ck........

[L-Roy]

Single action.......Ruger BH

Double action........Smith "N"

Both will last a lifetime with prudent care.

[papajohn428]

If its durability you're after, the first and best choice is Ruger, and a 6" GP-100 is a great choice.  Good sights, lots of different stocks to fit your hands, and tough as nails.  I put together some 357 loads years ago that would turn most guns into shrapnel, the Ruger just chewed them up and spit them out.  Only after looking at the brass later did I realize what a monster I had created.  I was probably lucky it wasn't my old SW66, or I'd have likely been combing iron out of my face.  Plus, it's readily easy to scope for load testing or hunting. My two pennies worth.
PJ

[Graybeard]

FA83 is the strongest you can find. Some how I don't think I fully believe that part about staying within book limits based on the previous comment about moving those bullets at insane speeds. Strikes me you need the FA83 as it is designed to be loaded to far more than book pressures as I understand it.

Otherwise the S&W 27/28 is likely the strongest of them with the Ruger BH not too far behind but likely behind nontheless.

Don't think anything else will take the kinda loads I sorta think you have in mind for long.

GB

[unspellable]

You plainly want a Dan Wesson 357 Super Mag.  It is stronger than any other make, including the Ruger, will hold up to a zillion rounds and will launch 200 grain bullets at insane speeds.  It's also the most accurate production rvolver around.  It was the numbero uno revolver in silohuette until they changed the rules and allowed production revolvers with insane prices.

Note that the 357 Super Mag is NOT the same cartridge as the 357 Maximum.  You can forget all the horror stories about the 357 maximum in Revolvers.  Because of the horror stories DW furnished an extra barrel.  I'm still on my first barrel as are all the other 357 SM guys I know.

The nominal case length for the 357 Maximum is 1.605.  I buy Winchester 357 maximum brass and find it measures 1.610, nominal for the 357 Super Mag.  The chief difference is the Super Mag is loaded to a longer OAL and is intended to use the heavier bullets.  (Light bullets and slow ball powder is what ate up guns in the 357 Maximum factory load.)

I say the above having a number of N framed S&W's around.  They are pretty, but they don't take a lot of abuse.  The Rugers are pretty strong, but not pretty.

[BIG JAKE]

I'll go with Graybeard S&W 27/28, I'm a big smith fan. But I can't knock the Ruger Blackhawk for the runner up. I've seen GP 100's heat up and seize on the range.

[TScottO]

The Ruger Redhawk was made in 357 some years back. I think this gun would be a good choice if you were lucky enough to locate one.

Scott