Zaydok Allen
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That would make a good signature line.
What are the selling points of .357?
- Thread starter The Good
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That would make a good signature line.
Ohen Cepel
Member
The .357 is great in that you can go to low end .38's in it up to mild .357's and then heavy +p loads when needed. Can be easy to practice with or a real thumper as the need arises.
Also, nice in that you can get a lever gun to go with it if you like.
Also, nice in that you can get a lever gun to go with it if you like.
gloucestergarand
Member
Colt Trooper Mk.III since 1981 6 incher
Colt King Cobra since 1989 6 inched
S&W 686 since 2003 exchanged 8 3/8 for 4'in at S&W factory
All extremely accurate and fun to shoot! Ammo still a bit steep!
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Colt King Cobra since 1989 6 inched
S&W 686 since 2003 exchanged 8 3/8 for 4'in at S&W factory
All extremely accurate and fun to shoot! Ammo still a bit steep!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
pokersamurai
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Yea, because we all know that 9mm/.40S&W/.45ACP all sound like smooth jazz when fired indoors with no hearing protection.
Wow that is a lot of hyperbole in one post. I have 357 mags, and like them. For defensive use I would feel better armed with most long guns. Among hand guns I personally feel better armed with any number of "wonder nines" and certainly would feel better armed with a 15+1 Glock 20. This is all the more true the smaller and lighter a 357 we are considering. The 357 is a good, versatile cartridge but your post over sales it a bit IMHO.
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evan price
Member
You can load your own 357s anything from bunny-fart wadcutter loads all the way to full power boomers. The guns are lighter to carry than a large-frame 44 or 45 frame size. They are large enough to get a good grip on as compared to 32 calibers. They have a wide range of factory ammo choices. You can also shoot 38 spl. The size of a 38 spl vs 357 mag gun is negligible.
Are there calibers which can do better in some areas? Yes. The 44/45's can have more energy and heavier bullets. The 32's will conceal in a smaller package.
I think (IMHO here) that the 357 is the best all around compromise.
Are there calibers which can do better in some areas? Yes. The 44/45's can have more energy and heavier bullets. The 32's will conceal in a smaller package.
I think (IMHO here) that the 357 is the best all around compromise.
RealGun
Member
The guns are good looking, the cartridges look bada$$, and you get to say "magnum". Actually shooting one may be a love/hate relationship. I am rather attached to all three of mine.
RealGun
Member
I like to shoot the .44 Mag, because it's a bigger frame/barrel platform. My .357s are more punishing on smaller platforms. Mitigation comes from Hogue grips.
PJSprog
Member
And while that's definitely true, the recoil has the ability to dramatically change the equation. When you train to fight using only a bag to develop your technique, you get a rude awakening the first time you get punched in the face, and it changes the way you fight. Same goes for magnum recoil. You can train yourself for the best sight alignment and trigger technique in the world using light loads. But once you get that blast from a full-powered .357 magnum, it's going to change the way you perceive that firearm. You will fight the way you train, and you will shoot the way you train.
I've shot more .38s by far from my 686 than .357s over the last 25+ years. It's just a more pleasant round to shoot, and I shoot more as a result. That's the beauty of the .38/.357 platform. Yes, the fundamentals are the same for both, but the real-world reactions are quite different. You'll probably want to be more than just "familiar with full .357 loads" if they're going to be your go-to round.
Dain Bramage
Member
There is something to be said for that. I just worked up a strong 300g hardcast LBT GC load for my blackhawks. It lets go with a push and a roar that just puts a smile on your face, but seems to slap you around less than some .357 loads. I'd shoot nothing else in .44 mag if it wasn't so expensive.
Magwa45
Member
I have a S&W Model 66 which I have been shooting and reloading for years. I like Accurate No. 9 for stout reloads, short of full house magnum loads. Full power loads can get unpleasant after a few cylinders. Lately, I have been thinking of getting a Blackhawk and I also have a 1894 Marlin in .357 Mag. I have a couple Blackhawks in 45 Colt and those are a heck of a lot of fun.
"Yea, because we all know that 9mm/.40S&W/.45ACP all sound like smooth jazz when fired indoors with no hearing protection."
Compared to a full power 125 grain .357 mag, they sure do.
I've fired all of those with and without hearing protection. .44 Mag, too.
.357 Mag and 7.62 x 25 Tokarev were the most aurally unpleasant.
Full power .357 mag ammo shot from a Ruger Speed Six or a Smith K frame with service stocks is much more unpleasant for your hand than full power .44 mag fired from a Redhawk with wood factory grips.
Compared to a full power 125 grain .357 mag, they sure do.
I've fired all of those with and without hearing protection. .44 Mag, too.
.357 Mag and 7.62 x 25 Tokarev were the most aurally unpleasant.
Full power .357 mag ammo shot from a Ruger Speed Six or a Smith K frame with service stocks is much more unpleasant for your hand than full power .44 mag fired from a Redhawk with wood factory grips.
And let me thank you sir, for the well thought out and helpful response. In fact, let me thank everyone who responded with helpful information. I really appreciate the outpouring of intelligent and helpful information from people with experience.. And that accounts for almost every single post.
