DHart
Member
I recently acquired a very clean, used 640-1. I spent a little time polishing action parts and now it's really a smooth shooter. I'm impressed at how nice a J-frame double action trigger can become!
Smith & Wesson Model 640-1 .357 Magnum 2.125", Pachmayr Compac Grips
For a small, lightweight .357 like this one, the Pachmayr Compac grips provide great recoil absorption and comfort... they're all business and make the gun pleasant to shoot "warm" loads from. They also allow all fingers to be comfortably on the grip, which helps with the warm loads. And they're relatively compact, though not the smallest grips you could use.
I had some reservations about how I would like the gun as a defense carry gun, since my 642 has been a mainstay for awhile now. And while the 642 is a great gun (and better for pocket carry), it isn't all that potent, even with +P ammo. So that's why I decided to add a 640 to my stable. Now I'm finding that this 640 is becoming a real favorite. I like the weight, solid feel, and the caliber potency.
I've been working up a new defense load for use in the 640. Being a fairly small and light J-frame .357, I found full-house .357 loads are too much for me in this small of a gun, even though it's all-steel. Even my standard Winchester 145 gr. Silvertip defense load which I like in the K's and L's feels a bit too hot in the little J.
On the other hand, I find .38 spl +P a bit too weak for my liking in a gun chambered in .357. So I set out to develop something between .38 spl +P and a light .357 load. There is some nice room in that "grey zone" between the calibers - a real "sweet spot" for defense loads.
These are the two loads I developed tonight and tried out in the 640.
135 gr. Gold Dot bullet over 7.0 gr. of PowerPistol = 967 fps from the 2.125" barrel. The .38 spl. +P version develops about 860 fps from a 2" barrel, so this loading pumps up the energy nicely without exceeding the speed limit for this bullet.
158 gr. Gold Dot bullet over 8.0 gr. of Power Pistol = 1053 fps from the 2.125" barrel. This is definitely in the range of .357 loadings, but still somewhat moderate.
Next I'm going to load some 145 gr. Silvertip bullets over about 8.0 grains of PowerPistol to see how those feel. That load will still be in the .357 range of power, but considerably more comfortable than the full load factory ammo with the same bullet.
I found the 640 was able to quite comfortably handle these loads without the jarring recoil associated with full house .357 mag loads in a J-frame gun.
Both of these loads are within their performance "windows" as far as bullet design goes, though the 158 could easily be pushed a fair bit faster and perform very well. They both felt fairly potent in the little 640, though neither felt at all uncontrollable or overly "hot".
Reloading is really an amazing extension of the shooting hobby and really expands the hobby exponentially. Very satisfying and engaging.
Any of these handloads could be easily justified as handloads for defense use, as they are loaded to lighter-than-factory specifications for caliber (.357 mag.) so as to achieve better accuracy and weapon control. I will probably use the 135 gr. for summer carry and the 158 gr. for fall-winter-spring carry in the 640.
The 640 with these loads is turning out to be a really nice, potent, (and sleek) little wheel gun! ;-)= Fast becoming a favored little revo!
Smith & Wesson Model 640-1 .357 Magnum 2.125", Pachmayr Compac Grips
For a small, lightweight .357 like this one, the Pachmayr Compac grips provide great recoil absorption and comfort... they're all business and make the gun pleasant to shoot "warm" loads from. They also allow all fingers to be comfortably on the grip, which helps with the warm loads. And they're relatively compact, though not the smallest grips you could use.
I had some reservations about how I would like the gun as a defense carry gun, since my 642 has been a mainstay for awhile now. And while the 642 is a great gun (and better for pocket carry), it isn't all that potent, even with +P ammo. So that's why I decided to add a 640 to my stable. Now I'm finding that this 640 is becoming a real favorite. I like the weight, solid feel, and the caliber potency.
I've been working up a new defense load for use in the 640. Being a fairly small and light J-frame .357, I found full-house .357 loads are too much for me in this small of a gun, even though it's all-steel. Even my standard Winchester 145 gr. Silvertip defense load which I like in the K's and L's feels a bit too hot in the little J.
On the other hand, I find .38 spl +P a bit too weak for my liking in a gun chambered in .357. So I set out to develop something between .38 spl +P and a light .357 load. There is some nice room in that "grey zone" between the calibers - a real "sweet spot" for defense loads.
These are the two loads I developed tonight and tried out in the 640.
135 gr. Gold Dot bullet over 7.0 gr. of PowerPistol = 967 fps from the 2.125" barrel. The .38 spl. +P version develops about 860 fps from a 2" barrel, so this loading pumps up the energy nicely without exceeding the speed limit for this bullet.
158 gr. Gold Dot bullet over 8.0 gr. of Power Pistol = 1053 fps from the 2.125" barrel. This is definitely in the range of .357 loadings, but still somewhat moderate.
Next I'm going to load some 145 gr. Silvertip bullets over about 8.0 grains of PowerPistol to see how those feel. That load will still be in the .357 range of power, but considerably more comfortable than the full load factory ammo with the same bullet.
I found the 640 was able to quite comfortably handle these loads without the jarring recoil associated with full house .357 mag loads in a J-frame gun.
Both of these loads are within their performance "windows" as far as bullet design goes, though the 158 could easily be pushed a fair bit faster and perform very well. They both felt fairly potent in the little 640, though neither felt at all uncontrollable or overly "hot".
Reloading is really an amazing extension of the shooting hobby and really expands the hobby exponentially. Very satisfying and engaging.
Any of these handloads could be easily justified as handloads for defense use, as they are loaded to lighter-than-factory specifications for caliber (.357 mag.) so as to achieve better accuracy and weapon control. I will probably use the 135 gr. for summer carry and the 158 gr. for fall-winter-spring carry in the 640.
The 640 with these loads is turning out to be a really nice, potent, (and sleek) little wheel gun! ;-)= Fast becoming a favored little revo!
I carry the 640 as my "walking gun" and to me it is the perfect CCW. BTW, you have a picture of a S&W 586 with Spiegel target grips that are absolutely gorgeous. I have a 4" nickel 586 that I would like to dress up with the same grips. Can you tell me how I can find a pair like that? Thanks, Mike
