.357 Magnum for Self Defense?

[pps]

I've ccw'd my 627 for almost 10 years. Carried mostly in my medical bag and with a Simply Rugged shoulder rig, on occasion. Had a rough trigger at first and sent it back and S&W made it right. I was pretty PO'd to have to send back a performance center gun, though.

Since then, 30k rounds later and it's only been back to the gunsmith once to fix some end-shake. I've taken a couple of pigs with this gun.



.357 will get the job done. If it will stop a pissed off porker, it should have a pretty good chance at stopping any 2 legged threat to your life.

 

[boricua9mm]

Concealed carry natural becomes part of the discussion for those that carry. For the majority of gun owners that don't carry concealed weapons; "self-defense" means the gun on the nightstand, in the drawer, or in the closet kept for to defend the home and family. In that case, concealability is not an issue and often is counterproductive.

The thing is "...gun owners that don't carry concealed" is the MINORITY here in Florida. They are so simple to obtain, the MAJORITY of gun owners go ahead and get the Permit. Seems to be the case in most States that allow CCWs.

 

[RealGun]

Concealed carry natural becomes part of the discussion for those that carry. For the majority of gun owners that don't carry concealed weapons; "self-defense" means the gun on the nightstand, in the drawer, or in the closet kept for to defend the home and family. In that case, concealability is not an issue and often is counterproductive.

I would never leave guns around. I either wear one or put it away in lock up. When in bed, my carry gun is within reach, but I am the only one here.

The first rule is not to get shot with your own gun, so best to keep absolute control of it. If others are around, absolute compliance with safety rules is a must. Stuff happens.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Deaf, I think I know how u got your screen name, shooting all those shorties!
I thought I had issues, I used your pic to show my wife I am more normal than at least one person!!

Saw a photo on the S&W board and this guy had more N frames than I have shorties in that photo.

And then he showed is K frames and again... he had MORE of them than I had in that photo.

And just to pour salt on the wound, he showed his J frames.... He had rows of them!

And note.. a bass boat cost far more than those snubs I have.

So you see, I'm still a 'moderate'.

Deaf

 

[Fiv3r]

There is nothing wrong with a good .357 for a do-it-all gun. Granted, I think that full power loads bring way too much flash and report to the table if they are going to be fired indoors or within a vehicle for my taste.

Then again, I'm being a hypocrite as I have a 2.25" SP101 stuffed into my waistline sporting 158gr jsp My little devil dog just shoots the .357 so much better. At ten yards off hand I can keep a better percentage of rounds on target through this snub than a 4" barreled polymer 9mm.

I had a stainless 686 that I so kick myself for selling about 4 years back. She was a beaut. That one would have made a great one-and-only. I'm still plenty happy with the little SP101, though. From camping to hiking to traveling to EDC, I really haven't felt the need for more gun.

 

[RugRev]

"Hmmm.. Selling guns? Interesting concept... Don't think I've ever tried it though. To sell would be admitting that I made a mistake in purchasing it and I don't admit to such things"

Either that or you want something else even more so

Deaf, I like how you think. Nice assortment of snubs.

 

[JSH1]

The thing is "...gun owners that don't carry concealed" is the MINORITY here in Florida. They are so simple to obtain, the MAJORITY of gun owners go ahead and get the Permit. Seems to be the case in most States that allow CCWs.

According to legallyarmed.com there are 1.3 million active concealed carry permits issued by the state of Florida. That is the highest number of any state. Not all of those are residents as Florida issues permits to non-residents. There are 19.3 million people living in Florida. So even if we assume that every permit issued is a Florida resident only 6.7% of Florida residents have a concealed carry permit. So if the majority of Florida gun owners have a permit that means that only 13.5% of Florida residents own guns. That sounds really low to me. I suspect maybe 15-20% of Florida gun owners have a carry permit and there is a big difference between having the permit and actually carrying.

Alabama has very relaxed requirements for a concealed carry permit. In my county all you need to do is fill out a form and give the Sheriff a check for $20. Quite a few of the guys I shoot with have a carry permits as do their wives. None of them carry a gun on their person. A couple keep a gun in their car but most just have the permit in case they might need it and because it is so easy to get. Having a permit also makes going to the range easier as they can just load their guns in the car and go. I don't have a permit so by law I have to have my guns unloaded and locked in a case with the ammo locked in a separate case. That is a lot of locks.

 

[38riverrat]

I have 3 late model S&W revolvers. No problems or complaints with any of them.
I have bought and sold 2 other new S&W revolvers with zero problems. I just changed my mind.
From everything I have read, S&W will make good any that are not received in good shape.
I just shot my new 2.5 inch M686 PC (Bloodwork Light) and am very happy with it. I shot groups as well as I am capable with a rest, and got very good accuracy with a variety of handloads and factory ammo.
I have a limited stable by choice. These three guns are my only ones.
One gun would not be enough for me, as I would at least want a spare in case I ever need to send one off for work of any kind.
My other guns are a 442 and a 640 Pro for pocket and holster carry. The 686 is for home defense and a range gun, but I will get a holster (on order) to give me another carry option.