I was hoping to find out that what I thought I knew about the .357 was correct.. And it turns out it was. I'll definitely be getting a 686 as my next gun thanks to this thread. I'm attracted to not just the .357 round itself, but the .356 chambered handgun.. And I see the 686 as a great choice. What I like about it, and other .357 handguns, has been covered in this thread. A heavy .357 revolver gives me the option of having fun with light .38 specials at the range, and 2 seconds later being more than effective as a threat stopper.
I'm glad people responded about the muzzle flash because I was probably gonna get a 4". This won't be a carry gun, so size isn't a concern, and i'm gonna go with the 6". Someone said the 627 iwas a little big for their hands.. I know i have medium to small hands, so if it's big for anyone it'll be big for me.
I'm still glad to hear any more information from people willing to offrr it, so i'll keep reading this thread.
Also: i'd appreciate it if people didn't use this thread to debate about other rounds. This is about the .357 and why people like it. I understand the desire to discuss the round you prefer, but I didn't ask for that. If you want to discuss that, you should start a thread about it.
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amd6547
Member
Recoil of the 357 mag *may* be an issue with the really light pocket revolvers...with the full sized guns like the 686 or GP100, it is no problem whatsoever.
Just last week, I put 100rds of factory ammo through my 3" GP...if ammo was cheaper, I would have done another 100. Single action slow fire or close range rapid double action, didn't matter...just plain fun.
Just last week, I put 100rds of factory ammo through my 3" GP...if ammo was cheaper, I would have done another 100. Single action slow fire or close range rapid double action, didn't matter...just plain fun.
I run 357 mag reloads through my GP100 with the 6" barrel and full underlug.
I like full house 357 because it is what I consider to be "fun recoil"; it's enough to put
a smile on my face but it is not enough to make me stop shooting after just 50 rounds.
I've been using H110 in maximum published loads for the added fire ball
and fun factor.
Bear in mind though, you are talking to the sort of guy who shoots mud with a 357
just to watch the chunks fly.
I like full house 357 because it is what I consider to be "fun recoil"; it's enough to put
a smile on my face but it is not enough to make me stop shooting after just 50 rounds.
I've been using H110 in maximum published loads for the added fire ball
and fun factor.
Bear in mind though, you are talking to the sort of guy who shoots mud with a 357
just to watch the chunks fly.
jhvaughan2
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One other note. A 38 sp hollow point will mushroom out on top of the skull of a shark. A .357 will get the job done.
Buy me a drink, and I'll tell you how I know.
Buy me a drink, and I'll tell you how I know.
Zaydok Allen
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ummmm......................
NoirFan
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The .357 Magnum is my only handgun cartridge. You might say I'm a fan. We can go back and forth on cartridge effectiveness all day, but here are my own irrational reasons for liking it.
1) Cool historical association. This cartridge was developed to shoot through the cars of fleeing felons during Prohibition. That makes the .357 the contemporary of other cool American icons like the snap-brim fedora and the hard-drinking private eye.
2) The guns that chamber it are the best looking guns of all time: S&W K-Frames and Marlin lever rifles.
3) It sounds like a real gun when it goes off! And with the superb S&W revolver trigger the bullets go where you want them to.
4) Bad-ass name. Even people who are not into guns, know that the "three-fifty-seven-magnum" means business.
To the OP, I would go with the 686 4" barrel out of your two choices. But my ideal choice is a K-frame magnum or a Ruger Security Six. These midsize frames are the ideal size for the .357, whereas the L-frames are slightly too bulky and tall in the hand IMO
1) Cool historical association. This cartridge was developed to shoot through the cars of fleeing felons during Prohibition. That makes the .357 the contemporary of other cool American icons like the snap-brim fedora and the hard-drinking private eye.
2) The guns that chamber it are the best looking guns of all time: S&W K-Frames and Marlin lever rifles.
3) It sounds like a real gun when it goes off! And with the superb S&W revolver trigger the bullets go where you want them to.
4) Bad-ass name. Even people who are not into guns, know that the "three-fifty-seven-magnum" means business.
To the OP, I would go with the 686 4" barrel out of your two choices. But my ideal choice is a K-frame magnum or a Ruger Security Six. These midsize frames are the ideal size for the .357, whereas the L-frames are slightly too bulky and tall in the hand IMO
RealGun
Member
Sorry for the quibble, but the 627 is the full sized (N frame) .327, more comparable to a GP100. My 686 is more like a Security Six, which is so popular it seems like it should be reintroduced by Ruger. There is a real gap between Rugers SP101 and the GP100, which my S&W 686 fills nicely.
I love the .357. It's one of those rounds that I consider to be a staple of most revolver collections with good reason. You have a very powerful and versatile caliber that also accepts the more cost effective .38 special.
I actually like it out of my sub 5" Ruger New Vaquero. It tames the hotter rounds and makes shooting .38 seem like mouse farts. Just a fun round. I have never felt undergunned packing any variety of .357.
I don't really like the flash and report for an HD weapon, but for treks in the woods and wilds, the .357 is what is on my hip.
I actually like it out of my sub 5" Ruger New Vaquero. It tames the hotter rounds and makes shooting .38 seem like mouse farts. Just a fun round. I have never felt undergunned packing any variety of .357.
I don't really like the flash and report for an HD weapon, but for treks in the woods and wilds, the .357 is what is on my hip.
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