good carry 357?

[george burns]

I want to go back to a revolver to see if I still enjoy carrying one like I did when I started carrying some 40 + years ago. I still work out daily and have good hand strength, so I want a snubby 357 mag. I like nickel, and love those Gemini customs.
Just don't feel like spending that kind of money on trial. So Ruger Smith, or Taurus. I have had all but Ruger, I never liked the way the grip attached to the frame. There was always that wiggle, unless you used the adapter that screwed in from the bottom of the butt. I love the 686, but it's a little large for carry on a daily basis, the 340PD is also real nice but awful light. So I am stuck trying to find something small enough yet durable enough to carry daily.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Like I said I started out shooting snubbys for 20 years, so I should adjust just fine, and the 357 give me options with ammo. Thanks

 

[Hopkins]

I carried a RB 3" nickel 19 for 4-5 years. 70's vintage pinned and recessed. I want to say it was a Combat Masterpiece but I may be wrong. TT,Th,AS. I settled on 158gr LHP 38+p's. The 357's in low light were pretty blinding. The gun was stolen in a break in. I'd buy another.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have and sometimes carry a S&W M640 and it's a great .357 Magnum carry. It is all steel so the felt recoil is not brutal like with the 12oz Aitlite J frames. I like it or the M649 for SD. My M640 shoots most accurate with 145gr Winchester Silvertip ammo.

A short barrel K frame is also a good carry if you want something bigger.

 

[chuckpro]

I do not have much experience with Ruger or Taurus in small 357's but i have a few S&W. The light ones are a handful with 357, just keeping your grip takes practice. I would suggest you try to shoot one before you buy. I have a 340PD with a 3" barrel and i really like the 3". You cant pocket carry like the snubs but if you holster carry you wont notice the extra length and the extra sight radius makes it much easier to shoot. Personally i would look at a model 60 or SP101 with 3" barrel. The extra weight will make them more controllable. If you are going to pocket carry and want a snubby i would stick with 38 spl. Both Smith and Ruger have all flavors, find one that you like and go for it.

 

[chuckpro]

I carried a RB 3" nickel 19 for 4-5 years. 70's vintage pinned and recessed. I want to say it was a Combat Masterpiece but I may be wrong. TT,Th,AS. I settled on 158gr LHP 38+p's. The 357's in low light were pretty blinding. The gun was stolen in a break in. I'd buy another.

I would love to find a 3" model 19. I have the 2 1/2 barreled 19-5, I didn't mention the model 19 in my first post because the snubbies are not the easiest to find, at lest in my area.

 

[dawei]

I want to go back to a revolver to see if I still enjoy carrying one like I did when I started carrying some 40 + years ago. I still work out daily and have good hand strength, so I want a snubby 357 mag. I like nickel, and love those Gemini customs.
Just don't feel like spending that kind of money on trial. So Ruger Smith, or Taurus. I have had all but Ruger, I never liked the way the grip attached to the frame. There was always that wiggle, unless you used the adapter that screwed in from the bottom of the butt. I love the 686, but it's a little large for carry on a daily basis, the 340PD is also real nice but awful light. So I am stuck trying to find something small enough yet durable enough to carry daily.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Like I said I started out shooting snubbys for 20 years, so I should adjust just fine, and the 357 give me options with ammo. Thanks

I have two 357 Magnum snubbies and they have served me well for the last 12 years.....
• Taurus® Mdl 605SS2
• Taurus® Mdl 617SS2

 

[Tallball]

With modern ammo, 38 special is very effective. You would have many more choices in that caliber and they would be less expensive. And the 38 snubs can be a little smaller. My alloy frame 38 snubbie is easy to carry and easy to shoot.

Just my 2¢.

 

[bannockburn]

I had a Ruger Speed Six with a 2 3/4" barrel that made for a decent .357 carry gun. Always thought that the Colt Lawman Mk.III with its 2" barrel was also a good choice for a .357 snubbie.

 

[george burns]

Thanks, Dawei, is the 617 a lot harder to conceal that the 605's? I like the idea of the 7 rounds, but not if it's a whole lot harder to wear. I was debating the same issue with the 686 models, especially now that they have a 6,7, and 8 round model. It sure would be nice to have 7 or 8 rounds of 357 available, and it sure puts it on an even keel with a single stack 45.

 

[SlayerOfBunnies]

It's not a snubbie but I carry my S&W m66-3 all the time. K frames carry great and shoot better.

 

[Fiv3r]

I just can't make friends with the lightweight snubbies. I had an lcr in .38, but it was unpleasant shooting +p out of it. I couldn't imagine the few ounces difference in the .357 version making it much more fun to shoot.

I like a heavy snubbie. For me, it makes the gun packable and shoot and takes the sting out of .357 rounds. I really, really like my sp101 with some pachmayr compact grips on it.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Any one of 'em!

The 'J' .38s are real easy to pack with IWB holsters, the 'K' Combat Magnums better for belt guns, and the Rugers, especially the Speed Six DAO a great general purpose ccw.

But any of them will do to ride the river with.

Deaf

 

[Black Knight]

Many years ago as a private security supervisor and Private Investigator I carried a 2 1/2" S&W model 66. After I got married my wife took that for her home gun. I replaced it with a 3" S&W model 65. Both are stainless which is good for a concealed handgun since they resist rust; body sweat is loaded with salts and moisture which can destroy a gun over time.

