I'm old and apparently a wuss too.

JayFramer · #51 06-03-2020, 12:07 AM

Recovery techniques and active recoil compensation will help a great deal.

Why even own a 640 if all you’re going to fire are .38s? That’s like buying a giant V8 supercharged and putting a governor on it.

RGNewell · #52 06-03-2020, 12:09 AM

Agreed. I only shoot 357s

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Oaktree45 · #53 06-04-2020, 02:29 PM

So shooting .357's through the 640 was even more punishing than I thought. My Fitbit no longer has the correct time and won't sync with my phone. I did all the troubleshooting for the Fitbit I could find online and I've come to the conclusion the Bluetooth is toast. Oh well, Father's Day is coming up so I guess I'll be getting a new one.

ContinentalOp · #54 06-04-2020, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oaktree45

So shooting .357's through the 640 was even more punishing than I thought. My Fitbit no longer has the correct time and won't sync with my phone. I did all the troubleshooting for the Fitbit I could find online and I've come to the conclusion the Bluetooth is toast. Oh well, Father's Day is coming up so I guess I'll be getting a new one.

Sorry for your loss, but it makes me glad I only use a G-Shock wristwatch.

DonD · #55 06-04-2020, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tominboise

The most miserable shooting experience I have ever had was running 5 357 rounds through a 360PD. It was like someone hitting me in the palm with a baseball bat. The only gun that I have ever run one cylinder full through and then sold.

I feel your pain.

S&W will admit that the scandium revolvers using .357 ammo are harder on shooters than the 500 Mags.

Shooting full snort .357s out of my Ruger SP101 is harder on my hand than heavy 500 Mags but not by any means equal in energy shoved into you. Don

Buick · #56 06-05-2020, 06:36 AM

Grip type/design has a great deal to with it. Its flat out amazing how different the perceived recoil is between the J frame and a Ruger SP101.

BAM-BAM · #57 06-05-2020, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oaktree45

One of the guns I inherited from my brother was a S&W model 640-1with 2 inch barrel 357 Magnum and aftermarket laser grips. I’ve had this gun for quite a long time and today I finally made time to shoot the gun. I shot .38 Specials first and was impressed with the accuracy. I then loaded it with .357 Magnums. Holy ****, the kick was brutal. Shooting .357’s was not fun at all, it was more like a punishment. After 5 rounds I went back to shooting .38 specials.

Attachment 453389

General reaction...... just cus you can...... doesn't mean you should!

steelslaver · #58 06-05-2020, 10:10 AM

I have a 640-1357 mag and so far I have not felt excess pain from firing 357s in it. Simply because I don't.

I have K, and N frame 357s, they are OK

I have steel N frame 41, 44 and 45s, they are all fine

My 696 isn't bad, my 396 and 296 you can feel, but with the Goodyear type grips that cover the back strap they are OK.

But, the gun that really hurt was my 325 with round butt wood stock. Hey, it was just 2 much. A set of recoil tamers with rubber over the back strap and I can handle them. Huge difference. Wood on a scandium big bore NOPE

I got big hands and have used them hard, sledge hammers, big impact guns, jack hammers, hot and heavy stuff. Commercial fishing I got so I could pick up a red jelly fish bare handed and throw it over the side. Point, I got some tuff hand. But, some guns are just p,lain painful to fire. I enjoy shooting. Why should I make it painful. I practice with my steel guns, I shoot a couple cylinders through my scandium carry guns every month.If the time comes I really need it, the recoil isn't going to a problem, but I am not going to abuse myself with them either.

Carry a lot, shoot a little.

ContinentalOp · #59 06-05-2020, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steelslaver

I got big hands and have used them hard, sledge hammers, big impact guns, jack hammers, hot and heavy stuff. Commercial fishing I got so I could pick up a red jelly fish bare handed and throw it over the side. Point, I got some tuff hand. But, some guns are just p,lain painful to fire. I enjoy shooting. Why should I make it painful. I practice with my steel guns, I shoot a couple cylinders through my scandium carry guns every month.If the time comes I really need it, the recoil isn't going to a problem, but I am not going to abuse myself with them either.

Carry a lot, shoot a little.

Good points. People don't have the same hands, or used their hands the same way, so they're going to handle recoil differently. Like I said, I'm not a fan of hard recoil. Probably the heaviest things I've had to lift on a regular basis were the plates I loaded with food at the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet (just kidding...sort of...

).

pawncop · #60 06-05-2020, 07:33 PM

Well sir, you are not a wuss. I carried a 640-1 as a second/backup gun starting in late 2015. The first time I qualified I shot .357 magnum rounds and after the course, my hand hurt for a good while. After that I had the stipulation when qualifying later I would use 38 special +P and that was the round I carried on duty.

.357 magnum is a beast in a 2 inch J frame revolver.

RGNewell · #61 06-05-2020, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawncop

Well sir, you are not a wuss. I carried a 640-1 as a second/backup gun starting in late 2015. The first time I qualified I shot .357 magnum rounds and after the course, my hand hurt for a good while. After that I had the stipulation when qualifying later I would use 38 special +P and that was the round I carried on duty.

.357 magnum is a beast in a 2 inch J frame revolver.

I know I bought a 640 357 when they first came out. It was stolen from my pickup at Bass Pro Shop. In fact that's why I founded Lock'er Down and started making vehicle safes. Anyway I bought the 640 Pro Series and love it. I just picked it back up today from Ten Ring Precision where Alex Hamilton preformed his magic on it. Can't wait to take it to the range.

