I have 3, a M60-18, a M60-15 Pro and an M438. I carry mostly the 438 in my pocket. With all the **** that is going on I want to upgrade to a .357 for pocket carry and backup. Any suggestions?

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Foster Positivity.

I have my M60-15 non-pro on my carry license, but it's 3" barrel make pocket carry hard - depending on how I'm dressed -- but I do pocket carry it sometimes.

I also have a LCR 357 on my license, and it's a good pocket gun.

I'm considering upgrading to 357 magnum for the same reasons you mention.

Probably your M60-15 is your best bet.

Is the M60-18 the 5" version? If so, that's even harder to conceal.

I have a M60-15 (non pro) and it is a good belt carry revolver, but too big for most pockets.
I think the best pocket carry MGN revolver is the M640 Pro. No lock and handles MGN recoil better than the Airlights. Cut for moon clips and has night sights. Exposed hammers not needed for a SD gun.

Best,
Rick

If you can, shoot a M-60 with .357 Magnum ammo before you buy one. I shoot my .44 Magnums okay, but a J frame, even a steel one, kicks pretty hard in .357. Moves a lot in your hands. Second and third shots can be problematic. A good .38 Special Plus-P is far easier to control, and bullet placement matters.

Grips can make a hard kicker easier to control, but by the time I get them big enough for control on a J, I may as well carry a K frame or a smaller semiauto.

A .357 in a 2-3" barrel will give you more power than a .38 Special, all other factors being equal, but you still have the round capacity issue. Depending on your concerns, a 10-14 shot 9 mm semi-auto may be an alternative upgrade.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

This poster is a "savvy hombre." How well do you shoot the carry guns you already own? I believe that is more important than simply knee-jerking to a bigger caliber that you may not be able to control sufficiently. Me, I would work with that 438 until I could put 5 rounds on 5 pie plates at ranges of 3-7 yards.

The J-frame mags can be a handful. Some are controllable and some, less so. By all means, rent one at the range and see if you can control it; can you fire accurate double taps with magnum ammo on a silhouette at 5 yards. To simply buy a J-mag and find you can only control .38 +P ammo (nothing wrong with this!), you may as well stay with that lovely 438 with that same ammo. Good shooting, wish you well.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

The M649-5 is in current production. All steel shrouded hammer Bodyguard, like the M438 you carry everyday, except the -5 is a .357 Magnum. S&W sku 163210, 2 1/8-inch barrel with pinned front sight.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

I agree that shot placement with ANY caliber is more important than having that extra oomph with a 357 magnum round vs. a standard or +p 38.

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1st smiles,lies.Last,gunfire.

If you want a .357 Magnum J-frame for pocket carry, the 340 is probably going to be your best bet. If you're ok with pocket-carrying a steel J-frame, then I'd probably go for a 640.

However, something to keep in mind is that while the .357 Magnum is more powerful than a .38 Special, even out of a 2" barrel, the cost (increased recoil, muzzle blast, slower shot-to-shot speed, etc.) may outweigh the benefits (more power). It's also debatable if the extra power of the magnum load will actually translate into increased stopping power. You'll have to decide if that trade-off is acceptable.

yeah if you can shoot accurately with 38, stick with it , why complicate things with spending more money on another gun and ammo? and besides a lot of people will tell you don't shoot 357 magnum consistantly in a j-frame. and you won't like it anyway. if you really want a magnum upgrade to a K/L Frame, you'll get and extra round or three, it's fully magnum capable and with right barrel choice concealable. and you wouldn't regret that decision

While this is all true, the OP did specifically ask about a 357 for pocket carry, which I take to mean pants-pocket. While a very select few may be able to manage it (Andre the giant comes to mind), the average person isn't going to be able to conceal a K-frame in the pocket of most garments.

As others have said, 38 +P or milder 357 loads will help a lot with controllability and getting back on target. A double tap of 38 +P is much more likely to take down an assailant than 1 round of 357 and an inability to get back on target for a follow up shot.

Personally, I can double tap with the 357 in an all steel J-frame with the right grips. My favorites are the stock rubber grips from the small frame Taurus revolvers (M605, M85, etc.). But what works for me won't necessarily work for everyone.