S&W 640 question?
- Thread starter Frank1991
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Two words:
Stun grenade.
OK, it's not that bad, but it is stout. I haven't fired that my guns in my relatively short amount of time, but it had the most unmanageable amount of recoil that I've experienced in a gun. This is coming from a guy who likes to shoot .357 revolvers. I've fired .44 Magnum out of a Ruger Vaquero before, and while that was stout, it didn't *hurt*.
YMMV.
jmm
Stun grenade.
OK, it's not that bad, but it is stout. I haven't fired that my guns in my relatively short amount of time, but it had the most unmanageable amount of recoil that I've experienced in a gun. This is coming from a guy who likes to shoot .357 revolvers. I've fired .44 Magnum out of a Ruger Vaquero before, and while that was stout, it didn't *hurt*.
YMMV.
jmm
KONY
Member
Not nearly as bad as I thought. Granted, I wouldn't want to put 100rnds straight in one session but a few cylinders full is actually ok on this wheelgun. However, I would put more .38s through her than .357s as its not meant to take a steady diet of them. Very nice wheelgun, IMHO.
TOADMAN
Member
Not too bad....357 is definately a stout round out of a J-frame. Inextremis situations you most likely will not notice recoil. Practicing, I shoot 75% .38 and 25% .357. I shoot an average of 100 rds a week. My 640 is strictly used for self defense and I keep it loaded with the Winchester 145 grain .357 Silvertips. As soon as Speer comes out with their 357 short barrel revolver round, I'll probably switch to that round.Frank1991 said:
KONY
Member
Frank1991 said:
I heard they were out already but I've yet to find it. Still, the Silvertips are very nice. Plus, nothing wrong with loading Speer's .38 +p's in it as well.
TOADMAN
Member
They (Speer short barrel 357 round) are not out... Got this info Saturday from the HamptonRoads ammo Chief-in-Charge. Although, I have read a thread here indicating they were definately out. Probably get better info by contacting Speer direct!!!!KONY said:
KONY
Member
TOADMAN said:
Well, you know what they say about the info you get on the Net.
GunNut
Member
Get it.....you won't be sorry.
Mine is very gentle shooting 145gr Silvertips.
It has become my daily CCW weapon of choice.
Steve
Mine is very gentle shooting 145gr Silvertips.
It has become my daily CCW weapon of choice.
Steve
JCM298
Member
I have a 649 which is about the same weight as the 640. I've put a few thousand rounds through it and never had a real problem with recoil. It kicks more than my Python but it's controlable.
Shooting the "beast", my 340SC, is another story,
John
Shooting the "beast", my 340SC, is another story,
John
DHart
Member
Speer's new .357 135 gr. SB load is indeed out... I got a few boxes from Graf a couple of weeks ago.
East to duplicate it if you reload... I've been cloning it for awhile with 6.1 gr. of Vhita N320 over Speer's 135 gr. Gold Dot bullet... yields 990 fps from my 2.125" 640-1, exactly the published velocity of Speer's loading. Very comfortable to shoot in the 640 (especially with the Pachmayr Compacs)... it's 130 fps faster than Speer's 135 gr. .38 spl +P loading, which has been critically very well received for ballistic performance.
Don't worry about recoil with the 640 if you use Pachmayr's Compac grips and stick with the 135 gr. 145 gr. and 158 gr loads. Unless you insist on shooting 125 gr. JHP's, which will wear you out in a hot hurry and wear your gun out before the heavier bullet weight loads will.
And add another vote for Winchester's 145 gr. Silvertip... great load, hotter than Speer's 135 gr. load, but still reasonable to shoot from the 640-1 with Compac grips. My top choices in .357 defense ammo, depending on time of year and size of gun, are Speer's 158 gr. Gold Dot, Winchester's 145 gr. Silvertip, and Speer's 135 gr. SB (mildest of the three).
The 640-1 is in my opinion as good as it gets in a small frame .357.
East to duplicate it if you reload... I've been cloning it for awhile with 6.1 gr. of Vhita N320 over Speer's 135 gr. Gold Dot bullet... yields 990 fps from my 2.125" 640-1, exactly the published velocity of Speer's loading. Very comfortable to shoot in the 640 (especially with the Pachmayr Compacs)... it's 130 fps faster than Speer's 135 gr. .38 spl +P loading, which has been critically very well received for ballistic performance.
Don't worry about recoil with the 640 if you use Pachmayr's Compac grips and stick with the 135 gr. 145 gr. and 158 gr loads. Unless you insist on shooting 125 gr. JHP's, which will wear you out in a hot hurry and wear your gun out before the heavier bullet weight loads will.
And add another vote for Winchester's 145 gr. Silvertip... great load, hotter than Speer's 135 gr. load, but still reasonable to shoot from the 640-1 with Compac grips. My top choices in .357 defense ammo, depending on time of year and size of gun, are Speer's 158 gr. Gold Dot, Winchester's 145 gr. Silvertip, and Speer's 135 gr. SB (mildest of the three).
The 640-1 is in my opinion as good as it gets in a small frame .357.
BluesBear
member
Don't forget that the 640 is an all steel gun.
It's a heck of a lot easier to control with magnum loads than those featherweight models that are all the rage.
I just shot 100 rounds of standard 158gr specials, 100 rounds of 125gr +P and 50 rounds of 125gr JHP .357 from a 2" all steel J-frame this morning.
It's a heck of a lot easier to control with magnum loads than those featherweight models that are all the rage.
I just shot 100 rounds of standard 158gr specials, 100 rounds of 125gr +P and 50 rounds of 125gr JHP .357 from a 2" all steel J-frame this morning.
Recoil in the SW640 will get your attention, if you are shooting full power .357mag...especially 125gr.
It does, however, weigh 25oz, vs 12-14oz in the SW scandium snubbies. I shoot full power .357mag out of my 17oz Taurus 651 titanium snubbie. Generally, heavier bullet weights are easier on the shooter (158-180gr) in my experience.
I would not let the recoil of the stoutest .357mags in the 640 stop you from getting one in good condition at a good price. It is a revolver & is not too picky WRT ammo. Target .38spl WC on up to .357mag deer loads will work, with varying levels of recoil.
It does, however, weigh 25oz, vs 12-14oz in the SW scandium snubbies. I shoot full power .357mag out of my 17oz Taurus 651 titanium snubbie. Generally, heavier bullet weights are easier on the shooter (158-180gr) in my experience.
I would not let the recoil of the stoutest .357mags in the 640 stop you from getting one in good condition at a good price. It is a revolver & is not too picky WRT ammo. Target .38spl WC on up to .357mag deer loads will work, with varying levels of recoil.
Marshall
Member
A J-Frame of any kind with .357 mag ammo is not mild regardless what anyone tells you. I am not recoil sensitive by any means, I have more big bore guns than small bores by far. I have a Model 60, the 640's exposed hammers sister and shoot Silvertips mostly. It's not a killer, don't get me wrong but, it's surely not mild. I'll take 100 rounds out of my .44 Mag Redhawk any day over 100 rounds of 357 out of my M-60, I have Compact-Pro Grips too. The pic shows Silvertips, it's sitting with 158gr Gold Dot HP's in it as we speak. They're a little more stout feeling, not a lot.
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