Ok so here's the deal, no matter how much searching and lurking in this and other forums I do I just can't seem to find this gun, the gun I am holding as I type this, seems to not exist.

A Smith and wesson 360J in .357 magnum.

I see posts all over about how 360J are only made in .38 special +p. I can't seem to find anything on this gun. It's not on Smith and wessons website... I'm confused. Any information would be fantastic!

Also this is my first post! Hello from SE Kansas!

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2017_0314_07462300-01.jpg (79.9 KB, 378 views)

There have been many threads about this gun over the years. The gist is that the 360J is a special order gun generally made for law enforcement orders (in Japan?), but any over runs or units that don't sell are released to the general public. It is not a catalog gun. It is chambered in .38 Special.

That picture is of a S&W 360S.

It's a product code 11713 (searchable term, and yes, it's a 5-digit p.c.). These are special order guns for Davidsons. They have been in production as late as September of 2016, so there should still be a few floating around. Try calling Davidsons.

The one I saw for sale, the seller said it was a "J". The gun had the s/n inscribed on the left side below the thumbpiece. Like all the other M360J's. And it was definitely a .357 Mag.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

I seen one last week at my LGS, $729, with cash you could have it for $720 tax and all. I didn't know they are hard to find? Yes it is 357. I've been searching for a 640 Pro and they are hard to find as well.

The 360J I have is a 357. It has the scadium frame and SS cylinder. I bought it about 4 months ago.

By the way. GunBroker is loaded with these. Do a search for S&W 360. Cheaper now than when I bought mine.

I bought my 360J from Bud's in 2008, when they made the next run of them Bud's was also selling a 360 (no suffix) .357mag, looked exactly the same but in .357. It was not a 360'J', just a 360.


OP - Have you got the box? How about posting a pic of the label?

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!

My 360J,.38+P is my favorite J frame, and carry gun. But I can't imagine the pain of touching off a full house .357 from the little 14oz. gun I've never seen a 360J in anything but .38+P

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John

Picked this one up a couple weeks ago. And as other posters noted, the 360J with stainless cylinder and scandium frame comes from Davidson's. A couple ounces heavier than the 340PD but I've decided to replace my long loved 340PD with this.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

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	S&W 360J.jpg (150.5 KB, 349 views)
	S&W 360J 357 Mag.jpg (94.8 KB, 301 views)
	S&W 360J Box.jpg (97.1 KB, 318 views)

Nice looking guns!

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Centennial Every Day

I have the 360 in .357 and I can assure you, it is by far the worst recoil I've ever experienced in any gun when firing .357 loads. I wound up trying .38+P's until I found one I could stand to shoot. Seriously, it is VERY unpleasant. Small, cool looking, easy to carry...painful to shoot. If you can shoot it effectively w/ magnum rounds, go on with your bad self. I'm 265 lbs and not weak but it ain't for me.

It does have some bark. I reload, so I can Taylor my loads. But I like the option of using 357's. I load just a little hotter than 38 +P.

I have carried an M&P 340 for many years. Like most I consider 357 Mag rounds - shall we say - unpleasant to shoot. I found that Magtech makes a .38 Special SHORT round that is very soft shooting. It has a 125gr LRN, an overall length of 1 1/8" and little recoil. With that round I don't mind putting 50 or 100 rounds down range in a single session before finishing with a cylinder of my carry ammo.

Check for S & W Model M360 Just recieved one from one of my wholesaler`s (Cal. 357/38 spl) Scandium frame W/Stainless Cyl. Mag Retail will be around $675.00 plus tax.
Hope this helps

That's a very nice looking holster. Can you tell me the brand?

I agree. 38 +P's are more than enough for me out of my 360J!

Wondered what this one was! Saw one in the case at CMH Consulting, Walterboro, SC. Scandium with Stainless cylinder, .357 mag. Thought it was a Performance Center or such. .357 out of my M&P 360 or 340 is a palm bruiser!! Couldn't hold my steering wheel the last time I had them out.

22hipower is a bad, bad guy for posting those photos of the 360S (360J in .357 - I'm not sure of model #). The least he could have done is post ******, fuzzy pictures - but, no, he had to post high quality pix!! Now, I have to rearrange my already limited budget to get one this year. I should've never bought the used 360J ...

