8 shot .357

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Carter

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How much is a S&W M&P R8 going for these days? I really like the idea of an 8 shot revolver in this caliber and being able to use moon clips. Are there any other revolvers that have the same capacity and use moon clips as well?
 
I believe the 627 PC is cut for moon clips and my 627 V-comp is 8 shot and moon clip ready although have never used them and dont think either would be a practical carry gun. Although I sure someone will disagree with that.
 
The last time Bud's Gun Shop online had the M&P R8 in stock it was $1,061 delivered. I like the idea of a light 5" 8 round .357 Magnum. The R8 is lighter than the M627 because it's made with a Scandium Alloy Frame instead of all Steel. The M&P R8 weighs only 36oz whereas the 5" M627 weighs 44oz.

Did you know about the snub nose 2" M327? It is also made with Scandium Alloy Frame and uses a Titanium Alloy Cylinder so it weighs only 21oz!!! That is amazing, a N frame revolver that holds 8 rounds of .357 Magnum and weighs only 21oz, wow!
 
That does sound like an impressive package. I just don't like snub nosed revolvers. For some reason they just irk me. The weight savings of scandium makes my back happy, but how does it effect recoil?
 
Did you know about the snub nose 2" M327? It is also made with Scandium Alloy Frame and uses a Titanium Alloy Cylinder so it weighs only 21oz!!! That is amazing, a N frame revolver that holds 8 rounds of .357 Magnum and weighs only 21oz, OUCH!

Fixed that for ya!... ;)
 
There are pros and cons to moon clips..../ pros are they're faster to reload...cons are if anything is off a little ...it'll jam big time...

are they worth fussing with ...you have to decide / in my opinion, they're a pain in the butt.

Timing on these 8 shot revolvers is more critical - where in the same cyclinder space you would traditionally have 6 shots.../ but there is nothing inherently wrong with the 7 or 8 shot revolvers - at least the S&W's. I'm not a Taurus fan...so I wouldn't go down that path ...based on durabilty, crummy triggers, poor resale, etc...but Taurus has their fans.../ and so does Ruger and Colt ...and S&W....

I'm a 6 shot revolver traditionalist ...
 
Thanks guys. I like revolvers, but have never owned one. I'm used to my 8 shot 1911 and 17/18 round cz-75. Thats why I was looking at an 8 shot .357. I like the option of using moon clips, but would probably use speedloaders for cary (if I get one). I've found specially made pouches for .45acp moon clips and was hoping to find something similar for these. I saw some metal contraptions that clip on to a belt that keep the moon clip protected, but it would look very awkward anywhere except the range.
 
Sure - we understand....

I'm a 1911 guy too ....so 8 + 1 just makes sense to me too .....

But its easy to adapt to a 6 shot revolver.../ at least for me ...when I choose to carry a K frame ( in a 4" like a model 19 or 66 )...in .357 mag. I don't even carry a speed loader..../ if 6 rounds isn't enough ...I'm in trouble ( its not the gunfight at the OK Corral ..its Defense ) ...and if I wanted to carry extra ammo for a revolver I'd probably put some speed strips in my pocket - or a small pouch I could dump into my hand - and reload pretty quickly ....

going to the range ...I use speed loaders...and if I wanted to be really competitive with a revolver, I might go to moon clips / but in a K frame S&W, the Jet speed Loaders are what I prefer just for some range practice.
 
I have the eight-shot PC 627 with the five inch barrel. I really like the feel and capacity. They are pricey though.

Mine was completely inacurate though. It shot four feet to the left at fifty yards. It went back to S&W. Apparently the frame was bent from the factory and the crown was roughly cut.

I have yet to shoot it after getting it back from S&W. I will wait and see if the problem is fixed.

Otherwise, I love the concept of the eight shot revolver. I like the weight of a scandium gun, but I do not know how they will hold up with repeated magnum loads over the years.

I shoot magnum loads in my magnum guns. That is why I buy them.
 
How do the speed strips work. From looking at them they don't look that speedy...

