S&W 351C thoughts

[JERRY]

In about a week or so I'm going to either order a 351C from my local dealer or buy one from gunbroker and have it transferred.

This will be a pocket gun because of it's extreme comparative lightness. While the trigger pull is heavier, the recoil which is what is felt in the thumb and wrist is next to nothing. I have no delusions that this is equal to a 38 special.... But it's 7 shots of 22 magnum. The rimfire issue is instinctively corrected by simply stroking the trigger once more.

This gun will be a primary carry for a female shooter and the occasional pocket gun when putzing around in the yard in hot weather. The federal punch ammunition looks pretty good from what I can see of the various YouTube videos.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Spare us all the caliber wars et cetera. If a 642 with wadcutters would do it this wouldn't have been posted. Plus it's an excuse to buy a new gun that I think is kind of cool.

 

[Mr. Mosin]

If you do your part, the firearm will suffice.

 

[ontarget]

Sounds like you have weighed your options and decided that this meets the needs of the intended user.
I don't see a problem with it.
Post pics when you take delivery.

 

[Gork10]

If it works for you guys, go for it. If anyone has any issues with you choosing that caliber, that's there problem not yours. I'v wandered many a mile in Michigan's U.P. with just a 22mag single six and never felt under armed. Go forth and enjoy a fun new gun.

 

[Riomouse911]

The only thing with .22 magnum I was surprised at is the majority of ammo for them looks and sounds like a .357 magnum out of short barrels. Thank the Lord they don’t recoil like a .357!

This is a 4” S&W Model 48.



I have no issues with your choice, if it fits your needs then go for it.

Once you get it and go shoot, let us know what you think.

Stay safe.

 

[barnett]

I love my 351PD. Super light. Easy to pocket carry. And very accurate. Be aware, you’ll need to spend a little range time in order to get the feel of the trigger. They are a heavier pull than centerfire revolvers, but can adjusted to with practice. I will never sell my 351PD.

 

[Oninotaki]

I really wish CA was rock solid in their qc because while I have chosen the CA Professional in .32 h&r over the s&w 351c and it has worked great for me, I can fully understand why others would not feel comfortable doing so. For me the decision of 7 s&w longs would trump 7 .22 wmr in a carry piece if I was having hand strength issues.

That said the 351c feels great in the hand, is very light, and is significantly smaller than the professional as well. If I was going to seriously carry .22 wmr and hand strength was an issue, that would probably be the model I would go with. Everything else is in that category is almost double the weight.

Have you looked at a Beretta Tomcat in .32acp with pop up barrel for this individual?

 

[unclenunzie]

I actually bought a 351C late last year, myself. It is very, very light and I consider it suitable for a rimfire carry piece. The trigger pull is robust being rimfire, and it has not failed to fire the gold dots I ran through it to test it. I think if your female shooter can get good fast hits with it there's zero reason against it. Range fodder runs about what cheap 9mm costs so it's not LR cheap but it's cheap enough to practice.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Concur on muzzle blast with the .22 Mag is impressive, though there are some short barrel loads available.
Went the 351 (in .22lr) route for my daughter; fixed up one when .38 wadcutters in an airweight Centennial were too much. I retrieve it every year or so, lube it, and replace the ammo.
Rimfires are harder to tune than centerfires; heavier mainspring. But it is possible to slick them.
Moon

 

[megatronrules]

I think it's 6great choice for a self defense gun. I'm planning on picking up a Beretta tomcat in 32acp I've carried a Beretta bobcat 22A in 22LR many times and never felt unprotected. I like the 22mag J frames due to low recoil. So post a range report and pictures when you get it as well.

 

[chicharrones]

In about a week or so I'm going to either order a 351C from my local dealer or buy one from gunbroker and have it transferred.

This will be a pocket gun because of it's extreme comparative lightness. While the trigger pull is heavier, the recoil which is what is felt in the thumb and wrist is next to nothing. I have no delusions that this is equal to a 38 special.... But it's 7 shots of 22 magnum. The rimfire issue is instinctively corrected by simply stroking the trigger once more.

This gun will be a primary carry for a female shooter and the occasional pocket gun when putzing around in the yard in hot weather. The federal punch ammunition looks pretty good from what I can see of the various YouTube videos.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

A female shooter and a stout trigger pull never seem to go together, in my brain.

I’d rather source a S&W 31 (or lighter equivalent) in .32 Long with 6-shots and a lighter double action trigger pull.

 

[JERRY]

A female shooter and a stout trigger pull never seem to go together, in my brain.

I’d rather source a S&W 31 (or lighter equivalent) in .32 Long with 6-shots and a lighter double action trigger pull.

If the weight wasn't an issue..

 

[243winxb]

A female shooter and a stout trigger pull never seem to go together, in my brain.

What i was thinking also. Same as a slide on an auto that hard to pull back.

Needs the female to test it.

Yes, i know, some are stronger then this 78 year old.

 

[chicharrones]

If the weight wasn't an issue..

If Genitron is correct, a snub nose 31 is 17 ounces, about 6 ounces more than a 351C. https://www.genitron.com/Handgun/Smith-Wesson/Revolver/31-1/32-SW-Long/Variant-5

My biggest issue with the 31 is that they don't have round butts for use of a J-Frame laser grip. I really like laser grips on small self defense revolvers.

