4" 357 Mag revo, best all around handgun ever?

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10mm and .44 ar both superb cartridges, but the bulk of the gun required to shoot them, the shooters ability to handle recoil, the load versatility and availability make them fall so far short of the .357 that they can't even be considered.

I love my .44mags and for me personally they work for all around use, but then I handload and don't carry concealed and have no need to. I also love my .41 mag but have yet to see any at WallyWorld but I did see a box in a gun shop the other day for $37.00 :what: Now the 10mm is a wonderful cartridge as well and is extremely versatile to the handloader but the weapons available are few and the ammo is very rare (saw a shooter at the range the other day diving on his brass so as not to lose it) and with an auto platform you lose the ability to download it as you lose function.

I shoot a wide range of guns and calibers and the .357 is the one true all arounder. For those that love your wheelies in .357, you really need to try it in a lever gun as it will come alive and do things to amaze you, check out Paco Kelly's www.Leverguns.com

Making me want to go shooting my .357's. Good shooting all.
 
I agree about the .357 magnum revolvers being very versatile.

From .38 special loads that feature practically zero recoil all the way up to powerhouse medium game thumpers.

And I like that modern loads (Cor-Bon and a few others) are pushing the envelope of the effectiveness, such as 200+ grain bullets being launched at 1200+ fps.....loads best used in a Ruger .357s IMO....might prove marginally effective on black bear.
 
I made the GP-100 4" my first handgun purchase due to its reputation for durability and versatility. I have no regrets, I love my GP!
 
461 said:
10mm and .44 ar both superb cartridges, but the bulk of the gun required to shoot them, the shooters ability to handle recoil, the load versatility and availability make them fall so far short of the .357 that they can't even be considered.

I love my .44mags and for me personally they work for all around use, but then I handload and don't carry concealed and have no need to. I also love my .41 mag but have yet to see any at WallyWorld but I did see a box in a gun shop the other day for $37.00 :what: Now the 10mm is a wonderful cartridge as well and is extremely versatile to the handloader but the weapons available are few and the ammo is very rare (saw a shooter at the range the other day diving on his brass so as not to lose it) and with an auto platform you lose the ability to download it as you lose function.

I shoot a wide range of guns and calibers and the .357 is the one true all arounder. For those that love your wheelies in .357, you really need to try it in a lever gun as it will come alive and do things to amaze you, check out Paco Kelly's www.Leverguns.com

Making me want to go shooting my .357's. Good shooting all.
Click to expand...


I have killed one deer with my Rossi M92 lever gun, 20" barrel in .357 mag. I have better guns for hunting, but I've kept this little handy saddle gun 'cause of its versatility. I have a light handload it likes in .38 that isn't quite as accurate as a good .22, but up to rabbit hunting for sure. I can't shoot as hot a handload in it as I can my blackhawk. I have one hotrod 180 grain load in the Ruger that shows some pressure sign, sticky extraction, in the rifle. I have an all purpose load, 158 grain gas checked hard cast SWC in front of 14.5 grains of H2400 that I killed a doe with at 80+ yards. It was a lung shot, left a 3" diameter wound channel through the lungs, pretty impressive. She walked/stumbled about 20 feet and dropped.

I have a ghost ring aperture sight I set up on that rifle with a numbered elevation knob and can switch calibration according to load. It's a pretty neat set up! I like that thing as a knock about/truck gun. I have a couple of SKSs that can fill that roll, but the little .357 is more versatile, just like its handgun relatives. ;) IIRC, that load pushes about 1450 fps out of a handgun and is clocking 400 fps more out of the rifle, 1800+fps with a 158 grain bullet. That's pretty impressive for the little round. It's putting up nearly 1200 ft lbs at the muzzle of the rifle and over 700 at the muzzle of the 6.5" blackhawk.

My light load out of the rifle is around 1150 ft/second pushing a Lee cast 105 grain swc. It shoots a little over an inch for five shots at 25 yards. That's pretty much a hot rod .22, eh? In fact, hold over at 50 yards is about what you get with a .22 rifle. Two guns in one!
 
If you HAVE to have a single handgun to do it all, the 4" .357Mag is as good as it gets.
 
I can't deny the .357s are great,,,I love to shoot my .41 and its accuracy is amazing, very managable recoil, and packs so much more power,,,but then I love to shoot my .44......ONLY ONE? I suppose if I had to have only one,,for CC, hunting, play at the range, the 4" 686 S&W would get the nod...
 
I agree that the 4" .357 is the best all around revolver. In fact, other than my S&W 442 and 37, my other S&W and Ruger revolvers are in .357.
 
Makes me so mad I passed on that King Cobra when I saw it.

I'd have to agree, if you can handle it the .357 is a well rounded weapon.
 
Pretty hard to beat the 4" .357 DA wheelgun for the long haul. I will go further and suggest that there never was a real need for law enforcement to go into a frenzy of impulse buying for autojammers. A good K frame in the hands of a good man is sufficient.

If "firepower" is the solution just go belt fed.
 
