S&W Mountain Lite or 360PD Kit Gun?

[RMW59]

I'm looking for a light weight .357 revolver for hiking, camping, and CCW. I was leaning towards the Mountain Lite until I saw the 360 Kit Gun. The J frame seems much slimer and easier to pack than the larger Mountain Lite.

My questions about these guns are:

1. Is the recoil going to be much greater on the 360 Kit gun vrs the Mountain Lite?

2. Those who have shot these guns, what is the recoil like with .38s and .357 mags?

3. If you were to buy one, which would you choose?

Thanks,

RMW59

 

[mountie]

360vs386

Have had both- still have a 386 3"- and think it's probably the best choice for all around use. Recoil is definitely noticeable, but manageable. Lot easier to shoot (accurately) than the 360, and you have 2 more rounds in the cylinder.

360 recoil, however, is DEFINITELY noticeable! You do need to hang on to it. Wife tried it, and went back to her 642! Again, to an experienced shooter, it's manageable, and to my knowledge there is no other revolver that provides so much punch for so little weight. And you always have the option of using 38's in it.

I have not chronographed the 360, but have chronographed a 640 in 357, and there is a definite price to be paid for the short bbl velocity wise, but still worlds ahead of even the heaviest 38's from a short bbl. If I remember correctly, the Federal 125gr 357 delivered the highest velocity of the half dozen loads we checked- around 1225 from the 640, and I believe close to 1300 from the 3" 386, or thereabouts.

Having said all of that, I will confess to being on the verge of adding a 340 (DA only) to my safe!

 

[RMW59]

Mountie,

Did you own the 360PD Kit Gun that has the extended grip, adjustable sights, and 3.125" barrel?

 

[telomerase]

the 360PD Kit Gun that has the extended grip, adjustable sights, and 3.125" barrel?

Sounds like a great gun... I don't see it on their web site. Is it discontinued?

 

[RMW59]

I'm not sure if it has been discontinued or not. According to the guys at Sportsmans Warehouse it has not been. I emailed S&W today, hopefully they'll let me know next week if it has been discontinued.

 

[RMW59]

I just heard back from S&W and they told me that the 360PD Kit Gun has been discontinued. I have found a place that still has a new Kit Gun, so I guess I better make my decision soon if I want to have the option of a new 360 Kit Gun.

Does anyone else have any input on these revolvers? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

RMW59

 

[Tom C.]

I have one of the 360 Kit Guns. I consider it a carry much, shoot little gun. At 12 oz. the recoil with anything approaching full power loads is snappy to say the least. I also don’t like the “V” rear sight. I modified it into a standard square notch and I can shoot it a lot better. I also replaced the grips with Pachmayr grips. They take some of the sting out of it.
For normal range work, I prefer to use a 3” SP101 or a 4” GP100. They are much more pleasant to shoot with hot ammo. If you practice with reduced loads, the 360 isn’t bad.

 

[RMW59]

Tom,

What type of holdster do you use for your 360 Kit Gun? Would you recommend the 360 Kit Gun as a CCW? Do you enjoy shooting the 360 with .38 and .38 +P ammo? Also, how's the accuracy of the Kit Gun?

Thanks,

RMW59

 

[up_onus]

i have the 340pd....

similar gun, mine has an internal hammer (easier to pull)
as far as shooting a 357 magnum? ouch.... i usually on practice with 10-15 and drop 100 rounds of 38s.
but, its LIGHT as hell, and considering how much you will PROBABLY use it...

 

[RMW59]

Well, I went and purchased the 360 Kit Gun today. I'll let you guys know how it shoots.

 

[RMW59]

I went to the range today and the 360 Kit Gun is awesome. .38 Specials and +P rounds are a blast to shoot. The .357 rounds have a snappy recoil to them, but it is not painful. It's for sure not a gun to go shoot 100 rounds of .357 in one sitting, thats what my 6" 686 is for. It's an extremely accurate little gun. I was hitting 20 oz water bottles at 50 yards with it tonight. I'm glad that I didn't buy the 386 Mountain Lite. This little gun is the perfect CCW/hiking gun. I plan on using it a ton.

 

[Tom C.]

I don't have any holster recommendations. You are on your own there.

The 360 KG would be fine for CCW in a holster. The 2" guns would be better for pocket carry.

With reasonable loads, with the Pacymayr grips, after modifying the rear sight, it is accurate and fun to shoot. I wouldn't use it as an only gun, though. For extended range use, you would need to use something like the 148gr. wadcutter target loads to avoid beating yourself enough to preclude extended range sessions.

Even though the scandium/aluminum frame should be strong, I have to expect that over time, with use of heavy loads, the frame will stretch.
I therefore continue to consider it a carry much, shoot little, gun.

 

[Glockist]

Good call on the KG. Mine goes everywhere with me. Holsters are a little tricky. The tall front sight does not allow for a lot of compatibility with other j frame holsters. I've had luck with the following:

-Ken Null SMZ shoulder holster - will hide under any lightweight shirt with minimal effort. I'm not a fan of belt carry so this is a great alternative.
-Desantis Speed Scabbard 002-13 - made for a 3" K-frame, the front sight makes the fit snug enough. can hold it upside down and the gun won't fall out.
-Desantis Thumb Break Scabbard 001-03 - made for the 3" 317 kit gun, fit is snug but nothing that a week with a sock and the 360 won't fix.
-Desantis Nemesis - Pocket carry is a little tough with the long barrel, but it will stretch out the Nemesis enough to allow for carry in deep pocets.

Good luck with her. I love to shoot the 135 gr Speer GD 357 SB out of mine. Recoil is not much more than the +Ps. When I'm using the Ken Null, I usually pocket carry a 342 or 242 as back up. They're a great carry combination.

 

[RMW59]

Glockist,

Thanks for the information on holsters. I tried looking the other day and I couldn't find anything I really liked. Your list of holsters is much need information for me.

I couldn't be happier with the 360 Kit Gun. It's a blast to shoot. Recoil with .357 mags is controlable and not painful. It's super fun to shoot with .38 specials and .38 +P ammo.

For those of you looking into getting a small super light weight revolver you may want to look at the 360 Kit Gun. It has been discontinued this year, so you may want to look for one soon.

RMW59