The .357 Magnum/.38 Special

[ZVP]

I consider this caliber to be the ideal for the average shooter! Since it's inception it has proven it's worth tima and again and the option of shooting .38 Specials is a real bonus!
I used to have a .45 ::Ama semi-auto that i literally wore out and had a ball doing it. However the big framed .45 had some drawbacks, mainly in discreet carrying. Power was unquestionable and the inherant accuracy of the .45 goes without question.
I considered many guns ,8mm, .45/ .357 and .38 when deciding on buying my own personal guns/
First I bought a Ruger Vaquero.357 because I was weined on Sa's and feel most ccomfortable with one for a HD gun. I later bought a Cobra large frame .38 derringer because I wanted a hide-out gun in .38 caliber and because I'd had so much fun with my Single Six and my .22 Davis Derringer!
To be pratical, I bought a S&W Model 10 Heavy Barrel with a S&W Model 36 as a back-up ocket gun The 36has a bobbed hammer which serves my Da shooting wants and makes itt totally snag proof! I settled on the .38 Special after reading of it's good preformance over the years and the fact that it goes in such reliable revolvers!
Mastering Da shooting is a BEAR to do! A small move during cycling, throws you Way off at the target!
The powerfull .357 and the Vaquero make a natural pair even though the ,357 Mag is not a traditional SA revolver caliber, it works very well! The awsome 357 can take any gane on this continent and will stop agression from almost any Human! Thge power is devistating and felt recoil through the short barreled Vaquero still dosen't get passed tp the shooter! I put imitation Stag grips on the Vaquero and they helped controlabity very nicely!
TheRuger is s fine trail companion ahen carried in a 1880's style Sholder holster, the gun is totally out of the way, yet handy. BTW, the Model 20 fits the same holster! The ruger stoked with +P's makes s fine trail load and it;s great power potentiak would serve to protect the wearer and his family from just about anything!
A caliber to consider...
BPDave

 

[CajunBass]

I started off with a 38/357 and have been quite happy with them over the years. Mostly 38's, but then about all I do with them is punch holes in paper, or bounce an empty milk jug around out back.

My most recent.

Taurus Model 65 (from 1994) in 357.

 

[bannockburn]

ZVP

I also liked having a heavy barrel Model 10 and a Model 36 (either the 2" or 3" barrel variety), as two capable stablemates in my collection.

 

[Haywood]

357 has always been my favorite. I have the the 4" gun for camping and informal target shooting and I carry 357 Snubs every day. My wife has started shooting so we are shooting a lot more 38s now.

 

[tallpaul]

I think I have more 357/38 than any other... very practical and efficient. I enjoy the round quite a bit. I still believe the 4-6 inch 357 revolver with adjustable sights is one of the most practical centerfires to start with.... after a good .22lr but then again I am a dinosaur

My first gun was a 6 inch Python followed shortly by a model 41 smith 22lr ...

We did not have CCW available in ohio back then and today a four inch might have been a viable alternative for me.
Good thing we can own more than one- a lot of us do

 

[788Ham]

I've got couple of .357/38's, a 6" Python, and a SP 101 3" .357, both excellent firearms. I've also got a Colt Trooper .38 spl. that I've had for a couple of years. This is now my go to gun, with its 4" barrel, the accuracy is unbelievable, at 25 yards its amazing how well I can chew out the center of the bullseye. Will use this as an CCW carry, now that fall and cooler weather are coming on.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Got to love the the .38/.357 combo.



Mines the larger 6" on the bottom. The smaller 5" gun is my uncles.

I too share a love for the .357 Magnum in particular! For ME, it's about the most powerful handgun that I feel comfortable with at this point in time in my shooting journey. It's got a good punch now doesn't it? I have a new Ruger GP-100 .357 Magnum revolver that has a 6" stainless steel bbl. It came with Hogue monogrips AKA Kindergarten arts and crafts black play-doh looking monstrosity that I promptly plan to switch to the (now discontinued) classic wood/neoprene stocks (I have a pair I bought off e-bay, just haven't had a chance to install them yet). Also I switched out the stock black front blade with first a Hi-Viz fiber optic. That sight was excellent and highly visible for target shooting, but I am going to change it out for a Ruger red ramp front sight instead for the sake of long term durability as this will be a main defensive sidearm. The whole gun save the grip material is solid metal, I just feel more comfortable having a more robust front sight over the thin plastic stick that the Hi-Viz sight has but I want something with better visibility than the hard to pick up black original front blade.

