Did I make a mistake for buying a .357Mag?

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No you did not make a mistake. Ammo will come back. I see so much 9mm,.40s&w,and bulk .22, that I do not even buy it anymore.I am also beginning to see .45acp. The .357, and .38sp will come back.
 
Uh, the availaility of .38 SPecial and/or .357 Magnum will come back.

FYI for Miss Debbie - Both cartridges are very much alive and well

.38 SPecial has been around since about 1899 and was the standard
chambering in police revolvers for much of the 20th century. The .357
magnum was created in 1935. It was created in 1935 with the improvemennt of smokeless gun powder. In order to ensure the strengthened case
( Webbing in the interior at the base where the pimer is, the .357 Magnum
case is 1/8" longer. It was commonly known as the most powerful handgun
cartridge in the world for the next 20 years until the advent of
the .44 Magnum. NOte: the .38 SPecial max pressure is 17,000 PSI
and .38 SPecial is 19000 PSI. The .357 Magnum is 35000 PSI or higher
to give you some reference points. SO firing the .38 Special will be great
for practice due to less recoil howver in the chambers of the cylinder
there can be a buildup of residue with the 1/8 shorter cases so a user
should use the cleaning bruch to give the cylinder a good regular cleaning
after shooting either .38 Special or .357 Magnum.

Hope you have taken some basic courses and have a range to
practice at once you find some ammunition for your - I assume - revolver.

Randall
 
Point being though... until you can find ammo at the local wal-mart again, you're still not out of luck. Buying online is not at all difficult and its just as easy to find what you want, then pick up the phone and call your order in. I'm just about certain that I could have as much .357 and .38 ammo as I could afford sitting at my door before Friday afternoon with just ten minutes at Midway's site.
You might also want to check out www.cabelas.com . I have ordered so much stuff from them over the years and I've never had even the slightest reason to complain.
Keep us posted.
 
Good point Goon, I ordered 4 boxes of 50 rds each from Double Tap on
monday at 8"30 AM Pacific standard Time - DOuble Tap is located near
Salt Lake CIty Utah. I fot the order Wednesday afternoon and didn't pay for
any express order.

As I stated in my previous post .38 SPecial / .357 Mag revolvers
as well as some lever action carbines are probably among the most plentiful
number of platforms for any one kind of ammo in the USA so choosing a
handgun for this chambering of a most popular cartrdge(s) is not a
mistake but perhaps just not knowing where to look for a new gun buyer

lots of options but no response from the original poster

??? of course we're assuming the poster was in the USA?

Randall
 
I reload and make my own. I have plenty.

Why more people don't do it, I can't figure out??????
Click to expand...

Handloading is something that an online friend of mine suggested some time ago. He loves handloading and owns 20 guns.

While I like the concept of saving money by "rolling my own," I've seen pics of why gun makers all warn you not to. Like me, their lawyers have all seen pics of things like a GP-100 & .44 Mag Blackhawk blown apart by accidentally using too much powder.

Keep in mind that both examples I've seen pics of were accidents. They were not some moron trying to make some ultra-hot load that he thought would be real macho to fire. And each of these guys managed to destroy some heavy-duty Ruger revolvers that nobody could possibly describe as wimpy. Both of those guns are built like a tank.
 
+1 on ammoengine

Last month, using ammoengine, I was able to find .357 at Graf & Sons for $17.99 for a box of 50.

CCI AMMO 357 MAG 158gr BLAZER JHP

Aluminum case so not reloadable, but a decent price for hard to find.

Also, buying online, the shipping is often no more than (or less than) the price of sales tax if purchased locally. (I know, at least in Indiana, I am required to pay the sales tax when I file my state income tax return.)
 
Reloading is a hobby unto itself and is a complicated hobby to learn. Not that it can't be done, if I do it, anyone can, just that it takes time and effort neither of which many folks have or want to provide. I've reloaded all my life, don't know any other way. Hell, I can't afford factory ammo, anyway, as much as I've shot in the past.

The pinch for me lately is primers, but I've got about 1500 small pistol. Down to about 250 large pistol. There is a waiting list on 'em, but they're not impossible to get. Price has more than doubled, though. I cast my own bullets. Powder doesn't seem to be too short, but cases are if you need cases.
 
No, you did not make a mistake.

The prize goes to the vigilant.

A daily search will turn up ammo.

I have a good source for range ammo, but since it's in limited supply I'm reluctant to reveal it on a public forum.

Check your pm's.

and good luck
 
I have a good source for range ammo, but since it's in limited supply I'm reluctant to reveal it on a public forum.