I understand I'm not doing extended gun fights, but I'm used to my 17 round 9mm or 8 round .45 with spare magazine. Its a drop in capacity that I'm not sure I would be comfortable with. Although, with training I'm sure revolvers are easy to reload quickly.
 
IIRC the S&W 8 shot revolvers are carrying a hefty $$ tag, even used they are in the 600-700 range...
 
Almost all serious revolver competitors in ICORE use moonclips. They do work better with the fat and the short, but I have all my .357s either factory ready or converted to moonclips. I do use .38 spls for the most part for competition as do most others not using .38 super or .45 ACP.

Since there is no industry standard for the grove used to mount onto the clip, they are brand specific. I use Starline for all my ammo so I have to specify clips with a thickness that matches the Starline grove.

TK Custom at www.moonclips.com machines the Taurus and supplies the clips. It looks like Jerry Miculek's (6 shots, reload, 6 shots with moonclip in 2.99 seconds) in-laws at Clark Custom only do S&W and Ruger.
 
If you do like the 8-shot M&P R8, check out the 327 TRR8. It is almost the EXACT same gun as the M&P R8 down to the dollar sign, except that the picatinny rails on top of the action and below the barrel are removable.

I don't really like the look of a "tactical" revolver, but I like the idea that I could attach them if I wanted. I saw a guy online who was using the TRR8 with a reddot and a Surefire as a pretty formidable nighttime critter-shooter. I think he might have been after hogs or coyotes or something.

I have never shot the M&P or TRR8, but I did handle one in stores and thought it felt great. It is a large gun, but the scandium really does make it feel handy. I used to have a 6" GP100 which is similar in overall length, and it always felt a little bit too sluggish in the hand. Good for target shooting though. I'm hoping to pick up a TRR8 this spring as all I have now in .357 is an SP101 which gets tiresome for long .357 shooting sessions.
 
Wow, those smiths are pretty expensive after doing some looking. Looks like I may be pushing this purchase off and just trying to get the SR45.

Are the 8 shot taurus .357's reliable? There seems to be quite a few lemons in the reviews on websites.
 
Hey Carter, join ICORE and you may be able to get a drastic discount if you're lucky. I got a PC 627 V-comp with a special serial number for $20 worth of raffle tickets.

I haven't been to the International Revolver Championship in Morro Bay, California for a few years, but I think they still have a drawing for a 627 for new members, the member bringing in the most newbies and a couple of other opportunities.
 
Wow, those smiths are pretty expensive after doing some looking. Looks like I may be pushing this purchase off and just trying to get the SR45.

Are the 8 shot taurus .357's reliable? There seems to be quite a few lemons in the reviews on websites.
I had two of them a while back. One was perfect from day one until I sold it, the other was not functioning properly on day one (new gun), Taurus took care of it in less than a week and it was perfect until I sold it. Nice enough triggers out of the box, accurate too. I sold them because I didn't really need 8-shot heavy guns for the range.
 
Did you know about the snub nose 2" M327? It is also made with Scandium Alloy Frame and uses a Titanium Alloy Cylinder so it weighs only 21oz!!! That is amazing, a N frame revolver that holds 8 rounds of .357 Magnum and weighs only 21oz, wow!

It just needs a 3" barrel and I'd buy two!
 
Since when does a revolver have a magazine? The New York legislature has not yet declared the cylinder to be a "magazine".

http://www.governor.ny.gov/2013/gun-reforms

Tougher assault weapons ban: The legislation outlines a stricter definition of assault weapons, and implements an immediate ban of defined assault weapons. Under the stricter definitions, semi-automatic pistols and rifles with detachable magazines and one military style feature will be considered assault weapons. Semi-automatic shotguns with one military style feature will also be considered assault weapons. Assault weapons possessed before the effective date must be registered within a year recertified every five years. Owners of grandfathered assault weapons may only sell out of state or through an in state federal firearms licensee. Under the legislation, the Bushmaster used in the Newtown, Connecticut shooting would be illegal.
 
I'm cringing in expectation that the next evil gun d'jour will be those evil sniper rifles that can kill from hiding at over half a mile. Then some brain-case is going to figure that since revolvers don't leave evidence behind they are stealth weapons. :banghead:
 
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