do they even make .357 revolvers anymore?

[TTAmoneypit]

been looking for a snubby .357 with about 2" or 3" barrel

all the places I've been only have .38 special



only reason i don't want .38 special is i only have .357 brass laying around--about 500 pieces nickel/brass


maybe the harrisburg gunshow this weekend will have something or I'll put an wanted ad in the paper

 

[Rossshady120]

wow you can shoot .357 out of a .38 just like my slr-106f can shoot .223 and 5.56

 

[HB]

wow you can shoot .357 out of a .38

NO, you can't. Wow. Sorry for the rudeness but hey, it's been a long day....

To the OP, look into ruger SP101's if you are looking for a study snub, heavy for pocket carry but solid guns.

HB

 

[22-rimfire]

Lots of 357 mag revolvers made. Look at the Smith & Wesson catalog.
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&content=11001
You can NOT shoot 357 mag ammo from a 38spl gun. If by chance it would fit, you may injure yourself or worse. BUT you can shoot 38spl ammo in a gun chambered for 357 mag. The 357 mag case is slightly longer than the 38spl.

 

[krs]

S&W 60, 60LS, 637, 640, 649, 340, 340CT, 340PD, 360PD, 686 (6 rounds) and 686+ (7 rounds) are all available, and there's a NightGuard model in .357 too. Probably more S&W's than these but you can look through their website as well as I can.

Ruger SP101 is a good'n, Charter Arms probably has one, and Armscor (RIA) also makes at least one (I think).

So.........yeah.

 

[Big Daddy Grim]

Charter kinda blows though had to send my .357 back because two of its cylinders wouldn't hold a .357 they reboared it but still made me think twice about chooseing them again. Ruger, S&W, or Taurus would be my bet.

 

[MedWheeler]

Ditto on HB's response: Do NOT attempt to shoot .357 rounds from a revolver chambered for .38 Special ammo. I know you knew that, but I don't want anyone else reading that and taking off with it...
Lots of people like the Ruger SP 101.. is that one still made in .357?

 

[rdrancher]

Lots of people like the Ruger SP 101.. is that one still made in .357?

Yep.


rd

 

[dstark]

I just recieved my sp-101 2" .357 two weeks ago, it took longer than that for the dealer to find it, so there out there, you just have to do some looking.

 

[Old Salty Dog]

Rossi (made by Taurus) sells a fairly nice, reasonably priced .357 in blue and stainless w/a 4" barrel. Model 971. They have other models as well.

 

[WardenWolf]

Wait, isn't it the other way around? Why would anyone make a .38 revolver anymore when a .357 can do both while still being compact?

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The .357 is quite a handful in lightweight compact revolvers.

 

[bluetopper]

Us paper punchers think the 38 is fine and dandy. If I want to let my testosterone flow I'll get my 44 Mag.

 

[Carl Levitian]

Also a .38 special out of a gun chambered for a .38 special, will be a tad more accurite than a .38 out of a .357 mag.

 

[Loomis]

Some 38s will shoot 357s just fine. I don't know how to tell the difference between the ones that will and the ones that wont though. So I won't try it.

Some 38 revolvers won't even chamber a 357 cartridge. But some will(actually most won't, I think it's the older guns where you occasioinally find 357 compatible chambers in a 38 gun). And unfortunately, its my understanding that has nothing to do with determining which ones will safely contain 357 pressures

 

[.455_Hunter]

Do not do it!

JUST BECAUSE A CARTRIDGE FITS IN A GUN DOES NOT MAKE IT SAFE TO FIRE!

Many older guns, especially Colt double action revolvers and foreign imports (Belgium/Spain), have no step in the chamber bores, allowing dangerous combinations to occur.

For example, the Colt New Army, chambered in black powder .38 Long Colt, will often accept .357 Magnum cartridges without even a second thought. Firing such a combination WILL result in a exploded gun and nice pieces of ferrous material taking up residence in the shooter's and bystanders' bodies. Even hot .38 Special +P loads are risky!

Take Care,

Hunter

 

[BrandonBowers]

Look at the Taurus 605 stainless 357 5 shot with the two inch barrel.

I had one with a 3" barrell and LOVED that teensy little thing.




Says $453 retail ... you can probably get it a lot cheaper than that.

Or if blued guns are more your speed ... that makes it even cheaper.

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=247&category=Revolver

Here's the 617 which is a 7 shot 357 with a 2" barrel as well.



Hope that helped.

 

[Loomis]

IIRC, there is a certain vintage and certain model(or models and vintages) of S&W revolvers where it is reasonably safe to lengthen the chambers in a 38 revolver so that 357 cartridges will fit...AND fire them with with a certain degree of safety.