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Doug M. · #62 06-07-2020, 04:04 PM

Heavy load, light gun: staggering bunches of suck. The likelihood of the .357 having a performance advantage over a decent .38 load at that barrel length are slight. I am not a fan of J frames anyway, except maybe as a BUG/3rd gun. If you want to carry it, load it with standard velocity .38 SWC at 158 grains. Your placement will be better, and that is the first thing you have to get right in a personal defense seting.

K-22 · #63 06-07-2020, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robvious

be careful shooting 38 then 357... carbon ring can cause over pressure issues... and yes... you are NOT a wuss... J frame and 357 hurt a bit

Please explain or give me a reference regarding the pressure issues.
I know the carbon ring can cause chambering issues, but in 50+ years of shooting .357s and .38s I have not experienced, or heard of pressure issues.
Best,
Gary

Pine_Worker · #64 06-07-2020, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug M.

Heavy load, light gun: staggering bunches of suck. The likelihood of the .357 having a performance advantage over a decent .38 load at that barrel length are slight. I am not a fan of J frames anyway, except maybe as a BUG/3rd gun. If you want to carry it, load it with standard velocity .38 SWC at 158 grains. Your placement will be better, and that is the first thing you have to get right in a personal defense seting.

What Doug M said!

wproct · #65 06-08-2020, 07:49 PM

I'm 75 years young now, and I will gladly use all the excuses available to avoid the pain and potential hearing loss of shooting the magnum stuff. Having said that, I have been shooting only 38 specials in my revolvers chambered for .357 magnum for some time. I can't imagine the scenario that couldn't be resolved with .38 special + P at the maximum, but that's just me.

kestrelman · #66 06-08-2020, 08:31 PM

I find that the grips and weight of the platform make the biggest difference.

Shooting my .357 Ruger GP100 with the fatter factory grips are much more pleasurable than shooting the blackhawk/redhawk with those miserable wood hog legs. Those hammer the B-Jenkins out of ya!

oddshooter · #67 06-10-2020, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ContinentalOp

I freely admit I'm not a fan of recoil. I can shoot a limited amount of +P through my 642 without too much difficulty. Too much, and I'm icing my hand for a couple of days.

I once fired 5 rounds of Buffalo Bore's +P FBI load, which is like .38 Special +P+ or even low-end .357 Magnum power levels, through my 642. My first thought after was, "Well, I'm never doing THAT again!"

To me, increased blast, flash, and recoil outweigh any advantage the increase in power to full-strength .357 Magnum may have, especially in a lightweight snub.

There are light and mid-range loads available. I've used the Gold Dot SB-GDHP in .357 Magnum in a 3" 65. I might consider trying that in a steel J-frame. I was also fond of Winchester's 110gr SJHP, which was ballistically similar to 9mm 115gr +P, IIRC. That might be worth trying, though I know in some of the scandium snubs there are bullet weight restrictions. Should be fine in a steel J-frame.

Back when I used to read gun magazines, I remember one article by John Taffin. He's known for shooting lots of heavy-hitting, hard-recoiling guns. In this article, IIRC, he said he had started experiencing nerve issues in his hands from all the magnum shooting he'd done. Something to think about.

If you are a John Taffin fan, he writes a post almost every day over on singleactions.com.
Incredibly nice guy and his experience is unsurpassed. He wrote a post yesterday about his friend, Elmer Keith, and their conversations
I'm trying to finish up his Book of the 45 released last December. It has the best Pics I've ever seen in a gun book.
It's extensive and a huge volume packed with info. Expensive as well, but you get what you pay for.

and Yes, John has written about his damage from recoil.

Prescut

ContinentalOp · #68 06-10-2020, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oddshooter

If you are a John Taffin fan, he writes a post almost every day over on singleactions.com.

Thanks for the heads up. While I've read some of his articles and enjoyed them, I wouldn't consider myself a fan. I've read his articles mostly because they were in gun magazines I was reading at the time. But that one article about his nerve damage definitely made an impression and stuck in my mind.

LEW1943 · #69 06-13-2020, 09:15 AM

Turning 77 at the end of this month. Don't have any J frames but can imagine the discomfort of firing .357 that such a light weight gun delivers. My 586-8 L frame is not especially pleasant so I fire mostly .38 SPL. Recently acquired a Taurus 692 with 6.5" ported barrel and full boot rubber grips (they call the grips "ribbers"). I can shoot 158 grain .357 all day long from this gun with not one bit of discomfort. Please don't call me out for mentioning Taurus here. Four of my five hand guns are Smiths. If a S&W had been available with the same features I would have gone for it (shoots 9mm and 38/357).

Lew

Old cop · #70 06-13-2020, 10:07 AM

I’m also in my mid 70s and a wuss. All my .357 shooting is restricted to a four inch Model 66. I foolishly fired five rounds of magnum ammo through my 340PD and never repeated that mistake. It was kind of like catching a 95 MPH fastball bare handed, and the follow up shots were all over the target.

mike from st pete · #71 06-14-2020, 11:28 AM

357MAG is best left to the "L" and "N" frame sizes.

snowman.45 · #72 06-14-2020, 11:50 AM

Yep, magnums in a J-frame tend to hurt. I carry Buffalo Bore 158+p LSWCHP at about 1000 fps in mine. They are a little stiff, but not quite as bad as magnums. I agree with ADP3 above. I keep a couple of speed loaders or speed strips loaded with 135g Gold Dot Hollow Point Short Barrel in .357 magnum if I feel a potential need, but generally I stay with the .38+p in the J-frames.