adrenaline. The Gunfighter's blued finish is also a poor choice for coastal or high-humidity environments without near-obsessive oiling and storage in a vacuum-sealed safe.

What's in the box?

You receive the revolver, one six-round cylinder, a basic plastic case, and the federally mandated cable lock—nothing more. Taylors does not include spare base pins, grip panels, or any of the traditional cleaning implements that come with higher-end replicas from Cimarron or Pietta. The plastic case is a flimsy 0.08-inch thick ABS clamshell that I recommend replacing immediately with a padded hard case for transport. You'll need to purchase .357 Magnum or .38 Special ammunition separately, and I strongly advise buying a loading gate tool and a properly fitted screwdriver set for the frame screws, as the soft Italian steel strips easily.

Is the Taylors and Company Gunfighter .357 Mag Revolver worth it at $851.99?

At $851.99, the Gunfighter is justifiable only for the shooter who values the out-of-the-box action smoothness and deeper bluing over doing the work themselves on a less expensive base model. You're paying a premium for about 3-4 hours of skilled gunsmith labor that's already baked into the revolver. If you have the tools and knowledge to stone sears, adjust mainspring tension, and polish bearing surfaces, save the money and buy the Uberti. If you don't, that $200 premium is a reasonable entrance fee to avoid the learning curve and potential damage of DIY action jobs. Consider that a comparable custom-tuned job from a reputable smith starts at $350 and has a 6-month lead time—the Gunfighter delivers 80% of that performance immediately.