Dienekes said:
Pretty hard to beat the 4" .357 DA wheelgun for the long haul. I will go further and suggest that there never was a real need for law enforcement to go into a frenzy of impulse buying for autojammers. A good K frame in the hands of a good man is sufficient.

If "firepower" is the solution just go belt fed.
Click to expand...

I agree a LOT with that statement. Maybe LEOs in small towns would be a lot safer, too. Revolvers don't tempt the spray and pray reflex, either. So many advantages. I think cops were a LOT better with their weapons back when they carried revolvers than now days. At least I knew more of 'em that could shoot well.

I'm sure all the LEOs will be all over us as to why they NEED those wonder .40s, though. :D
 
IF I had to be forever forced to use only factory ammo, IF I could have only one handgun, IF it had to be a useable CCW, then I agree that a 4" .357 would be the most versatile and ideal.

But I don't live in that world, thankfully. Even with the .357s great reputation and performance, I prefer the .44 Magnum for my uses. I don't CCW, so an N-frame is no problem. The squirrels and chipmunks and chickadees and my dog really don't care about that steel hanging on my hip.

Need it for self-defense, or as a bedstand gun? Load it with a 200gr .44 Special. My girlfriend can even fire these through the N-frame, and she has small hands.

Want to have a nice practice load? Load some 240gr SWCs at 1000 fps and plink away. Still makes major power factor and is quite controllable. I reload and don't see why somebody, somewhere doesn't make this round in factory type. Perhaps some of the cowboy action stuff?

Care to go hunting or worried about large stuff? A hot 240gr or heavier round would be fine. Does it kick? Yeah, but not all of us find it particularly unpleasant.

Now if I was *forced* to only have a 4" .357, I certainly wouldn't pout in the corner either! :D

FWIW, I saw a picture a while back of a 12 year old girl who had killed a 200+ pound black bear with one shot from her .357 Handi-rifle. So I know it's a capable performer.
 
wanderinwalker said:
IF I had to be forever forced to use only factory ammo, IF I could have only one handgun, IF it had to be a useable CCW, then I agree that a 4" .357 would be the most versatile and ideal.

But I don't live in that world, thankfully. Even with the .357s great reputation and performance, I prefer the .44 Magnum for my uses. I don't CCW, so an N-frame is no problem. The squirrels and chipmunks and chickadees and my dog really don't care about that steel hanging on my hip.

Need it for self-defense, or as a bedstand gun? Load it with a 200gr .44 Special. My girlfriend can even fire these through the N-frame, and she has small hands.

Want to have a nice practice load? Load some 240gr SWCs at 1000 fps and plink away. Still makes major power factor and is quite controllable. I reload and don't see why somebody, somewhere doesn't make this round in factory type. Perhaps some of the cowboy action stuff?

Care to go hunting or worried about large stuff? A hot 240gr or heavier round would be fine. Does it kick? Yeah, but not all of us find it particularly unpleasant.

Now if I was *forced* to only have a 4" .357, I certainly wouldn't pout in the corner either! :D

FWIW, I saw a picture a while back of a 12 year old girl who had killed a 200+ pound black bear with one shot from her .357 Handi-rifle. So I know it's a capable performer.
Click to expand...

+1:D I had to look to see if I had written that!
 
I agree and will state that no autoloader could be as versatile. The 10 comes about as close though, with .357 magnum energies and heavy bullets it can take game or protect from black bears or whatever. With a .40 barrel, and spring, it could shoot down loads, though it'd take a barrel swap in the field and you STILL aren't going to get .38 wadcutter accuracy for small game, most likely.

That's my case, or some of it, for revolvers as field use guns. They're more accurate out of the box, to boot! Some of 'em are down right rifle accurate, or at least will put 5 shots into four inches at 100 yards. Not too many brass chunkers can do that, perhaps a Desert Eagle with a good handload.
 
Agreed, a 3"-6" three-five-seven is a great beginner gun that nobody ever outgrows. And I hope as long as God gives me breath it will be legal to own and use. I hope I'll still have one to pass on to the younger generation when I'm too old and ornery to carry one. It's uses and mode of service guarantees that it will NEVER be obsolete.

That being said, don't overlook the 10mm smith 610 (And other 10mm autos, if you happen to handload.) a good stout .44 mag double action six-shooter, a 5 shot lightweight .38 spl snubby like the four-four-two, or .41 magnum wheels (My most favorite caliber of all time.)
Those, and a good shotgun will pretty much do 99% of what needs to be done.
The main problem with the .357 is that it doesn't qualify as a big bore.
My own personal definition of a big bore is any bullet that is .400 or larger around, makes major power factor easily, takes large primers, is capable of accomodating slugs of over 200 grains, while making the shooter grin from ear to ear. :)
That's where the fun starts getting expensive, making reloading almost mandatory.
In other words, the .357 is the last stop before fun stops becoming cost-effective if you don't handload.
 
I posted the the thread-starters POV on another list and the following is science fiction author L. Neil Smith's take on the issue.

Note: .40 Liberty is .40 S&W


Disagree.