Which one's I don't remember.

I have an old alloy frame colt agent six shooter that will accept 357 cartridges...BUT, it is most certainly NOT SAFE to fire 357s in it. In fact, it's not even recommended to fire 38+P loads in it.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I know what you mean all the places seem to be sold out and the waiting list is long for 357 snubby or 3". Even Taurus' are impossible to find.

 

[ugaarguy]

IIRC, there is a certain vintage and certain model(or models and vintages) of S&W revolvers where it is reasonably safe to lengthen the chambers in a 38 revolver so that 357 cartridges will fit...AND fire them with with a certain degree of safety.

Which one's I don't remember.

There is no such vintage, because S&W used different heat treatment on frames & cylinders of .357 Mag revolvers than they did on .38 Special revolvers.

Ruger uses the same heat treatment on all frames & cylinders. Hence, you can lengthen chambers on .38 Special GPs and SPs to .357 Mag. You can also safely load .45 Colt to .44 Magnum pressures in any Ruger frame which is also offered in .44 Magnum (Please note that New Model Vaqueros are small frame and not offered in .44 Magnum so it is not safe to hot load .45 Colt in those).

 

[WardenWolf]

And Ruger certifies all their guns for hot loads. If you call them, they'll tell you it's okay to shoot 5.56 in a Mini-14. And they also state clearly that the Mark III is designed to handle high-velocity .22LR loads, so the high-quality CCI Mini Mags are a go.

Bottom line: Rugers are overbuilt to hell.

However, I would be hesitant to put .357 in a Ruger .38 simply because they may have milled more material off the outside of the .38's cylinder in order to save weight. So even if it has the same heat treating, it may not be pressure-rated to the same level because of weight reduction measures.

 

[C-grunt]

I havent seen any such shortage here. Check out some of the shops in the Phoenix area if your looking.

 

[machinisttx]

Jeez...I think my head is going to explode from the misinformation and WTFs in this thread.

1. Is there some reason Ruger, Taurus or S&W would stop making .357 Magnum revolvers? Is it "obsolete and underpowered" now?

2. Since when does a cartridge 1.29 inches long fit in a gun with a 1.155 inch long chamber???????? S&W lengthened the case(in 1935, not exactly the latest breaking news) specifically to keep fools from stuff hot ammo into guns that won't handle it. Secondary part of this....any firearm chambered for 5.56 is safe to fire with .223 Remington ammunition. A firearm chambered for .223 Remington is NOT necessarily safe to fire with 5.56 ammunition. There are differences in the brass, chamber, and pressure level between those cartridges.

3. Many a good S&W has been ruined by a cheapskate who wanted to hot rod his existing gun. At no time in S&W's history did they build a gun that was suitable for "chamber lengthening" to "safely" fire magnums. Let me guess, you think there aren't any differences between a Model 10 and a Model 19 except the chambering? you'd be wrong. Destroy your own guns if you wish, but please don't misinform others into doing it.

4. Ruger WILL NOT tell you it's ok to use hot loads in their guns. They will tell you it's ok to use factory loaded ammunition. The mini 14 was/is made with a chamber cut to military specifications so that it is safe to fire with military surplus ammuntion, not because "it's overbuilt".

 

[WardenWolf]

There's a difference between handloads and factory loads. Rugers are designed for the hottest available factory loads. They do seriously overbuild their guns. And that's a GOOD thing.

They are NOT, and I repeat NOT, designed for idiots who handload and go beyond the safe ratings for the cartridge. NO manufacturer can guess what some moron is going to cook up in his garage. That is the part I should make absolutely clear. If you deviate from prescribed ranges, you are going to damage your gun and possibly injure or kill yourself in the process.

Ruger designs for hot FACTORY loads. These are loads that are STILL within the safety range of the cartridge. Again, if you act like a moron with any firearm, and if you push cartridges to dangerous levels, you're going to screw it up. Ruger will tell you it's safe to shoot the hot FACTORY loads in their guns. But every firearm manufacturer on the planet is going to tell you that if you handload, you're on your own.

 

[bikerdoc]

AS stated by previous posters.
A 357 should never, repeat, never be fired from a 38, period, amen, end of discusion.
All maunufacturers recommend only factory ammo, if you hot rod a handload you better know what you are doing.
I have a taurus 605 in 3 inch - great gun and in blue under 300 dollars. about a thousand rounds - no problems.
the ruger sp101 was more but i dont recall exactly, more rounds , a little more accurate, and completely dependable.
Did I have to search and make an effort to find them? Ya, but it was worth it.