As apparent by my SN, I am a fan of the .357 Magnum. However being a younger guy I am always asked why I like the round so much. I have always liked it for its versatility and power, as well as using its parent round the .38 for small power applications. I know the .357 is quite special among S&W fans, so I was just wondering what makes it so special to y'all as well?

I think versatility is the answer. Aside from the wide variety of ammo it can use, .357s are also avalible in just about any frame size, barrel length or configuration you can imagine. Whatever the intended purpose may be, there's a suitable .357 for the job.

Well it really depends...the physical differences are clear, a longer casing allowing for more powder equals more power...by the same token, though, the powder is slower burning. You can really see what I mean by shooting the 357 load through a 6-8 inch barrel...it allows more space for the powder to burn, increases FPS and accuracy...

At least that is what I have experienced. Next time you see someone with a 3 inch barrel or something smaller, sometimes you will see this flame coming out of the barrel... as far as I know that is due to the short barrel not allowing enough room for the powder to amass its full potential...

It's the 38 that's Special.

The 357 is Magnum.

...you're welcome...

Nothing!

While I do own a couple, I roll only .38's for em.

__________________
GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

It's the famous big magnum revolver cartridge.
Impeccable as a defense or police load.
Load it down for targets, load it up for hunting.
If I had to pick one caliber the 357 is it.

Mine is indeed for deerslaying

^^^ All of the above!
Dave

__________________
mr mom
Fire Chief, Retired

Not to mention it's the perfect round for my recently acquired Winchester Model 1873 Short. Now, if they could only have made that rifle in the US instead of Japan (where nobody except the Yakuza have guns).

versatility and its history the .357 has been around since 1935 for heaven sake.

No supper for you, young man. And wipe that grin off your face.

__________________
Oh well, what the hell.

Fast shooting, hard hitting, accurate, and makes me smile.

A lot of firepower in a relatively small and portable size. A gun chambered in .357 can be downloaded with all kinds of .38's for fun stuff.

read Skeeter Skelton (my friend the .357 ) then get back with me ok i like other rounds but the 357 is hard to beat if you ask me, wait you did ask didnt you?

__________________
WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

Power and versatility. As mentioned above, .357 for hunting and protection, 38 for target and practice.

First its the common and cheaper .38 that makes it. Secound the lighter frames and better portability. The .357 at least use to have the best reputation as a killer defense gun, Along with the old police reputation its the natural first choice for all but the more informed.
Most us older guys seem to go for the .44 specials, .45 colt and .44 mag. The 44 special and .45 colt seem to be more pleasant to shoot than a intense ear ringing load in the .357. Also not too many of us`s first choice for hunting deer size and bigger game will go with the .357 as opposed to the bigger bores.

The .357 is an all around well balanced configuration. Not too much and not to little and it comes in a variety of affordable configurations in firearms and ammo. What's not to like?

A really load bang and big fire ball. A real attention getter.

__________________
Carpriver.

The Model 19 4 inch.

That is why the 357 is so Special. Great cartridge in a perfect revolver.

__________________
Mike
USMCR 84-87, USAF 87-07

Among other things, because it's used in guns like this.

John

__________________
- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

You should have waited as in Oct. they are chambering it for the CORRECT caliber: 44 WCF.


OP, there's nothing wrong with the .357 Mag...........................until you need to reload the gun in a hurry.

..... and I can use the same bullets in .38 or .357 cases. And load anything from mouse farts to something suitable for taking on a bear, and everything in between. It's the smallest gun, especially among revolvers that is a proven person stopper.
(.357 sig is pretty good for auto's but they ain't that popular).

The .38 is also limited by it's origin in black powder days, and .38 ammo today is still influenced by that. The .357 is a greatly improved .38 that can be loaded to the max without chains of past history dragging it down.

I can shoot a .357 for hours day w/o over fatigue and I don't feel any effects in my wrists after shooting it.

I don't hunt, so I don't really need a bigger gun.

It gives me a satisfying feeling of controlling power in my hand but it isn't trying to hurt me like a .44 mag or something.


I'm on a tight budget and can't afford to throw thumb sized bullets down range. And bigger cases take more powder that I don't have.

My wife likes her 4" 66-3, shoots it well and she can handle shooting magnum loads. Works for me.

I don't find myself reaching for a .357 Magnum nearly as much as I do the .38 Special. I really only want the .357 Magnum in full-bore loadings, flinging 158 grain bullets or heavier. It's a waste of a good cartridge to constrain it to shoot light bullets such as the 9mm or .380 ACP and other lesser cartridges of similar bore diameter use. I don't do 110-125 grain bullets in the .357 Magnum nor make use of any of the water-y "-P", half-baked .357 factory loads promoted these days for these silly light weight snubs.