I own a 4" Ruger Security Six which is a good weapon. It's a 1976
"200th Year of American Liberty" piece I've given an extensive and very
effective trigger job. It shoots straight and handles the hottest ammo
(the old S&W, Norma) without a hiccup. I carried a .357 on duty as a
reserve police officer. I also have a 6" S&W 686 made for silhueta with
an adjustable front sight.

HOWEVER: .357 Magnum is not really a magnum cartridge. It is a very
powerful conventional cartridge, but compared to 41 Magnum, .44 Magnum,
and .45 Winchester Magnum -- let alone the more recent giant cartridges
-- it doesn't reallyl amount to much.

.40 Liberty has virtually the same ballistics, given the proper
load, and identical terminal effects. I shot .40 for a long time in
silhueta (out of a S&W M610 revolver) and did very well. More often than
not I took first or second place. And since the gun was made to shoot
10mm Auto, right there it's at least as versatile as any .357, and a
great deal more powerful. The 5" 610 is very handy. I wish they'd made
an 8 3.8" model.

I prefer autopistols and can name several that are better than .357.
The fact that they'll all hold more rounds than a 4" .357 is ony one
factor. Although I love the 1911, my choice for best autopistol has to
be a Glock or an EAA 10mm.

But if I were stuck with a revolver only, mine would be a .44
Magnum, because it will do virtually anything, from killing a snake
(birdshot loads) to a rabbit (.44 Special) to and engine block (any good
240-grain load). And it can reach a long, long way.

Going into harm's way with a 4" .357 wheelgun is asking to have your
genes removed from the pool. They're extremely sensitive to barrel
length. If you _must_ have a .357, it should be a 6", at least.

N.

--
=====================================================
From _Roswell, Texas_:

[The Federated States of] Texas presents only the bleakest of
prospects for professional politicians. We are a prosperous, self-
contained, self-reliant folk who have no problems for politicians to
pretend to "solve". We allow them insufficient power to create new
ones. The only "refugees" who leave these borders in any number are
would-be office holders who find the U.S., California, or Mexico to
be greener pastures for their ambitions.
Amber-Rose Bierce
In her column "The Eyes of Texas"
_The Staked Plains Sentinel_

The Webley Page: http://www.lneilsmith.org
_The Libertarian Enterprise_: http://www.ncc-1776.org
_Tom Paine Maru_: http://payloadz.com/go/sip?id=137991
_The Probability Broach_ and _Roswell, Texas_: www.bigheadpress.com
 
That settles it. I'm going to buy a 686.
No, wait. An sp101.
No, wait. I'll buy both.
Long live the .357!
-David
 
The .357, in 1935, was the most powerful handgun every made and could blow your head clean off.... ahem.... well, it was the very first magnum. Yes, while I might not consider the .32 H&R as much of a "magnum", the .357 is indeed! It predates the .41 and .44 which came along in the late 50s and early 60s. The .357 is the gun that COINED the word "magnum". Without it, the .44 might be a ".44 Super".:rolleyes: As mostly a promotional stunt in 1935, S&W execs killed every big game animal in north America with it. Better them than me on a brownie, but hey, I once saw William Shatner on ABC's "American Sportsman" stick a brownie at 30 yards with a friggin' bow. :rolleyes: I'm sure there were a couple of guys behind the camera with .375s locked and loaded, though. :D

Proud owner of a 2002 Silver Suzuki SV650S with 000025 miles on it.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I have 17K and growing on my '01 red SV650S. :D

But if I were stuck with a revolver only, mine would be a .44
Magnum, because it will do virtually anything, from killing a snake
(birdshot loads) to a rabbit (.44 Special) to and engine block (any good
240-grain load). And it can reach a long, long way.
Click to expand...

Well, no CCW carry there. And, the winner is.......357 magnum! :D
 
xring44 said:
+1:D I had to look to see if I had written that!
Click to expand...

Thanks! Glad somebody liked it! :D

Anyway, I frequently find myself trying to convince people that the .44 Maggie doesn't have to be a fire-breathing monster for all shooting. I find little need to push 240gr slugs at 1300-fps to just practice, other than because it is fun sometimes. (And my 629 shoots really well with that load.)

But for the non-handloader, I will always recommend a .357, in a GP-100 or 686.


MCgunner,

It's actually more like 15,000, but the original dash-board died, in spite of Suzuki's insistance that they don't fail. Not bad for 3 summers of riding, I think. Especially when I can't take my highpower gear on it! :rolleyes:
 
This is the Python that belonged to my late father-in-law. This is the first gun my wife ever shot (at apples, as a teenager), and it holds fond memories for both of us. I shot some pumpkins with it last fall, in the general spirit of produce destruction, and it performed flawlessly. The trigger is smooth as silk. I agree that the 4" platform and the caliber are a near-perfect combination though, while in bear country, I generally opt for a .44.

attachment.php
 
wundudnee said:
But it still works well.:) My pre 27, 3 1/2" S&W.

picture.jpg
Click to expand...


You shoot the 5 or 4 screw Smith and you need proc-toe :what: :D :D :D exam...what a beauty...!!!

And those Diamond cut grips...WOW..
 
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