HI...

just see some S&W 360 J and is only come in.38 spe. only, any history behind this gun that U know of?

how is shoot ? and why price is so less then 360PD or MP ? (beside 38 spe. with .357 mag)

how is scandium alloy frame to alloy frame? beside weight ?

is hard to fine or just other run off from S&W ?

what fair price for this gun (new or use) price range ?

any thing I need to know about this scandium alloy frame gun ?

thank
zip


p.s. link for this product..SKU: 160360
Product: Model 360 Revolver

They're great guns, the least expensive scandium framed model they've made. It uses the same frame as the M&P360 with a carbon steel .38spl cyl (instead of stainless), different front sight, and a few other differences. My understanding was that it was some special order run that the deal fell through on so they released them through the distributor network but that's probably wrong.

I bought mine from budsgunshop.com for $409 a little over a year ago and sent it to Pinnacle High Performance to be rechambered to 9mm (9x23). The frame is as rugged as any other scandium frame, like I said, according to S&W, it's the same frame as the M&P360 .357mag so it's plenty strong. I've carried mine almost every day for a year, qualified with it twice, shot regular 9mm, +P, and +P+ through it, in addition to .38 Super and 9x23 Winchester and haven't had a bit of trouble with it.

The only negative was with the carbon steel cylinder, the bluing was very thin and it was prone to surface rust, particularly on the edges of the flutes. Of couse it was worse if I carried it in an ankle holster. I sent the cylinder to Robar and had them coat it with NP3 and haven't any more trouble.

I don't know what people are asking for them now, Bud's had a second run of them a while back that they sold for something like $429. They were a heck of a deal.

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!

WC145... Thank for your info. about this gun,

I ask this because some one have for sale for $450 and it been use, but again I live in West cost state that know as...Kilifornia that why some gun is hard to come by.

thank again.

Don't know if this is bad etiquette, but I resurrected this thread to ask:

I'm thinking of getting a 360 .38 special only on gunbroker. Talked to a customer service rep at smith, he seemed to say the official line was that the barrel of these guns were only rated up to +p and that the frame might crack. Would like to see if I could approach .357ish ballistics, so was interested in +p+ however. Do you think I can do it?

Thanks.

If you want a 357 Magnum, go buy one. Why risk loosing fingers/eyes/ect and damaging a nice gun by trying to make it do something that it was not designed to do?

And yes, this is a ZOMBIE THREAD

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On the Oak Savannah

I think $450 is a fair price if the gun is in nice shape. ( Mine was just consigned right at a LGS for that same price). The 360J is uncommon and a bargain for an all scandium frame. (I've seen exactly two in all my 15 years of S&W revolver collecting.) I personally think it's superior ( at least mine is) to a 637 . The shrouded barrel is a nice cosmetic touch which shaves an ounce or so off the weight of a comparable 37 series too.. It's also cool (and rare) that the serial number is on the side of the frame.

hth


p.s. If I didn't already own a 360PD, I'd bob the hammer on the 360J and it would become my carry gun.

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Dave

I bought a 360SS in 357 for my wife. IMHO the 357 load scared the heck out of me. It hit hard and was completely un-enjoyable. I put 38's in it and they were more manageable, but jus still hit to hard for my wife. So if you plan on a near 357 load.... You might be in for a real surprise. Hope this helps and is purely an opinion.

Thanks sa fireman. Maybe I should get the 357 but I'm not sure the ballistic payoff will be worth the extra $200 for the m&p and I'm not sure if i'll really want to practice with 357 rounds to get good enough. 357 and maybe +p+ do sound tempting in terms of one stop shots but then there's the risk of lockup, the question of are the lower recoiling 357 rounds designed for these revolvers worth it etc? If there's a significant ballistic difference, if I can stand practicing with it in 357 and if I can get one without a lock, it might make sense to pay the extra $200.

I have become pretty deadly with my pf9 in the past, so I do think I have the potential to use the m&p to its full potential, but would be leery about carrying 357 with the ILS.

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It has been said over and over - It is not about what size gun you carry, but how well you can put rounds where they need to go.....I still carry a 357 mag though, heck if I can't hit anything, at least I can burn their eyebrows off

Good luck with your search.

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On the Oak Savannah

I picked up one of these 38 sp only 360j a couple of days ago. I will give a range report as soon as I can. My take on the 357 issue is if you think you need to carry 357s get a heavier gun. One stop shot may be necessary if the recoil is too much for effective follow up.

