I've been doing some more reading on this caliber lately and I've come to appreciate how good a round it is. I think a quality 4" revolver (Ruger/S&W/etc) chambered in .357 magnum is VERY versatile, reliable, and effective.
We all know that quality revolvers are very reliable, and yes I do understand that when they do jam up they are tougher to get back working than semi-autos. But for the majority of the time, revolvers don't fail, and when they do often times it seems like its from using some bad ammo.
Revolvers too seem to have more options when it comes to modifing the gun to suit what you want. You can change the grips to suit your taste for looks, you can have smooth grips, finger groove, rubber, 2 finger, 3 finger grips, covered back strap, open back strap. Sights can be pretty much anything you want, and if you get a gun with fixed or no sights you can have them modifed to accept whatever you want. You can even have moonclips added to make your reloads faster. They're also not restricted on ammo configuration because you don't have to worry about the bullet feeding, because it will feed. And with modern metals you can have your revolver pretty light in the weight dept, only thing you trade is some more recoil. About the only area to me that revolvers don't outshine semis is capacity
The gun in this caliber can shoot .38 special or wadcutter loads for target practice that are very accurate, and very low in recoil. 38 ammo is pretty cheap, so it makes range time easy on the wallet, and ammo can be found anywhere. And for those who are more sensitive to recoil, a good .38+P round is very effective as a self defense load as well.
.357 mag rounds are also very versatile, the 130 grain and less loads provide less recoil, are accurate, and generate pretty good energy figures. Usually equal with most 9mm/40cal/45 rounds as far as performance. Once you move up to the good 158 grain loadings you have passed pretty much all 9mm/40S&W/45ACP/10mm rounds in terms of energy deposit. And then once you factor in the ability to shoot the massive 170/180 grain hunting loads that will take down medium sized game, you have a firearm that can do a lot, and do it well.
So thats just one guy's opinion, but I recommend to everyone I know and meet that is thinking about getting a firearm for home protection/fun at the range I tell them everytime "Get a 4" revolver in .357".
We all know that quality revolvers are very reliable, and yes I do understand that when they do jam up they are tougher to get back working than semi-autos. But for the majority of the time, revolvers don't fail, and when they do often times it seems like its from using some bad ammo.
Revolvers too seem to have more options when it comes to modifing the gun to suit what you want. You can change the grips to suit your taste for looks, you can have smooth grips, finger groove, rubber, 2 finger, 3 finger grips, covered back strap, open back strap. Sights can be pretty much anything you want, and if you get a gun with fixed or no sights you can have them modifed to accept whatever you want. You can even have moonclips added to make your reloads faster. They're also not restricted on ammo configuration because you don't have to worry about the bullet feeding, because it will feed. And with modern metals you can have your revolver pretty light in the weight dept, only thing you trade is some more recoil. About the only area to me that revolvers don't outshine semis is capacity
The gun in this caliber can shoot .38 special or wadcutter loads for target practice that are very accurate, and very low in recoil. 38 ammo is pretty cheap, so it makes range time easy on the wallet, and ammo can be found anywhere. And for those who are more sensitive to recoil, a good .38+P round is very effective as a self defense load as well.
.357 mag rounds are also very versatile, the 130 grain and less loads provide less recoil, are accurate, and generate pretty good energy figures. Usually equal with most 9mm/40cal/45 rounds as far as performance. Once you move up to the good 158 grain loadings you have passed pretty much all 9mm/40S&W/45ACP/10mm rounds in terms of energy deposit. And then once you factor in the ability to shoot the massive 170/180 grain hunting loads that will take down medium sized game, you have a firearm that can do a lot, and do it well.
So thats just one guy's opinion, but I recommend to everyone I know and meet that is thinking about getting a firearm for home protection/fun at the range I tell them everytime "Get a 4" revolver in .357".
With a heavy hardcast SWC, the .357 is even viable against black bears! Yet, you can take the same gun, stick .38 wadcutters in it, and hunt small game. That's the reason I own several .357s. They're just superb outdoor guns. A titanium K frame size gun like the tracker, would work afield and for CCW. It'd be fairly easy to carry IWB given good leather. And, for self defense, it don't get any better than the old standby 125 grain JHP in .357 magnum.