Really nice ! I'd never seen one of the Davidsons. Now I can say I HAVE seen a 360J in .357 mag.

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John

The holster is a BARSONY. I have a couple; economical and well made. They have a nice web-site

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John

I have Barsony nylon IWB holsters for almost all of my regular CCW guns. Both sons have bought them also. I have found them more than sufficient for my use. You guys are correct, that leather holster does look very nice as well

Just saw two of these 360J .357 Magnums at the Wanenmacher Gun Show this weekend & decided one needed to come home with me.

The dealer told me he got his from Davidson's too & knew of no other special info on it.

Mine was made 09-12-16. The serial number (DDB54xx) also appears below the thumb release lever. (Curious if that prefix is used on this order only?)

The fit & finish is good on it. Lock-up is solid on all five chambers. The SA trigger pull is 3#s. Weight is 15.2 oz. wearing Badger boots grips.

However, the B-C gaps is a generous, but acceptable, .0075" while the throats are larger than desired at .359". Since I'll be shooting plated & jacketed bullets only I doubt it'll be an issue, especially since it's a snubnose.

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Waiting for the break of day

BlueDot37: So you're an 'inventory guy' like me! Merchants love me when I say: "What do you have in the shop?"

You really know revolvers when you throw numbers like these, especially throat diameter. Did you bring the b/c gap tool to the show or measure at home? Those measurements ARE a bit large; would a larger throat diameter hold down pressures?

Great post, BTW. Kaaskop49

I actually do take a small range of my pin gages with me to the gun shows to check the throats of .357s, 44s, & 45s. However, I did not check the 360J's before purchase.

None of my 38s/357s are larger than .3575". And while I have checked several new 45's, before purchase, I guess I just assumed the 360J would be like all the others. That's what happens when you assume.

The oversize throats should have a positive effect on pressure (less) but I doubt negatively on performance. The Xtreme plated bullets (.3577" dia.) I use might "bump up" enough anyway using a healthy charge of moderate speed powder. The Hornady XTPs not so much.

Hopefully I can get to the range Thursday & try some different loads in it.

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Waiting for the break of day

Just a quick follow-up: Made to the range several times with my new 360J using the Badger grips as well as the Pachmayrs above. Really didn't have an issue with either but of course the Pachs are the better choice for range duty.

Tried multiple work-up loads to see how it liked them & how it's recoil felt to me. Used some Zero 125gr JHPs, Hornady 140gr XTPs, Rim Rocks 158gr L-SWC-HP-GC, & Zero 158gr JHPs loaded from 38 Spcl. (+P), to start, to just under max. using Unique, Power Pistol & CFE-P (in 357 Mag cases). All shot great, & largely to POA, at a SD distance of ~8yds. The heavier 158s tended to be about 1-2" above POA.

Also shot some of my moderate target loads using Xtremes 158gr P-RNFP & even a few 140gr XTPs with 15.5gr/2400, just for grins.

The sights are right on. No need to make any compensations with alignment left or right & a 6 o'clock hold hit the 2" bullseye when I did my job.

Almost lost the cylinder's thumb release lever as it appears it was one screw I forget to "pre-check" . For some reason I thought of it while shooting & tightened it before the screw fell out.

So far I'm really liking my first J-frame.

.

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Waiting for the break of day

360 M&P. I've been carrying mine daily for the last six months. Great little gun.

It looks like a screw but it's really a nut.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

IMHO, Seems like more of a novelty than something you would actually want to EDC. Folks in this thread nailed it in that 38+P is more than enough especially in a Scandium J frame. I comfortably put 40rds of 158RN & 20rds of 135 +P through my M360J with good results from 7 & 10 yards today. When I want to run magnums, I do so through a heavier framed wheel gun that doesn't leave me wishing I hadn't

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"Non sibi, sed patriae"

I looked up "masochist" in the dictionary. There was a picture of a guy shooting full-house .357 Magnum from a gnatweight snubby.

My old paws are arthritic and fragile now, so I may be unreasonably biased, but steel .357's were enough for me.

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Oh well, what the hell.