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I'm looking to buy my daughter a 357 snub. In your opinions what seems to be the best "shooter".

I'm looking for accuracy and control. My daughter is 5'6 105. She shoots regularly with me and handles my model 19 very well using 357 rounds. She also handles my Glock 30 in 45acp nicely.

I want this to be her CCW firearm. I have no experience with short barrel revolvers, so I need some suggestions. She loves revolvers so a semi-auto is out.

Thanks.
God bless.

Definitely get something that is all steel and has some weight to it if she is planning on shooting .357 mag loads with it. The alloy or aluminum frame 357 snubs are just plain punishing and very difficult to shoot well. In my opinion your best options are a K-frame snub such as a model 66 or 19 if you like adjustable sights, or a 65 or 13 if you prefer fixed sights. A 3" Model 65 "Ladysmith" would be perfect if you can find one!

A 686 is a good option ... L-frame, all steel, and handles recoil well. Overall carry weight will be significantly higher than the lightest J-frame snubs, but the super lightweight guns are pretty angry spitting out .357s even though they are perfect for CCW. A 686 will also be considerably larger in a holster than a J.

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I'm with the banned ...

640 all stainless, 2-1/8" barrel. Will handle all the 357 you want.

The model 640 would be a good choice...has enough weight to tame some of the recoil of the .357 and is a great carry gun.

Allen 1:

The best "snubby shooter" I have in .357 is my 3" bbl. M65. Personally I feel the .357 magnum is sort of a waste shooting it out of less than a 3" bbl.

I would say that if she is going to carry a 2" J Frame she would be better served by carrying Buffalo Bore .38 Special HEAVY 158 grain LSWCHP-GC +P bullets. Out of my 2" Chief's they are actually chronographed at 1040 fps and pack almost as much stopping power as the .357 does out of a 2" bbl. The plus side is she will not get all the muzzle flash, noise, recoil and slow shot recovery. Even though some of the 2" J Frames are chambered in .357 I don't thing there is much advantage over the BB load mentioned above in a small frame 2" gun. Just my .02 cents.........


Chief38

My 640-1 with .357 ammo is all I want to shoot. I wouldn't use any .357 J Frame with less weight. And consider the ammo, 110 to 125 gr seems to work best. Having said that, I most often carry with .38 +P in 135 gr. Very good control for follow-up shots. And as Chief 38 says, there are other alternatives (to .357 ammo). Whatever works for you.

Since everyone has already said what I was going to say I just want to add that you might look at the Ruger SP101 as well. That's a tough little five shot magnum that has enough mass to eat some of the recoil but still light enough to carry.

If weight is a concern and it sounds like it may be you may want to check out the night guard series Smith offers. I have the 8 shot 357 version and an older 686 and if you ask me it's like having a lighter 686 in every way. I think they offer it in 6, 7, and 8 capacity.

The .357 snub I shoot the best is my Ruger Security-Six with the 2 3/4 inch barrel. Second would be my 19-5 2.5 incher.

My daughter and daughter-in-law both prefer the M65 Ladysmith, but the daughter carries her own G19. DIL has a M15 2in but is casting eyes heavily on my M65-5 LS...I am staunchly resisting for the time being 'cause I like it so much.

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Run Fast, Bite Hard!

I'm with chief38 on this. I'm 6'2" and upwards of 250. I've shot .357 loads out of a 2" Ruger SP101 and went back to .38 special pretty quickly. I think a stout .38 load will give you a lot more control with much less noise, flash and recoil. True, you'll give up some stopping power compared to the .357, but most calibers do.

Everyone is different. We can only make recommendations. In the end it comes down to what's best for her.

I agree.My brother asked my advice on a snub for his daughter.She is 26,has been shooting under my tutelage for awhile,and is extremely petite. I suggested the SP101 over everything else and that's what he went with.

They were up a couple of weeks ago and she was eating up shoot 'n see targets from 3 to 15 yards with hotter 38 loads.
It's a solid,vetted revolver and has been in production a long time. The triggers are a little hard on a new one and takes some time to break in,but spring kits are available.

ETA: chief38 gives good advice. I too,believe that from the shorter barreled guns,what you get with magnum loads is excessive flash,blast,and recoil,with no significant increase in terminal ballistics. With the SP101,tho,it's nice to have that option if it's necessary.
I only use the hot 38 loads in my 2 1/2 inch for this very reason.

