quote:

If the .357 is disappearing, I just found 10 of them in my safe.

OK, so my subj line was a little melodramatic, but what I meant wouldn't have fit in the box:

I'm wondering, based on the dealer shelf dearth of the classic .357 loads I remember from the 70s-80s, whether the .357 is being quietly overtaken in popularity -- and thus displaced in the energies and hearts of commercial ammo manufacturers -- by the semi-auto rounds, and by the exotic loads. I see a lot of new ammo maker names, and new bullet designs from the familiar maker names -- hydrashok, SXT, golden saber, gold dot -- and I would greatly regret the loss of those classic JHPs from the catalogs of the major makers. (And wouldn't I love to see a box of Norma or SuperVel .357, for nostalgia's sake.)

I'm sure a few old timers wonder what the hell happened to the Peters Rustless, Winchester Staynless and Remington Kleenbore brands. ; )

I'm sure Remington R357M1 (125 SJHP) and Federal's equivalent load will be made for years to come. They have quite a following, and unless auto glass is a concern, nothing in that caliber is better than they are, even after all these years. Some prefer heavier bullets and there are equivalent 158 gr. loads as well.

Guns are as fashion afflicted as anything else, and many let hollywood choose their guns for them. The average shooter is still better served by a revolver, many just don't realize it. That's not a flame on autos, or those who set them up, test fire, break them in properly and then carry them. It's just that most people don't.

Flop-shank got it right about the gun trade being fashion afflicted. Just a personal observation but I'm tired of all the emphasis placed on the gimmick-y exotic loads. They're overrated, overpriced, and oversold in their silly little six to twenty round packaging.

The 125 grain loads are hugely popular in the .357 Magnum. I prefer the 158 grain loads myself.

quote:

Originally posted by bmcgilvray:
Flop-shank got it right about the gun trade being fashion afflicted. Just a personal observation but I'm tired of all the emphasis placed on the gimmick-y exotic loads. They're overrated, overpriced, and oversold in their silly little six to twenty round packaging.

The 125 grain loads are hugely popular in the .357 Magnum. I prefer the 158 grain loads myself.

+2 for the sjhp (158gr dose for me too with my ruger and 627) I do use the good ol' FBI load in my 340pd, or R357M1 if my gun store is out of the bb

no way man!!! Remington still loads the classic style sjhp in 125gr in both UMC & Express lines; Winchester loads a lighter version in 110gr; Federal still loads a sjhp in 158gr & maybe even 125gr; most manufactured defensive loads have gone to modern fully jacketed hollowpoints (Speer Gold Dot, Federal HydraShok, Remington Golden Sabre, Winchester Silvertip, Hornady XTP, etc) that promotes expansion & deeper pentration vs the fragmentation of the older stuff

quote:

What's the simplest setup -- cheapest, not necessarily the easiest? I seem to remember Skeeter talking about loading 1 at a time on a miniature unit of some kind. Was it a Lee loader...?

Brokenprism to answer this question Skeeter often used a Lyman 310 (nutcracker) loading tool. Resembles a set of pliers, and uses a smaller diameter set of dies than typically used for presses.

One source with picture for reference, others sources around including Ebay. 310 tdies and handles were made for many different calibers including pistol, revolver, and rifle.

http://www.cnyauctions.com/the310shop.htm

Last month I tried to buy just 38 special for practice, and the gun shop was out of this simple ammo. ?????

Not in my book. I have five 357 revolvers (PC 586 L-Comp, 60-9, 686-4, 686-6, and a Ruger limited edition stainless Bisley) and 1 Marlin lever action rifle in 357 (the 16-inch ported barrel one that was only made a few years).

My 2 local walmarts have several 357 loadings.

Ammo in general is in short supply everywhere. Planning ahead is key these days.

Start reloading and start buying cast bullets by the thousand, problem solved.

quote:

Originally posted by bully123:
Last month I tried to buy just 38 special for practice, and the gun shop was out of this simple ammo. ?????

You can get 100 round 130gr .38 value packs at Wally World for less than 30 buck. You can also get 125 gr +P for about $23/50.

Wheel guns are most certainly making a major come-back. As for the old ammo, time marches on. Some of the newer stuff has much better performance.

I hope not, that is my favorite round.

quote:

Originally posted by Pioneer461:
Wheel guns are most certainly making a major come-back. As for the old ammo, time marches on. Some of the newer stuff has much better performance.

Maybe the gold dots for barrier penetration without core-jacket separation, but for self defense the exposed lead hollow point of the 158gr SJHP still gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. These rounds performed ok back in the day, and I'm sure that they will still work fine for most situations.

For personal defense/CC, the .327 MAG will eventually edge out the .38/.357 MAG. Getting the new cartridge up and running is a tough hurdle. But Smith already has an eight round, two-inch-barrel .357 N-frame. When it gets chambered for 12 rounds of .327, it's all over but the funeral. No telling what Ruger will come up with for it's three-inch GP100, but rest assured it will be bad to the bone. Not to mention who in their right mind, cops excepted, would want an autojammer in place of a twelve shot revolver with a 91% stopping power rating?

quote:

Originally posted by casingpoint:
For personal defense/CC, the .327 MAG will eventually edge out the .38/.357 MAG. Getting the new cartridge up and running is a tough hurdle. But Smith already has an eight round, two-inch-barrel .357 N-frame. When it gets chambered for 12 rounds of .327, it's all over but the funeral. No telling what Ruger will come up with for it's three-inch GP100, but rest assured it will be bad to the bone. Not to mention who in their right mind, cops excepted, would want an autojammer in place of a twelve shot revolver with a 91% stopping power rating?

I honestly hope that's sarcasm in that post.