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Best .357 Magnum Revolver Buyer’s Guide (2022)

Good article, they left out my favorite, but I understand thier criteria. I love the model 60 and it's my first choice in a 357 carry, first choice for over all carry piece.

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I have the 360. Nice and light for CCW. Personally, I don't think the recoil is as bad as many talk about with .357. Don't get me wrong, it's stout but not something I avoid doing.

But then, I used to own a Model 60 Mountain Gun in .44 magnum. That thing would KICK!!
 
HansGruber said:
I think the S&W 340/360 is a much better choice than the LCR, having owned both.

Never cared for the LCR.

I’d also put the 3” Model 19 on that list. There’s no reason you can’t carry a K-frame shorty.
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Agreed, excellant point, the 19/66 should be on such a list. In its various 2.5 to 3 inch incarnations it is only slightly more difficult to conceal and is one of, if not the best balanced and shootable short barreled revolvers ever made. IMO...
 
Thanks for the link, Anni. I really like revolvers for their simplicity and reliability. Also, it is really convenient to just pick up a J frame and put it in your front pocket on the way out the door. The convenience factor is a strong argument for a J frame — more likely to have it with you when you really need it. The limited capacity and reloading (slowness) are two big downsides. I like a .38 Special but a 357 is the king of the walk!
 
uspatriot1960 said:
I have the 360. Nice and light for CCW. Personally, I don't think the recoil is as bad as many talk about with .357. Don't get me wrong, it's stout but not something I avoid doing.

But then, I used to own a Model 60 Mountain Gun in .44 magnum. That thing would KICK!!
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I think you had a 629 Mountain Gun, not a 60…have one of those m’self. I never thought it was that bad…I keep it out, loaded with .44spl SWCHP’s.

S&W Mountain Guns, were, iirc, limited to N-frames; 24/624 (.44spl), 25/625 (.45acp or .45 Colt), 27/627 and 28/628 (.357), 29/629 (.44 Mag) and 57/657 (.41 mag).

Although they might have made the a 686 Mountain Gun. Have to check the book.
 
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Annihilator said:
Here is an article on concealed carry options with the .357magnum, some good choices, I like the S&W 640 and the Colt King Cobra myself.



gundigest.com

Best .357 Magnum Revolver Buyer's Guide (2023)

A proven self-defense option, the .357 Magnum revolver is a solid choice for concealed carry if a shooter picks a manageable piece.
gundigest.com
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I have both the S&W 640 Pro and the Ruger SP101. I've shot with both quite a bit.

I am slightly more accurate with the SP101. In addition the extra weight of the SP101 aids in recoil control.

As for fit and finish I was extremely disappointed in the S&W 640 Pro. It has buggered screws, the lock plate is scratched and also clearly buggered, the trigger is certainly not as good as my earlier S&W revolvers and only equal to or slightly worse than my SP101, the cylinder spins roughly. Does it function as intended? Yes. Is it what I expect out of the Pro shop? Absolutely not.
 
fordag said:
I have both the S&W 640 Pro and the Ruger SP101. I've shot with both quite a bit.

I am slightly more accurate with the SP101. In addition the extra weight of the SP101 aids in recoil control.

As for fit and finish I was extremely disappointed in the S&W 640 Pro. It has buggered screws, the lock plate is scratched and also clearly buggered, the trigger is certainly not as good as my earlier S&W revolvers and only equal to or slightly worse than my SP101, the cylinder spins roughly. Does it function as intended? Yes. Is it what I expect out of the Pro shop? Absolutely not.
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I have had exactly the opposite experience with Ruger and SWhaving had the Sp101 and Model 60 both in three inches.

I bought the Ruger first because of prior love for Ruger revolvers. The Ruger trigger was heavy, gritty, and rough, accuracy was mediocre and I never really found a load it really liked. It's weight was nice with stout loads and I loved the grip. The fit and finish were ok but not what I got on my Redhawk.

it was the overall performance however which forced me to trade it in on the Model 60. The 60 has been head and shoulders better in every aspect. Especially fit and finish and trigger, all of which are exceptional.


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And I really tried to love that SP101. I wanted it to work because of other great Ruger revolvers I have had. I worked with it for almost two years before I admitted defeat with it.

I will admit I never put money into springs or sights on it like I have with the Smith. But I just could never justify it with its performance. I did not want to customize something I was not likely to keep. The Smith was so nice I felt justification putting money in new springs, sights, and grips.
 
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Recusant said:
This is my Ruger SP 101 2.5" barrel. It gets carried concealed more in the winter than the summer.

View attachment 26880
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I agree that it would be hard to find a Ruger trigger as smooth as one on an older S & W. When I got this one, I shot about 200 rounds of .357 and .38 + P through it. The trigger was still a bit gritty, so I sent it off for a trigger job which improved it greatly. Ruger would probably produce handguns with much better factory triggers if lawyers were left out of the design process.
 
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