Best,
Rick

 

[boricua9mm]

According to legallyarmed.com there are 1.3 million active concealed carry permits issued by the state of Florida. That is the highest number of any state. Not all of those are residents as Florida issues permits to non-residents. There are 19.3 million people living in Florida. So even if we assume that every permit issued is a Florida resident only 6.7% of Florida residents have a concealed carry permit. So if the majority of Florida gun owners have a permit that means that only 13.5% of Florida residents own guns. That sounds really low to me. I suspect maybe 15-20% of Florida gun owners have a carry permit and there is a big difference between having the permit and actually carrying.

No idea who is behind Legallyarmed.com, but even FDLE doesn't have a firm grasp on who has a permit and who doesn't. This has unfortunately resulted in lots of Felons who obtained permits prior to offenses, yet their permits were never rescinded. We've passed legislation so that this type of information is not widely available, and we'd like to keep it that way; for the most part it is a sound practice and respects the privacy of gunowners.

Regardless, "general self defense" is a topic that includes the carrying a firearms. Otherwise, the operative term would be "Home Defense." Sure, lots of people have guns in their house, have little/no idea how to use them, and won't ever conceive of carrying one. That doesn't change the fact that actually toting a gun around should be a consideration for this thread. It's a simple matter of general self defense (being able to defend yourself anywhere possible) vs. Home Defense ("I wanna be able to protect myself when holed up inside my house). Criminals don't let you run out to your truck (or back home) and get a gun.

 

[JSH1]

No idea who is behind Legallyarmed.com, but even FDLE doesn't have a firm grasp on who has a permit and who doesn't.

Legallyarmed.com links their sources. Their source for the Florida numbers is the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - Division of Licensing.

http://www.freshfromflorida.com/content/download/7471/118627/Number_of_Licensees_By_Type.pdf

Regardless, "general self defense" is a topic that includes the carrying a firearms. Otherwise, the operative term would be "Home Defense."

The OP asked about finding a pre-lock / pre-MIM / 8 shot / Smith & Wesson 627 with a 4 or 5 inch barrel. Some people answered his question but the majority starting going on about how it was too big to be carried concealed.

 

[Ed Ames]

The OP asked for opinions on a revolver for general purposes including self defense.

Within that context I think it is reasonable to discuss concealed carry, hunting, hiking, range use, nightstand duty, car carry, and so on, so long as none of them is to the exclusion of other uses. It doesn't matter if a particular use represents 50% or 5%, it is still relevant.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Get a 4" Ruger GP100 in stainless steel for one awesome handgun.

It might not hold as many shots as a Glockomatic 9 mil, but those .357 shells hit with authority and revolver beats auto in reliability to matter what anyone says.

 

[george29]

My opinion before reading the thread: Revolver for SD means you are interested in reliability so get a proven model that is comfortable. I'm a big guy with big hands and an N frame isn't comfortable for daily use for SD. I use K frames, If I blow a cylinder using 125gr in self defense then so be it. Get a proven model (K or L frame). Use a proven round for SD (125 gr). Like you, when SD isn't a money issue I use a proven system, mine is a M65, M13 and a M640.

 

[FAS1]

A little pricey, but I do like the R8. It seems to have most of what you are looking for.

 

[Legionnaire]

weblances 3-inch inspired me to take a photo of mine. The 3-inch does carry easier than the 4-inch. Yeah, I like the GP100s.

 

[Phil W]

I carry a 386 in the winter and find it reasonably comfortable. If I can put the big white front site on target I'm good. No shooting snipers off rooftops.....

 

[jcs271]

I have carried my 327 for several years now with NO issues. Light weight, lots of rounds, what is not to love?

 

[Poohgyrr]

SuperCub,

Welcome to the forum. Don't let us grumpy old men scare you away.

For S&W, I'd say look at the 4" 627Pro. The 4" 27-7 is pre-lock and they didn't make that many. The 27-8 is a PC gun and has the lock; I have the blued 3 1/2" er and it is a favorite for carry. They also made the 5" version. And a nickle finish was available.

For what it is worth, I think carry is a personal choice. How serious am I about protecting my family? Is a little discomfort worth it?

Carrying any handgun is like stuffing a rock in your waistband and can look really heavy at the end of a long hard day.

That posted, absent medical or similar issues, most of us would do better to lose five + pounds of fat from around our guts than to worry about saving half a pound of pistol.......

It wasn't that long ago that men carried multiple full size revolvers.

Our troops fighting in the war carry 60 to 160 pounds when they go into combat. And the desert isn't air conditioned.

So much for the "it weighs too much" or "it is too big" arguments.

Again, I still believe carry is a personal choice.

And some of us have to deal with laws or policies or some rule that dictates what, or if, we may carry.

Revolvers remain a favorite of mine, even if I do carry an auto as primary most of the time. The 357Magnum remains a very versatile handgun. Carry it in a good holster with a good belt.

Here is one favorite carry combo of mine: the 27-8 and a 640-1.

 

[gym]

By the way, about 50% of households have a firearm in FL. You don' need a License to have a Gun in your car, office, or home. Just to walk around with it concealed. If you own a business you can OWB carry it legally without a License or on your own property.
Thus many "especially older folks" let their license expire, being that they really have no need to carry. They can still have their weapon in the Glove box.
The 686 with either 7 or 8 rounds is the perfect all around gun, the short barrel makes carrying easier and I wouldn't worry about a reduction in effectiveness unless hunting Bear, which few are going to do.