Is the 357 fading away?

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Is the 357 fading away?
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... NO!

When I take noobs out, they all love the autoloaders, until I break out the GP100. That's all they talk about after... That's the one I go for for things that go bump in the night...
 
Call me old fashion but I still like the 357. I am 60 so raised around them. My two main carry weapons or 357, but I use 38spl +P in my stubby, the 357 is just a little to wild in the stubby. I do use it in my 4" 971 which I carry quit often. But I still love my 1911.
 
"the .357 is fading away"..RRIIIGGGGHHHHHTTTTTT

If there is a more versitile handgun than the mid-frame 4" .357 revolver (assuming the present availability & incredible range of .38/.357 ammo) I've yet to find it.
I'll concede that autos are more popular but will wager there'll always be a market for the magnum wheelgun.
 
There are a few calibers that I doubt will ever fade away. .357 is near the top of that list.
 
I hope it isn't I am diligantly looking for a Coly Pyhthon now, 4" to start a collection
 
Not a chance the .357 is here to stay and will for along time brass is hard to find for a .357 right now it seems with the rising ammo prices more people are starting to reload it. And with a .357 revolver you don't have to worry about losing your brass.

Smithiac
 
Not a chance the .357 is here to stay and will for along...
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I think people are answering two different questions:
  1. Is the 357 magnum fading? (In other words, is it less popular than it once was?)

    The answer to this one is pretty clearly less. At one point in time - before the autoloader revolution - I think .38/.357 magnum was standard issue for a lot of LEOs. When I was growing up (early 60s), a centerfire autoloader was a rarity at the range. With the exceptions of 22s and occasional 1911 (except we called it a "45 auto"), everyone was shooting revolvers.

    The reverse is now true. I'd guess that less than 1 in 5 handguns I've seen at the ranges I've been to. If you exclude cowboy action - which is mostly 45 LC, you are probably looking at 1 in 10.
  2. Is the 357 magnum going to disappear?

    Due to reloading, no cartridge really ever seems to die anymore. For a very long time, there will be at least some people shooting .357 magnum.

    As the people who grew up shooting revolvers (largely people over 60) fade away, revolvers will become more and more of a niche item. That doesn't mean that there is anything wrong about the cartridge - it's about popularity (and probably manufacturing costs).

    There are a few young guys who are passionate about revolvers, but most of the revolver freaks I have me are my age (55) or older. There are some younger guys into pistols, but the stats are all the other way.

BTW, I have a great deal of skepticism about the 357 magnum as a widely popular hunting round. Do some people hunt with it? Sure.

But my impression is that the vast majority of handgun hunters like 44 magnum and rifle cartridges (example: 45-70) in revolvers. Hunters are not as concerned about recoil - they generally don't shoot 100s of rounds at at time. Unless they are really a bad shot! :)

No disrespect is intended - all this comes from someone who loves reloading/shooting 45 Long Colt. :)

Mike
 
I recently bought a 442 to have for my first revolver. I love it but my lady loves it more so now it's mostly hers. Then I found a good looking 4" bbl Model 60 so I bought that. I'm very happy with it. So much so that I put away my 1911 and am now leaving the 60 on the nightstand. The compact 9 still lies IN the nightstand for if I have to slip something in a pocket.
I'm currently shooting 148gr WCs and 154(?)gr FMJ at the range and bought some 125gr Cor-Bon in .38 for the nightstand rounds.
I've been trying to decipher in this thread and elsewhere whether there's any clear advantage to going 357 for the SD rounds and I'm baffled. Seems like the penetration and shootability overweighs any marginal impact advantage.
What's ya'lls read on this? Anyone prefer loading the 60 with 357 for SD, and if so, with what? Pros and cons?
New to the wheelgun world here. Any advice will be appreciated.
Thanks
mcb
 
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.357 Forever

Anyone who shoots .357 ammunition for sport must become addicted. Yes there are easier calibers to master, but none of those make as much noise and get as much attention. If you love to shoot you just have to smile when things start getting loud (Memo to File: Don't EVER forget to put on ear protection again). The occasional good grouping, with what seems to the uninitiated to be a hand cannon, doesn't hurt either.