As for the gear I have for it, I've got some Safariland Comp-II speedloaders (excellent), a simple Wally World special Uncle Mike's thumbstrap black nylon holster, and an HKS double speedloader pouch (yes the Comp IIs fit in it!). I prefer Speer Gold Dot 125 grain JHP .357s for this rig. Plenty of power out of the 6" bbl. The whole setup has some weight to it but I can comfortably carry the holstered, loaded revolver and loaded speedloaders in their case without discomfort or issues for several hours, so it works for me!

Truth be told I would probably have gone with the 4" bbl for better balance, less weight, and easier carry but I do love the power and accuracy that the 6" delivers. It really let's the potent .357 magnum cartridge give it's best performance for MAXIMUM STOPPING POWER!!! Really, what a nice combo the .38 and .357. One I will be looking forward to shooting for years to come.

 

[PJSprog]

My very first firearm was a 6" S&W 686. It's still my favorite to this day. I also carried a heavy-barreled Model 10 as a duty weapon many years ago. As Illinois is FINALLY instituting CCW legislation, I'm considering a Model 64 as my EDC.

I'm also considering a Marlin 1894C, just for fun...just wishing they were more reasonably priced right now.

Love these two calibers.

 

[boom boom]

Have several. As a reloader, .38/.357 is much more pleasant to reload to me than semi-autos of which I have a few. Second, I find that shooting revolvers actually makes one a bit better at shooting rifles and semi-autos (especially by shooting snubs every now and then at long distances). Shooting 5 or 6 rounds at a time also means paying more attention to each shot for me. Since 95% of the time, I am shooting double action, I find that the long trigger pull and short reset requires mastering the trigger arc more. In many semi-autos, it is easy to catch the link and rely on this and light trigger pulls for marksmanship. Give a regular semi-auto shooter a DAO revolver or an old Mil-Surp Rifle and many struggle to master the trigger. Not as true for a good revolver shooter shooting a semi auto or a heavy two stage rifle trigger for the first time.

Unfortunately, nature blessed me with small hands which means that the frames for many of the larger caliber revolvers (N frames or larger Smiths etc) are simply too big for me to get top accuracy so for now I don't have any.

 

[Panzerschwein]

PJSprog, fellow Illinois shooter hear. I love the S&W Model 64 as well! I think that would be a great choice. That with a nice +P 158 grain LSWCHP FBI load would be good medicine. Would you be looking at an old or new M64? Smith still offers it on their website last time I checked. It looks appealing but I would def have to remove the internal lock if I ever were to carry it for defense.

 

[PJSprog]

Hey, Cooldill! I like the older 64s, mostly for that reason; I hate those new safety lock gadgets they're putting on revolvers now. It's a freaking double action revolver, for crying out loud! Plus, In think it ruins the look a bit. There are a ton of the old ones out there, too. Some aren't particularly pretty, but as a an everyday carry piece, it certainly doesn't need to look like a range queen...at least not for me.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Oh you can say that again, those locks... well I won't go on about it. But yeah I echo those sentiments. They really bother me when they put them on their "classics" series guns. The lock mechanism can't fit in the normal frames so you can easily see the distortions they had to do to all the old guns such as their M10 and even M29. It's a shame.

 

[smkummer]

38/357 is still king for shooters/reloaders

Here is a pic of my Colt .357 model. These used to be sleepers on the market until the word got out that they have the python action and accuracy. That is the 100 yard 16" metal plate that doesn't have a chance with this gun firing a 38+P cartridge with a 158 SWC going out at 900 FPS. Just the right amount of speed for both a bang and the satisfying "ting" when the bullet hits about 95% of the time.

 

[BYJO4]

The 357 is a time proven caliber. The second handgun that I bought back in the 70s was an S&W model 28. Over the years, I have always had several 357 Mags and I shoot them on a regular basis.

 

[swampcrawler]

There arnt many calibers that are well suited for hunting, defending ones self, And economical plinking.

But 357/38 certainly is. I'm unfortunately lacking in them. But a modified Rossi 92 and some flavor of revolver are in my near future. As well as a contender pistol and carbine barrel.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Love .357

 

[azyogi]

My .357s Rossi's a 971VRC and a 92 Legends Puma