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Blessed be the Lord,my Rock

Well, I read every reply. And I must say thanks to you all very much.

I think Chief pointed me in the right direction here. I think a .38 would work well for her. I agree that a .357 is a bit much from a 2" barrel

My point in asking was because we don't have any ranges that also offer rental guns.

So, whatever I buy her will be for keeps. Of course I will let her handle as many as possible at the LGS to see what fits her hand.

So. .38 it is!

Off to the bank!

God bless.

I've shot everything from the Scandium lightweights to the L-Frame snubby's and I have found for this cartridge that the heavier you go the better off you are. My personal .357 snub is an old Colt Lawman .357. It's stout, accurate in the extreme and controllable with the 125 Federal's. Can't beat it.

I too have a 2" Colt Lawman 357. The most comfortable snub for shooting magnums that I have shot. Just a tad heavy for carrying at times, but a great shooter overall.

This makes no sense, but for whatever reason I shoot my 640 better w/both .357 & .38 than I did the M19.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I am not a 357 Mag kind of guy...

But a 2 1/2" Mod 19 is one of my favorite S&W revolvers.
There is just something about it. It has great balance and perfect handling.

A 2 1/2" Mod 66, or a 3" Mod 13 or 65 would work for your girl as well.

Also a 357 Mag will also shoot all manner of 38 Special +P and +P+ if she finds full power 357 Mag ammo a bit too much...

Agree 100%, The handling and balance of the k-frame snub is unmatched. On both my 19-4 and 66 no dash with rr and wo , the sights are easy to pick up quickly. Also my favorite S&Ws.

SP-101, Speed Six, Security Six, Model 19, or 686. These are great choices, and have just enough weight to absorb the recoil. Thats what I would get for my girls!

Another vote for the SP101 here. It's what I carry, and .357s are not uncomfortable with it(your daughter may or may not agree). Muzzle velocity is 1220fps with the 125s. The key is to practice regularly.

Best wishes in your decision,
Andy

As I said in my first post, I am not a 357 Mag kind of guy so it could be asked, Why the heck then did you but a 2 1/2" Mod 19???

The reason was I needed a "snub nosed" revolver for Competition...

Well I guess I got lucky, because this particular Mod 19 2 1/2" shoots groups at 25 yards, as good as any Custom Bull Barreled PPC revolver I have ever shot. It is very accurate with 357 Mag ammo as well.

I have carried it on duty for some "Special" deals, and it never let me down.

Every time I handle it, I do wish I liked the 357 Mag more...

EVEN I, consider the 2 1/2" Mod 19/66 one of the Iconic S&W revolvers.

I spent the extra bucks and bought a 640 Pro and it is definitely set up for serious personal carry.

Nice trigger, Novak night sights, fit and finish is excellent, cylinder cut for full moon clips. I carry the Speer 135grain SB 38+P's. Gun is "set up" and ready to go to work. Worth the extra bucks!

If you don't rent or barrow a Ruger LCR357 and spend some time shooting 125g. self defense loads. You will have missed shooting one of the nicest shooting 357 Snubs made. Easy to carry, accurate, comfortable and painless to shoot.

I'll third the SP-101, tough little revolver, accurate as the day is long, and comfortable to shoot even with the "thermal nuclear" Fed. 125gr Magnum load! Dale

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"Long live the S&W 3rd. Gen.!"

how about a 686 with your choice of barrel lengths....i just love mine

66/19 2.5", SP101 or a 640. In that order of preference.

I suppose how she is going to carry it might be a factor. Will she carry in an on-the-person holster? Or in a purse? She's pretty small, so size matters.

For sheer accuracy, the 66/19 cannot be beat by any other snub in my opinion, nothing else really even comes close.

For a CCW look at the ballistics from a .38 and the .357 out of a snubby.
.357 almost isn't worth the weight and recoil. And for sure she doesn't want to shoot a .357 snubby indoors.

Look at J frames or 6 shot snubs in .38.

AFS

As you already stated that your daughter shoots your model 19 well, using 357's, get her a 2.5 inch model 19 or a stainless pre lock 66.

It doesn't get any better than that in a snub revolver. Everything you need and nothing you don't. Good luck! Regards 18DAI

What he said.
I still think she might very shoot better with .38s in it.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95