Here's hoping I never have to use the .357's often documented ballistic capability in a real world emergency, but the fact is, knowing it's available to me is a comforting thought.

I don't reload, so the rising cost of ammo has had an impact. Since I don't especially enjoy using my gun as a .38 (sort of like drinking light beer), I am shooting my .22 a lot more and shooting the .357 a bit less.
 
These types of questions always get off topic because everyone feels the need to defend their favorites. There was a nearly identical post about the Hi-Power recently. The OP was not saying other handguns were more powerful or "better" but was commenting on the 357 magnums decline in general popularity. It's a fact that sales of full size revolvers has been in a steady decline for 20 years. The only bright spot is 38 special snubbies because of the CCW market. Go to any gun store and they will probably have 30 pistols for every one 357 magnum. Another problem is that 357 ammo is getting ridiculously expensive. Last time I bought a box it was $18.
 
Good points, MAKster.

I don't believe anyone is trying to say that the .357 is going to fade into extinction.

However, there's simply no denying that it is nowhere near as popular as it was before the 1980's.

Handgun sales nationwide generally favor semi-autos by a margin of three or four to one over revolvers. Also, .38's and .22's make up a significant portion of revolver sales. So .357's aren't exactly flying off the shelves.

We have a lot of handgun training courses at the private outdoor range I belong to, and there are a lot of newbies there with handguns. The last course had about 45 attendees. Only three of them were packing .357's.

None of the newbs seemed the slightest bit interested in even shooting one, much less buying one.
 
Yes it's fading. Will it go away? No. I'm 40 and I love revolvers. I own eight revolvers and four autos. I like my autoloaders, but they don't have that certain quality that wheelguns possess.

I did grow up shooting revolvers. My father was a cop in the seventies and eighties and he carried a revolver ninteen of his twenty-four years in law enforcement.

I've been a cop for almost eight years and I've always carried an auto. But I have not kept my fondness for six shooters a secret.As a result other officers consider me to be an eccentric.

Revolvers and the .357 are going to stay around. But the medium and large framed double action are probably going the way of the Colt 1873 Peacemaker. Niche or boutique handguns. Well there are worse things that can happen.
 
Not a chance.I miss my Security Six and GP100...another Ruger I'd love to see come back (fat chance ,though) is the Redhawk in .357 with th e5.5 inch barrel ...now THAT was pure ,unadulterated fun at the range.Even with stout loads,it felt like I was runnning .38's in it ;and was pretty close to a "hand-rifle" for me.:cool:
 
Posted by Checkman:
I like my autoloaders, but they don't have that certain quality that wheelguns possess.
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That's a perception on your part, thus a personal opinion. I feel just the opposite. A good autoloader "floats my boat", while revolvers just don't do anything for me. I would never use a revolver as my primary carry weapon, though I would consider a snub with .38 Special hollow points as a backup gun.

Posted by Checkman:
Revolvers and the .357 are going to stay around. But the medium and large framed double action are probably going the way of the Colt1873 Peacemaker. Well there are worse things that can happen.
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Snubs are selling OK, not great, though even many experienced shooters are wary of shooting .357 Magnum rounds out of anything with a 2" or 2 1/2" barrel. So they usually end up loading them with .38 Special hollow points.

I think the medium frames with 4" barrel will sell just well enough to stick around, since they're a little easier on their owners when shooting .357 loads.

I agree the large frames don't have much of a future, though niche sales to hunters will keep a select few models around in years to come.
 
