Dear Smith and Wesson sometime in the future i will be purchasing a s&w model 60 .357 magnum revolver with a 3 inch barrel. an i was wondering if any of my fellow forum members could answer this question for me how bad is the recoil when you fire .357 magnum loads through that specific gun? sincerely and respectfully mg357 a proud member of the Smith and Wesson Forum

Very subjective... You will get answers going in both directions and sideways. From my perspective I will say that any .357 magnum in any small frame handgun is going to be harsh. Recoil is going to be all about your grip and your hand hold. You will get more flash, noise, and worse you will have longer reaction time between shots fired. Practice can help on this but remember how much better bullet placement is over magnum power. In my book a good .38 special load will win over any magnum when it comes to defense as far as what most people will practice. I'm as bad about magnum mania as anyone else but it takes one shot from a snub magnum to rethink that combo. The lighter the weight plus the bigger the boom equals out to more difficulty in mastering a hand gun. My 2 cents.

With Pacmayr grips the recoil from the J frame magnum is manageable. I have a Mod 60-15 that has some really nice wood combat grips and it is fun to shoot with 38 spl. However in shooting the .357 you need rubber grips, a little more to hold onto and more cushioning.

I have to admit that it is a fun gun to shoot with the .357s, it is loud and you have the flash at times, but it is not fun to shoot the magnums with the wood grips, invest in some nice rubbers.

I put five rounds through someone else's 360 and it was not a pleasant experience. The web of my hand ached for two days. The 3" barrel may make a difference. Can you borrow/rent one before you decide?

Ever had a firecracker go off in your clenched fist? That's what it feels like (and I love it!). Compared to the flyweight magnums, though, it's not bad -- they are like having a grenade go off in your fist!

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Pisgah

This is my 60-15. No question that you'll feel the recoil with .357's. But, it's manageable. And you can shoot .38 spls. through it when you're just plinking. But, if you're going to carry .357's in it, be sure that you familiarize yourself with its recoil and handling characteristics, as you would with any gun you were going to carry. The 60 it a great gun and I'm very happy with mine.

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... ed ...

First this is an awesome gun...I have the S&W model 60 in 2 1/4. When I use to shoot 357 loads I nick-named it "The Mule". Now I mostly shoot .38 +P's in mine now, more fun and IMO just as good.

Here is mine with my favorite grip. Not because of the laser, it just happens to be the most comfortable for me.

Imho the 60 3" is one of the most versatile revolvers made. 158gr factory magnums are a blast to shoot, no pun intended, and manageable. 38 spl+p are pure joy to shoot. (Edited to add): I also had a trigger job done and all I can say is "wow". Double action is much lighter and easier to hold on target. Highly recommend having it done.

Not bad at all. I put 50 rounds of 158 gr magnum loads through my 3 inch 60 just a few days ago and it was quite manageable. Even when I had my ivory grips with t grip, it was easy to handle.

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- The Federalist #46 -

Good points. As much as I like shooting 357s I feel in a self defense situation a 38+P will give you better bullet placement and quicker followup shots. I shoot 357s out of my K frame magnums but they can be a hand full depending on the round. If you must shoot 357s out of your J frame then pick one of the lower recoil rounds like Remingtons Golden Saber round or others.

Good luck,
Howard

I find full-house .357 a little much in my 3 in. 60. I have found 125 Remington Golden Saber .357 loads to be perfect. They are loaded to be about half way between .38 Special +P and full-house .357s. I believe that Speers .357 Gold Dot loads to be about the same. Nothing wrong with compromise when you really win.