357 Magnum as you're ccw

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How many fine fellow gunners carry their 357 as ccw? I carry my Ruger Speed Six daily. It is stoked with 125grainers in the Federal 357B. For me I am a solid believer in the 357. I love to shoot, reload and shoot some more in this caliber. Easy to reload, and cases last at least a dozen times. As for controllability it is learning how to shoot the weapon, and just lots of practice.
My speed six is my main ccw, I occasional swap it out and carry my Rossi 720 in 44 Special. Another weapon I truly love. If ever I need to defend myself, I have 100% confidence it will do the job if I do mine. I cant ask more of a weapon, or caliber.
 
I use a S&W 642-1 for CCW loaded with Speed GD SB 135 gr. .38 special +Ps, but would not hesitate to carry a .357 snub loaded with proper .357 short barrel ammo if I were to bump up to either a J-frame magnum or LCR .357... which I might some day!
 
I just bought a smith and wesson model 19-4 nickel plated that I am gonna carry as soon as my new holster comes in, however I currently conceal a ruger vaquero with an sp101 in .357 as a backup.
 
3" Taurus 66 with 140 grain Speer JHP over 17.0 grains 2400, but I don't normally belt carry.

I've got a Taurus 605 Poly coming in, maybe tomorrow, I hope. I will play with loads, but based on chronograph results in a 2.2" Ruger SP101, I'm figuring the 140 load will be pretty good in the short barrel. I'm going to do some accuracy testing first, then some chronographing of loads in the gun before I commit it to my carry battery.

I back up my .357 with a Taurus M85 stainless ultralite in a pocket loaded with .38 special 158 grain +P JHPs. The 85 is my normal primary, but I dress up for trips to the city. :D
 
I quite often carry either a S&W Model 60 or Model 65 both chambered in 357. I rarely shoot 357 from them simply because I dont enjoy it. I carry them with 38.
 
My carry guns for years have been , 7 shot Taurus 617, Ruger SP101, Rossi 971, Taurus 605, Taurus 650, and Ruger LCR. All in 357. Carry load was Corbon 125g. JHP and Federal Classic. These days Arthiritis is creeping up on me and I stepped back to 135g. Gold Dot 38+P.
 
I've packed them all:

attachment.php


Yes Speed Six, S&W 686, S&W 66, and Security Six. Also a S&W 65 3 inch 'LadySmith'!

And yep, they all have Eagle Secret Service Stocks.

Always use a Don Hume holster.

And usually Buffalo Bore 158gr LSWHPs. The Speed Six chronos them out at 1100 fps.

Deaf
 
While I feel everyone should carry what they think is best for them I won't carry .357 Magnum ammo. That is for no other reason than how loud and flashy a .357 Magnum round is when shot in a small dark enclosed room like a bedroom at night. When I do carry a .357 Magnum revolver for SD it's usually loaded with .38 Special +P ammo with a good HP bullet. (like the 135gr Gold Dot bullet)

Carrying in the woods is totally different. I will carry .357 Magnum ammo and sometimes that ammo is loaded with a 180gr bullet.
 
MCgunner said:
3" Taurus 66 with 140 grain Speer JHP over 17.0 grains 2400, but I don't normally belt carry.

I've got a Taurus 605 Poly coming in, maybe tomorrow, I hope. I will play with loads, but based on chronograph results in a 2.2" Ruger SP101, I'm figuring the 140 load will be pretty good in the short barrel. I'm going to do some accuracy testing first, then some chronographing of loads in the gun before I commit it to my carry battery.

I back up my .357 with a Taurus M85 stainless ultralite in a pocket loaded with .38 special 158 grain +P JHPs. The 85 is my normal primary, but I dress up for trips to the city. :D
Click to expand...

That's a smoking hot load for 140gr 357! If I remember correctly the 125gr 2400 load max was just over 17gr.
 
My in home gun is my in Taurus 431 in 44 Special and my 1911 in 45acp.
But for me to have to use them, I'd need to have emptied the Winchester 1200
with #4 buck :D
 
If it works....

Stick with it. :D
There's nothing wrong with the 125gr JHP or the .357magnum as a carry or defense round. It filled many sworn LE & security holsters for 20-30 years.
I like pistols for duty or carry but a decent .44spl or .357magnum can work too.

Rusty
 
ArchAngelCD said:
While I feel everyone should carry what they think is best for them I won't carry .357 Magnum ammo. That is for no other reason than how loud and flashy a .357 Magnum round is when shot in a small dark enclosed room like a bedroom at night. When I do carry a .357 Magnum revolver for SD it's usually loaded with .38 Special +P ammo with a good HP bullet. (like the 135gr Gold Dot bullet)

Carrying in the woods is totally different. I will carry .357 Magnum ammo and sometimes that ammo is loaded with a 180gr bullet.
Click to expand...

I agree completely. At my age (64), I would lose what is left of my hearing if I let go with a .357 blast with no ear protection (which I'm not likely to have in a defensive situation).

They are annoying enough as it is at the range WITH proper ear protection. I do have my 4" GP100 listed on my license but have never carried it.

Dan
 
bergmen said:
I agree completely. At my age (64), I would lose what is left of my hearing if I let go with a .357 blast with no ear protection (which I'm not likely to have in a defensive situation).

They are annoying enough as it is at the range WITH proper ear protection. I do have my 4" GP100 listed on my license but have never carried it.

Dan
Click to expand...

Agreed. I'll carry my M&P340 with .357 (or a mix of .38+P and .357) when I'm out, but it's the last thing I would want to fire inside of my house.
 
While I have carried my 4 inch S&W 686 on occasion, I routinely carry my 2.5 inch S&W 386 Night Guard filled with 125 gr magnum loads. The gun will recoil sharply with this load but is by no means uncontrollable and I don't find it significantly longer between shots than my .45ACP Glock 36.
 
When I carried a small bore, my choice was a 4" barreled S&W M19. My load for it was the one written about by Skeeter Skelton, the Lyman 358156 seated long in 38 Special cases and powered by 13.5 grains of 2400. As he wrote, as accurate as target wadcutters, but maintained that accuracy and much more power at longer distances.

I no longer own the M19 and use a 45 caliber revolver for CCW, preferring the large and slow projectile over the small and fast.
 
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