There are a couple auto loaders that "float my boat". I really like the Mauser C96 Broomhandle. Especially the "Bolo" configuration with the 3.9 " barrel and short square grip. It isn't a very comfortable handgun to shoot, but who cares? :cool:

I also like the P-08 Luger - all configurations and the Browning P35 Hi-Power with the adjustable sights are pretty cool as well. I like my dad's all steel frame Colt Commander. He had it worked on by Kings in 1978. Hard chrome finish when it was cutting edge and those great King target sights. :D

So you see I'm not a total wheelgun snob. :neener:
 
After several encounters with armed crooks, I finally bought a 9MM pistol and started learning how to shoot. That was April 14, 2004. Within two years of that date I had bought several long guns and two revolvers, one of which is a full-frame, all-steelTaurus Model 65 .357 Magnum six-shooter.
With a 4-inch barrel, this is my main carry gun during jacket and coat months of the year, and even in the summer whenever I can find a viable way to conceal it. I shoot well with a 9MM, but I shoot better with my .357 Mag., with either magnum ammo or with .38 special Remington LHP +P. Follow-up shots are not a problem with the right ammo, and I feel confident that one shot will settle most situations favorably.
If I had bought the .357 magnum revolver first, I probably would never have bought a 9mm pistol. I like having both, though, if for no other reason, because you never know which ammunition or reloading components are going to sky-rocket in price or go missing. I usually carry a 5-shot snub-nose .38 special along with either of my bigger guns. I don't think I'll ever stop carrying the grand .357 magnum. It's here to stay.
 
I own four 357 revolvers, they are IMO a work of art ,solid shooters that have never failed me.
In fact i just traded off my 9mm for another 357!
I am too a little late on this thread but had to get my 2 cents in.
 
I hope not, it is my favorite caliber. I have a bunch of them.I still see a lot of them being shot at my range.Try looking for some ammo.
 
Shooting in the desert with a buddy, we have a number of modern semi-autos to play with.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang bang bang bang!

...


Then I go BOOM!

"What the f... was that!" he asks.

I handed over my snubby with .357, and gave him 20 rounds.

A week later he had a snubby .357
 
Few gun match up to my TAURUS 608 in .357 in a shooting comparison for both accuracy and pure enjoyment. It isnt going anywhere and I hope to start reloading soon. I am sure my Smith 64 will appreciate it as well..... for the 38's
 
I would imagine that it has more to do with the lack of ammunition availability in many areas than anything else. That, and most people who buy .357s seem to shoot exclusively .38 special out of their wheelies anyhow.

It also doesn't help that more and more CCW wheelguns are coming out in .38 special only these days. But my .357 will be riding around with me come winter, when I can actually conceal the darn thing.
 
Well I am the dreaded younger generation and my carry is a S&W M&P 340 in .357. Also on Monday I am sending out a moneyorder and FFL for what I consider my Holy Grail a S&W 19-2. Blued,4inch barrel and 6 shots of pinned and recessed glory. So please go easy on the younger generation some of us have better things to do than watch American idol...
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Here's a big ol' +1 from me!
 
If anyone thinks the .357 is fading, try finding a used Ruger SP101 for 1/2 price of a new 1! It AIN"T happenin'! I finally just picked 1 up, been looking for 3-4 months, and it was still pretty darn pricey:eek: but 1 of the best guns I own, and no, it's not for sale!

IF it ever came down to the old 'If you could have only 1 gun' scenario that so many people are fond of expounding on, mine would be my GP100. And I'd be feeding all the urban bozo's that would make a .40, 9mm, or .380 their sole sidearm....

Face it, the .357 is the 1 caliber that's got the power to both be a hunting/survival and self defense gun, all in 1 complete, compact, carryable package!
 
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When I go to the range everyone is shooting autos - 9's and 40's. I'll shoot some 45acp and nobody notices. Then I'll get out the security six and run a couple of cylinders of 158gr SJHP. The next break somebody from a neighboring booth will stick their head around the partition and say "uh, what are you shootin?"
 
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