Is this even possible? Can a cylinder be purchased or the .357 cylinder itself be converted? I know that may be a silly question but I never use .357 in the gun and feel there are better 9mm choices than .38 SPL. I also like moon clips for reloading.

Thanks.

You have two main options...

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Pinnacle did the work on the cylinder I picked up for my 642-1, but both are well recommended. They use S&W 940 clips, and I've been very happy with mine. You "can" load .38s (maybe .357s) after the conversion... but they will stick. If you want to keep the gun .357 capable, pick up an extra J-frame cylinder and have it converted, then fitted. Can swap from either one by pulling the screw, and swapping cylinders.

For moonclips, I also recommend this loader.

BMT Equipped, Inc.

Makes loading/unloading clips a breeze, and keeps them from being bent.







My gun was refinished in NP3+, and had the 9mm cylinder matched.

Thanks for the reply. I had a hard time finding a spare cylinder for the 340 J Frame. Any leads?

Thanks.

Do not search for a 340 cylinder. That is too small of a production to get lucky on.

Search for a model 60 cylinder or a model 640 cylinder or even a model 649 cylinder. All the 357 Magnum cylinders are the same size and 100s of thousands of the 60/640/649s have been produced.

I just went to eBay and found a couple with just 5 minutes of looking.

You will be buying a bare stainless cylinder instead of a blackened one. You can always have it ceracoated after the conversion is done if you do not like the two tone look

As to doing the conversion, I like Mark at Pinnacle. He does good work at reasonable prices and is easy to talk to.

Pinnacle converted the second cylinder for my 627. It has been set up for 9x23 Winchester. The converted cylinder is the black one. The stainless cylinder is the one that the Pinto 627 originally shipped with.
The second cylinder allows me to shoot the 9x23 Winchester, 356TSW, 9x21, 9MM Parrabellum, 380ACP and more in the firearm.

My older non-Magnum J-frames are all set up for 38 Super. This allows them to still fire 9x21, 9MM Parabellum, 380 ACP, etc.

Your existing cylinder could be modified to use 9mm and moonclips as long as it's steel and not titanium. Mark Hartshorne did the conversion on my 360J going on 9 years ago, it's been a great gun, I had him fit a Ti .38spl cyl to it a couple of years ago making it a convertible. I think I have a spare 360J .38spl cylinder in a drawer if you need one.

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I apologize up front for a wee bit of thread drift here - but did I understand that the cylinder in (say) my 640 in .38 Spec could be safely reamed/machined to fire .38 Super, 9mil and .380? I have wanted a .380 revolver (non-Taurus) for a long time. Also apologize for being pretty slow on the uptake; Mom always said I wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer ...

If I remember correctly, firing .380 in a converted cylinder will cause cases to stick. .380 is not just a short 9x19mm.

Yes I'd buy it from you.

This is not a good solution for a DEDICATED 380 ACP revolver. The cartridges will chamber and safely fire, but at best the brass will not be easily reloadable and at worst the cartridges will stick.

I've never shot .380 out of my gun but, as Mark Hartshorne warns on his site, shooting .38spls in a converted cylinder will cause the cases to swell and stick, .38spl +P and .357 mag cases will swell and split and stick.

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!