 

[Shooter973]

I have a 3 inch GP100 that I truely love. Fixed sights, but I found a load that shoots right to the sights. Another revolver to check out is the Ruger SP101 in a couple of calibers. 357's are 5 shooters. Small but excellant. Not as pricey as a S&W but still good.

 

[lowercase]

I have a 3" GP 100 and recently had an OWB holster made for it.

With a decent holster and belt, it carries just fine.

 

[BigBore45]

i like my wife's Taurus 605 stainless. I had one that was a 605 poly and I was not a fan of it. The Stainless one is accurate, reliable, and compact. I have carried it from time to time and it is great.

 

[BigBore45]

Thanks, Dawei, is the 617 a lot harder to conceal that the 605's? I like the idea of the 7 rounds, but not if it's a whole lot harder to wear. I was debating the same issue with the 686 models, especially now that they have a 6,7, and 8 round model. It sure would be nice to have 7 or 8 rounds of 357 available, and it sure puts it on an even keel with a single stack 45.

the 617 is bigger, it is the size of the Taurus 450 in 45 colt. i have a pic of it on the attached link first pic and have guns on there to reference size.. I conceal one and im 5'9 170lbs.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=769626

 

[MIL-DOT]

Unless you wanna go shopping for expensive old S&W snubbies, your best option ( as others have mentioned) is gonna be a Ruger SP101.
But your issue isn't the pistol....it's the round. The .357 just isn't the ideal EDC/SD package. It's excessively loud (for un-plugged ears), with excessive muzzle flash, and a very limited round capacity, copmpared to more contemporary options.
An airweight .38 with +P's leaves you no less well-armed (realistically), at a much lower price point, and something like a G26 or SR9c semi-auto gives you TWICE the available rounds, at a lower weight and cost, than most .357's.

 

[amd6547]

"...An airweight .38 with +P's leaves you no less well-armed (realistically)..."
I have an Airweight Bodyguard Model 38 I dearly love...but I feel much better armed with my Ruger 3" GP100 loaded with 357 158gn XTP's.

 

[george burns]

I realize that Mil-Dot, I have a 26, and several small and mid sized Auto pistols, the post was about getting back into a steel snubby again. I carried a revolver for 25 years in Ny, and the past 20 went to auto's. Now I am thinking about a 357 nickel or stainless snubby again. I mentioned a 686 S&W, or a 617 Taurus, along with a Ruger. Just trying to choose which one is best for my use now that I came full circle.
The 19-3 was always one of my favorite guns in a 3 screw, but they are getting hard to find for under 800 now.

 

[RealGun]

If you think a 686 is a bit husky for you, then those mentioning the SW 66 and blued equivalent models (K-frame) are on the money. You will have to settle for 6 rounds or go back to a gun that you think is too big to carry.

 

[dawei]

Thanks, Dawei, is the 617 a lot harder to conceal that the 605's? I like the idea of the 7 rounds, but not if it's a whole lot harder to wear. I was debating the same issue with the 686 models, especially now that they have a 6,7, and 8 round model. It sure would be nice to have 7 or 8 rounds of 357 available, and it sure puts it on an even keel with a single stack 45.

the 617 is bigger, it is the size of the Taurus 450 in 45 colt. I have a pic of it on the attached link first pic and have guns on there to reference size.. I conceal one and im 5'9 170lbs.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=769626

For me carrying the 617 is no problem, and it IS NOT harder to wear. I use a Theis® Hybrid: http://theisholsters.com/productDetails.php?pcID=15 for IWB in warmer months and a Galco® SILHOUETTE HIGH RIDE HOLSTER: http://www.galcogunleather.com/silhouette-high-ride-holster_8_4_1277.html in cold weather.

FWIW, if you want to carry a 357 Magnum DO SO; and don't listen to others suggesting you carry a 38 Special revolver. The 357 Magnum is far more versatile IMHO. Plus you can always drop down to 38 Special ammo if you want to w/o changing revolvers. You can't step up to 357 Magnum ammo with a 38 Special revolver.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Smith & Wesson 640 is about tops.

Heavy enough to control magnum recoil, but still reasonably light for IWB or OWB carry. Small n' compact, yet shootable. Can be hid anywhere, and packs a mean wallop. No hammer to worry about getting snagged.

Look em' up, they're swell!

 

[Ranger Roberts]

I carry my sp101 once in a while. It's a 3 inch barrel and I put hogue grips on it. I changed to the hogue grips because I have baseball mits for hands and the stock grips weren't doing it for me. I'm 6 foot 2 and about 200 pounds, so concealing it is no problem. It's a great shooter and pretty accurate. I reload so ammo cost isn't really a big issue. I have a handful of other 357's and I generally will carry my sp101 over the others, mainly because once I changed the grips it fits my hand perfectly. Do you have a LGS with a good selection of used revolvers? I bought my sp101 used for around $300 if I recall correctly (probably close to 10 years ago though). If your LGS has a good selection it'll give you a chance to see which one feels best in your hand.

 

[TfflHndn]

I often carry a Taurus 605 in an Uncle Mike's Sidekick IWB holster (size 36). Works very well. The Taurus is very manageable with .38 and not unpleasant with .357 but I don't run more than 2-3 cylinders of magnum at a time with it. Great carry gun.