[the357plan]

People please tell me, just where can I get a factory handgun that would be as accurate as my FA 97? You say S&W? Well it'll be hard to convince me of that, since I've owned a boat-load of them and have yet to find one as accurate. Colt? Haven't found one there either. Admittedly, I haven't tried a Python, but if someone will send me one, I'll try it... Ruger? Have several on hand, been through plenty more, nothing doing there. Browning? Kimber? So-on and etc., no cigar. I've had a couple of Contender barrels hit the mark, but that's it over the past 30 years of owning and shooting handguns. I've had some come close, but nothing has equaled my FA 97 (off a rest).

So you might think the FA 97 is my favorite. Not so! I'm a Smith fan. Nothing shoots better (off-hand) in my hands than a medium frame, 6 inch barreled Smith/Colt/Ruger double action revolver (fired single action). They just fit my hand very nicely and in general, I can shoot them off hand accurately without much practice. So that's what I would choose if I were to compete. However, every once in a blue moon, the FA 97 will amaze me (that's a cylinder into a dime @ 16 yards, off hand).

Back to the Op's question, I would never buy a Single Six with the intention of competing against a Mark II. I've generally shot my Mark IIs better than my Single Sixes, but I've had more fun with my Single Sixes. Fun is chasing little critters through the briars, brush and such with a Smith or Ruger strapped onto my side (to include hiking and plinking). I'll not do that with a FA!

Lately, those fiber optic Stainless Single Sixes have been calling out to me at the gun shows, temptation, temptation...