 

[chicharrones]

What i was thinking also. Same as a slide on an auto that hard to pull back.

Needs the female to test it.

Yes, i know, some are stronger then this 78 year old.

Yep. Which is why my blowback Beretta 81BB in .32 ACP probably won't get used by my wife. My CZ75D PCR is easier to rack by comparison.

 

[JERRY]

Order placed. Now to find a line on federal punch.

 

[JERRY]

Well here she is. Very light weight. The trigger pull is surprisingly heavier than I expected, the LCR22 has it beat easily. Hundreds of trigger pulls dry firing does not seem to help and now I have forearms like popeye. Lol. Will do a range test on Saturday and see what kind of bark this puts out.

 

[cfullgraf]

About a decade ago I decided to get proficient with a S&W 642 for carry purposes. I shot it alot, a box or two every week or so. It took about a year to get comfortable with reliable shot placement.

So, practice, practice practice with the 351C.

I have an S&W 43C, the 22LR version. It is a nice firearm so I feel your friend will be pleased with the 351C.

Remember, a hit with a 22WMR will trump a miss with anythng else.

 

[chicharrones]

Well here she is. Very light weight. The trigger pull is surprisingly heavier than I expected, the LCR22 has it beat easily. Hundreds of trigger pulls dry firing does not seem to help and now I have forearms like popeye. Lol. Will do a range test on Saturday and see what kind of bark this puts out.

Good to know. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[JERRY]

Range trip went well (for me).
Cci varmint load spewed so much unburned powder that it eventually bound the gun up when trying to close it. A quick wipe across the cylinder face and crane was all it took for normal ops.

Cci maxi mags and hornady critical defense worked well. Only shot out to 5 and 7 yards and accuracy was right on.

For me I like the gun. It's well made, and all that it's supposed to be.

The bad. The trigger pull is heavy. No, I mean heavy. I'm not a 1911 or glock nancy that says a revolver has a heavy trigger pull, but this one is heavy. The heaviest of all rimfire double actions I've ever shot. My fiancé was able to shoot it well enough but 21 rounds in to it she opted to stay with my (her) 431PD.

So, I'm keeping it because it's very light and seven rounds .22 mag in a format that fits and draws flawlessly from a front pocket.

On a different note. Federal 95gr LSWC in .32 h&r magnum leads very badly. It was like scrubbing bubble gum while cleaning.

 

[chicharrones]

The bad. The trigger pull is heavy. No, I mean heavy. I'm not a 1911 or glock nancy that says a revolver has a heavy trigger pull, but this one is heavy. The heaviest of all rimfire double actions I've ever shot. My fiancé was able to shoot it well enough but 21 rounds in to it she opted to stay with my (her) 431PD.

Thanks for the honesty. Definitely not a choice for my wife or daughters, then.

 

[chicharrones]

On a different note. Federal 95gr LSWC in .32 h&r magnum leads very badly. It was like scrubbing bubble gum while cleaning.

I hate leading so much that I don't plan to ever fire a non-jacketed bullet through anything other than .22LR guns. I'd rather deal with jacket fouling every time.

 

[Boom Vang]

I've had a 351PD for several years. Yeah that trigger pull has been heavy for a long time. .22 WMR has a thicker rim than .22 LR and so it's way harder to set off the priming mixture than a CF round. Add a lightweight hammer and a short hammer fall and it requires a heavy mainspring.

So I did some action work on mine to get the trigger to a reasonable level, basically the same things I do for any recalcitrant J frame, with 100% ignition with factory ammunition. Disclaimer - I completed S&W armorer school and have the tools and experience to work on them and maintain reliability. The resulting trigger pull is much better, somewhat heavier than a CF J frame, but a vast improvement over out of the box.

Those hyper velocity .22 WMR loads with 30 grain bullets are made for rifles, and while they are amongst the faster loads in a 2" barrel, as you noticed there is a considerable unburnt powder after firing. In a revolver this is bad for reliability as it gets under the extractor and binds the cylinder closing/opening and/or rotation. The two best loads I've found for this revolver are the Speer Gold Dot and Hornady Critical Defense loads, which were made for short barrels. The common CCI Maxi-Mag 40 grain FMJ works OK for practice loads, although POI may vary slightly from the other loads mentioned. Winchester 40 grain JHP is accurate in every gun I've shot it in - rifle or handgun - but it often has sticky extraction in revolvers.

The latter problem is not uncommon with .22 WMR in revolvers - of all makes. I've experienced it in every single S&W, Ruger, Charter Arms and Taurus guns that I've owned. You just have to test your ammunition in your gun.

It's nice light little revolver. Best of luck with it!

 

[Boom Vang]

Here is some ballistic testing I did regarding the .22 WMR in the S&W, compared to some bigger rounds.

 

[Pistolay]

Hundreds of trigger pulls dry firing does not seem to help and now I have forearms like popeye.

I hope you're dry firing with snap caps. If not, stop. S&W says right on their FAQ page that their .22s shouldn't be dry fired.

Q: Why can't I dry fire my .22 pistol or revolver?


A: Dry firing a S&W .22 pistol or revolver will cause damage to the firing pin

My 351PD left for the mothership on Friday because of the spent cases having to be punched out with a dowel and hammer. Hope I get it back soon.