What doesn't?

Because they dont make these in Polymer.

Thankfully they don't make 'em in polymer!

What makes the S&W .357 Magnum so special to me? Gee! I could write a book! However, perhaps this will suffice. I consider the S&W .357 Magnum to be just about the ideal handgun round. In the revolvers I typically enjoy using, I can fire little light mid-range target type .38 Special loads, or I can fire full power .38 Special loads. These allow me to shoot enjoyably my revolvers without the greater expense, etc. of the magnum loads. However, with just a simply change of ammunition, I can take the same revolvers and use the higher horsepower ammo to my hearts content. In a light K-frame, its admittedly a handful. In a L-frame, it is manageable. In a N-frame, it's just a easy day at the office.

When it comes to hunting, the S&W .357 Magnum is excellent out to about 25 yds. on deer sized game. The oft maligned 125 gr. JHP's are pure bombs for SD/HD. As used by police over many years, this load built up a unparalleled record for one shot stops. Heavier bullets can be fired up to 180 grs. And of course there are a myriad of bullet molds available with which one can cast up just about any sort of slug one might desire. Such options only make the .357 Magnum even more versatile.

The S&W .357 Magnum is just about the most powerful round most folks can manage without significant experience and training. A novice shooter or even an experienced shooter who simply does not get to go to the range frequently can usually learn to handle a the .357 effectively. This is not the case with the .41 or .44 S&W Magnums. Either of these two rounds produce much heavier recoil and require much more effort to master. As well frequent practice is required to maintain a modicum of skill with these heavier rounds.

__________________
<><

Like others have said it's a great round with manageable recoil and it certainly will get the job done if need be in a defensive situation.

While I do agree 357 is not the first choice for larger game and the smallest bullet that DNR says is " humane" to hunt with...I killed two deer with the magnum load last season...hunting is more about placement than it is about power.

Like Goldylocks said, "it's not too hot and not too cold - just right."
You can load it up wild or mild... that's why I like my .357!

__________________
"Life is short, hunt hard"

I used to think the .357 was special. I mean, even Dick Tracy carried one. But then I bought a .41 Magnum and never looked back.

I can't get the .38s to be this "Special"

__________________
I'm just here for the guns.

I guess not, but why would you want to? That fireball is one of the things that concerns me about .357 Magnum for SD. In a night shooting, how long would it before you could see to take a second shot if you needed it? The fight-or-flight adrenalin dump dilates the pupils wide open.

__________________
Oh well, what the hell.

The fireball is so brief you will hardly notice it, but if that concerns you there are any number of high end factory .357s that use flash retardant powder. Have fired many a thousand full .357 B Federal 125gr factory loads back in the day and even they started using retardant powder sometime in the mid to late 1980s.

__________________
Run Fast, Bite Hard!

Zagged
Agreed,that ammo is range or woods carry only.Home defense is not the .357.Just posted the picture for grins and despite the fireball the recoil isn't all that intimidating in the 686.That's not to say the .357 isn't a good choice for home defense,just with a more suitable choice of ammunition.The .357 revolvers outnumber anything else I own and always go to the range with more .38 special than the full house magnums.

__________________
I'm just here for the guns.

Um... It rymes with, "Free Fist of Heaven"?

__________________
Why, I aughta.....

Off the top of my head:

I can use it in my L-frames and my Marlin carbines. I can load it down for training or small game. I can load it up for deer and pig. I can use the 38 spl self-defense loads from just about every major ammunition manufacturer.

The hot loads I usually use in the Marlin look REALLY cool at night from a 3" bbl.

Its pretty simple to me.

My .357 mag also shoots .38 SPL

My .40 Shield also shoots 9mm.

My AR's in 5.56 also shoot .300 AAC

Why have 3 more guns to take up room in my gun safe. When i already have 3 guns that will shoot all 6 calibers that 6 different guns could. I'd rather save room for bigger and better things. (.338 Lapua, cough cough)

It was the first "Magnum" round, meaning biggest and best. Rumor was the flamboyant Doug Wesson got it from magnums of champagne, which he ordered often. Rifle rounds that preceded it by decades were re-dubbed "magnums" On a side note, all of the belted rounds were based on the Holland & Holland rounds, which were the some of the few that actually needed it due to their lack of a enough shoulder to headspace on. "Belted" and "Magnum" became synonyms in rifle rounds and are two of the great gun-marketing gimmicks of the 20th century.

I never figured out why the gun-rag hacks diss the .357 as a whitetail round. A .44 mag sails right through the deer in my neck of the woods and I've only shot one monster buck (with a rifle) where I thought a .44 might have really been necessary if handgun hunting.