Check your pm's.
Click to expand...
Talk about helping out your fellow shooters. I only buy what I need (powder and primers when I can find it. I am down to 1/2 lb of powder now.) and I tell anybody who asks where to find ammo if I am aware of it. Public forum or not. Guess I should just keep my mouth shut.
 
The .38/.357 ammo used to be ubiquitious on the shop shelves. The stuff I've seen at the stores lately has been uber-expensive and getting scarce. One of my favorite pastimes is reloading for .38 and .357 Magnum. If it wasn't for that, I'd have to slide my favorite revolver to the back of the safe and bring out the 9mm more often. That said, though, even primers for reloading can get scarce at times. 9mm availability is still pretty good and cheap in FMJ persuasion, so I have an ex-police 9mm Sig P-226 which I use when I want to save the .38s. It was cheap, well cared for and is actually a fun gun to shoot. Wheel guns make you spoiled by their accuracy, but the Sig does not disappoint. In any event, here's hoping .38 caliber ammo becomes more available, and at decent prices.

Although I tend to favor buying from brick and mortars, I would definitely consider online purchasing if it comes to it. Anything to keep my wheelguns running! And, you definitely did not make a mistake. I consider the .38/.357 to be tops in all respects and thoroughly enjoy shooting them.
 
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I just bought some 357 at Dick's locally. The had at least 20 boxes there as well as 38 in equal quantity. I think the ammo supply is becoming more plentiful.

When a friend needed some 357 for a new gun we found some at a local gun show from individuals. That is also an option.
 
I have had pretty good luck restocking my ammo by just asking the people in Walmart when they get their shipments in, and showing up on those days. It is kind of a pain, but ammo is just hard in general right now.

Its been said already, but no, you didn't make a mistake at all. A .357 is a fine, very versatile choice.
 
Try www.mastercast.net. for reman and new ammo. I have not purchased from them as yet but intend to. Save your brass for exchange. BTW, 357/38 is a great manageable load and I really enjoy shooting the 38 wad cutters in my M&P340 and Model 19 4", topping it off with 357's. Good luck
 
Smaller gun shops have ammunition in my area. If you're depending on Walmart for you ammo, you may continue to have some problems finding ammo.
 
try the mom-n-pop shops in yer area; you'll have to pay a bit more, but at least you'll have something to shoot-n-stash for later on when you want ammo and can't find it; agree with the suggestion on mastercast reloads; shot it in several calibers (.38 spl, .38 spl +p, .357 mag, .44 spl, .44 mag, .45 colt) and hoarded a bit in each caliber for future usage
 
Georgia arms has 38spl in 1000 and 500 rnds cans for $.21 a rnd plus shipping. I got 1000 rnds for $233 shipped and it was at my door in 1.5weeks. Find defensive ammo online is really easy as well.


BC
 
Most gun ranges have .38 & .357 in stock, you might pay a little of a premium for them though. But as others have suggested, ordering online might be the way to go. Even places on backorder if you place your order you get first come first serve priority.

A little OT now...

Last time I was at the range, I saw someone shooting .38's and just throwing his brass on the ground! I asked him if he wasn't going to keep them would he mind giving them to me since I reload. He said 'sure'... :)

Another time when I was throwing some .22 brass in the bin I saw a bunch of .38's laying on top. I asked the owner if I pick out the .38's and pay him for them, would he mind? He said, "go right ahead..." :) For 4 cents each I'll sift through a bin of brass for a few minutes. :)

.38 & .357 have to be the easiest rounds to reload, and are an excellent cartridge to learn with.
 
Mistake in buying a .357mag?

One word answer: No.

.357Mag is probably the most versatile revolver & cartridge combo around...From very very mild "rodent flatulence" .38Spl target or cowboy action loads, all the way up to just short of thermo-nuclear-level .357Mag ammo, and anything in between.

ANY ammo is a bit scarce and pricier than it should be right now, but that trend is reversing...more becoming availabe, and priceing is down a tiny fractional bit.
 
A 357 revolver is probably the most flexible and useful general purpose handgun you can get.

In a 4" barrel it is small enough in a pinch to be a CC piece.

You can shoot everything from 38 special 148 gr wadcutter target loads that have about as much recoil as a typical 22LR, to hunting cartridges suitable for most game under deer size.

Its a reliable self defense firearm, and is often accurate enough to be a target gun as well.
 
The local WalMart seems to have 38 Special and 38 Special +P in stock on a fairly regular basis. In fact picked up 4 boxes of Winchester 38 Special+P JHP this morning. $18 for 50. I would have never considered the Ruger LCR had it not been for lack of 380 ammo for my LCP. Keep the faith but just do not over pay.
 
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