I occasionally enjoy heavy recoiling guns for fun at the range, but for carry if you can only place one shot in a timely manor you are at more of a disadvantage than carrying a smaller round. If I do my job the effectiveness of a good 38sp is plenty

You will NOT enjoy firing 357's out of a sub 14 oz J frame.In fact, there are few that I've met who can tolerate it. I bought my 360PD with exactly two (357) rounds fired through it. The original owner read all the specs, convinced himself of what he "needed", ordered the gun , fired it once and bruised his trigger finger. His buddy tried a round and did the same. Neither would fire the gun again. He traded it in a day latter out of fear of the thing. I bought it up and have been happily running 38( w occasional +P ) through it with no issues.

Anybody who doesn't think 38 +P is enough power is dared to stand in front of mine with a catchers mitt. :-)

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Dave

The original 360J featured carbon steel cylinders; the newer production models have been made with stainless steel cylinders, and a brand new in box can be had for $450.00 if you know how to shop.

Oh, and the guns are not blued, nor are they the mat black finish found on say, the 442...it's a cerakote like finish....forgot the exact name of this finish.

Do you happen to know how to tell which cylinder you have? I traded for mine it was unfired but not new. It came with factory crimson trace 305 grips. The serial number is not printed on the side, but behind the cylinder release (serial DCL11xx). Is there a way to tell the manufacture date and cylinder material?

Here is a ****** cell pic

Thanks for the replies all. Went ahead and pulled the trigger on the 360 38 special. Was reading about the ballistics of the downloaded 357s that most use and it really didn't seem worth the extra $200 if I can find one on gunbroker that is.

Got one for $460+ $45 shipping and transfer not bad. Now to try it out with buffalo bore 158 grain +p I hear those hit hard. I'll probably get the plain uncle Mike's boot grips, a clipdraw and use my snubby trigger cover and call it good.


This should carry a lot easier than my model 36 and is a more reliable and better built than my pf9.

Thanks again.

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I checked the S&W collectors guide and it has no mention of the 360J version . The serial number range seems to stop in te CXX range around 2004. Maybe somebody else can help. That said, am I missing something in the pic? Does your have the serial number on the left side by the cyl release or on the butt as is traditional? Does it have a lanyard hole in the butt?

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Dave

It does not have the lanyard hole. The serial number is on the butt and also in the inside when you release the cylinder (same spot as my 617). It does not have it on the left side by the release. The only thing there is S&W logo with trade mark around it

As I posted 4 years ago... Per S&W the frames on these guns are the same as the M&P 360. Also, they made at least one run of non-M&P 360s (no "J") in .357mag a couple of years ago, Bud's had them for about $100 more than the .38 only version.

Looking at the date on my post above it appears that I've been carrying and shooting mine for close to 5 years now. I don't keep round counts but I've put a lot of 9mm and .38 Super through it in that time and haven't had any trouble with it at all, mechanically or structurally. Of course, I only use factory ammo and YMMV. And I will say that if I wanted to experiment with hot handloads, I wouldn't be doing it with a 13oz J frame.

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!

Yeah, 90% of the time I would agree with you but I'm around some big goons and a few psychopaths on a regular basis so they remind me of the other 10%. There was an ME gun enthusiast who posted a long thread a while back talking about the other 1 to 10% of the time when a big caliber was important in a gunfight when aiming for the thoracic triangle.

Of course, I want a light jframe for convenience of carry, but I'm thinking that with my level of pain tolerance, ability to focus and development of fine motor skills, there's a good chance that I'll be able to place hot factory loads where they need to go. ie, Buffalo Bore 158 grain LSWCHP. We'll see.

I just want to make sure that I understand the 38spl. 360J, they are +p rated correct?

Yes they are +p rated. That's what the S&W rep told me. Read through the thread and you should pick that and more up.

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What is the 360j finished with? Does it suffer from the same finish wear problems I have heard of from the other new j frames?

It looks the same as my M&P 340. Melonite? Like a tenifer coating?

Doesn't that finish tend to hold up pretty well?

From what I've seen with the Night Guards, same finish, it does well. If it gets scratched down to the metal though, the only touch-up I know, & use, is a black Sharpie.

I know this not a current thread...but that 360 is so cool.

Would luv to hear any new comments on any of the variations of the model 360.

I have just bought my model 360J and without a doubt it is going to replace a couple of guns. It is just a tad heavier than the Ruger LCP and the Kel Tec 3pAT (traded off both of them already).

This is the seller's photograph. I will get my own and the range report shortly up shortly.

I will practice with light range loads and wad cutters and carry regular .38spec. or +p maybe.

This one has been nicely customized. The hammer, small to begin with, has been trimmed to a smaller but still usable size. Apex trigger job and bright bright Xcess Big Dot from sights. That makes this a great low light shooter. The finish looks like a new gun.

Bye bye 442 and 642!

The internal lock has been plugged as well.

Essentially it's a lower priced version of a Night Guard. What's not to like?

Here's some info I posted in another thread:
.


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Waiting for the break of day

Actually, it's a no frills .38spl M&P 360.

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!