I figure if the .357 125 JHP registers 90% one-shot stops on humans, it should work fine on whitetails that weight that weigh even less, so long as you're not trying a quartering shot. That's what I'll be packin if I take to the local deer woods with a handgun again.

Whats not to like, they aren't tupperware and springs, they shoot tight groups with plenty of muzzel energy.
For an experts opinion, Mr. Skeeter Skelton check this article:

My Friend, The .357

I use .38 +P in my 686 for HD. I don't want the flash or the busted eardrums (we are both musicians)

Muzzle flash? Use a bullet like the Barnes TAC-XPD; and there are many other low-flash bullets out there. It's home defense so use a model with a longer barrel and less flash. You should be using a good combat light anyway - with anywhere from 200-500 lumens you won't be affected by the muzzle flash. The noise part I can understand, but for home defense why limit yourself to a 38 when you can have a larger non-magnum like a 45 ACP revolver or an auto? If I were to only use a 38 for HD, I'd load up with DPX +P and choose the longest barrel I felt comfortable handling.

I have several .357s - an R8, a 586 L-Comp, and an M&P 340. The R8 and 586 are a joy to shoot .357s. And although I love the .357 for it's versatility, I'm still partial to the versatility of the Colt 45. I thoroughly enjoy shooting cowboy loads for target practice and using the very powerful Colt 45 DPX for home defense or in-vehicle gun (Super Redhawk Alaskan in my case). Wish I'd never sold my Alaskan and will probably get another one some day.

While I agree a revolver isn't exactly the best self defense choice(semi-autos are faster to reload) I wouldn't dismiss it as impractical. Simply put its whatever the person using it desires...personally my M&P 9mm is more than enough to defend my home...shotguns work very well too I might add

when thinking home defense ,i think whats going to stop my bullet? neighbors on all sides and my son across the hallway...ill take 158 gr softlead 38s at 750 fps or double AA #7 1/2 shot 12 guage. neither penetrate well but should work as intended if the placement is true.
a couple years ago i took an extra copy of dreamcatcher to the range ,hard cover about 4 " thick. a soft 38 went about 1/2 way through, a 22 lr went about 2/3 way through, the federal 158gr 357mag made confetti out the other side! if id had two books it probably would have gone through both
in my opinion a full house 357 is too powerful for home defense.but a great hunting/ killing/ target round

__________________
the rules? there are no rules

I have a 6" 686. That's about as long as I care to go as it's a tad nose heavy, but it handles well with the Pachmayrs. It doubles as my range gun. The idea of Barnes Bullets is a good one as they have a reputation for putting big things down. I'm a Gold Dot fan for defense mostly because of what I've seen/read and I used to use Speer exclusively (not anymore). I'm having trouble finding and affording any kind of JHP lately.

I have a good flashlight by my bed but it's not really a combat light, no rails or tactical anything.

I really haven't tried a single gun bigger than a .357. I did have a Colt .45 in mind as a possibility (history) and I've thought about getting a 1911 type .45 but I see they have a lot of smaller .45s nowadays. I'm more of a revolver guy both at the range and for HD.

Oh, my other pistol is a 9mm M5943 that I haven't had too long. I am looking to get more revolvers, but it's going to take time and patience. Any 'spare' (?) money I have mostly goes into reloading equipment/supplies.

I hated to sell my model 10 to get the 686 and I'd like to get another one someday.

I'm just now getting my wife into shooting good with .38 special out of the 686. I'm trying to make a load light enough in 9mm for her to shoot but haven't got there yet.

6" barrel is great. And better to hit with a 38 than miss with a 357.

The combat light of which I speak is just a hand-held, compact, high-powered LED flashlight. Mine is a Surefire, but there are many others. The Surefire has a toggle on/off button on the rear, or you twist the rear for constant on. At night, any 200+ lumen light will temporarily blind an intruder while giving you a well-lit target. Plus there is no better way to make sure you don't accidentally mistake a friend or family for an bad guy. It just needs to be small enough and light enough to use in one hand in tandem with your revolver. You can find resources online for a few different techniques for using a hand-held light with your gun.

Put the first one on target & you don't need a reload.

I have several 357s, all N frame S&Ws with barrel lengths from 3 1/2"
to 8 3/8". What really makes the 357 special to me however is
handloading. The 357 is unmatched for versatility when used with loads
in 38 spl brass for plinking or small game hunting and loads in 357
brass from mid-range to full power. Should one so desire a variety of
loads could be carried into the field and all used in the same gun. A
strong 357 revolver truely is the all around handgun.

The "CRACK."