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S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present All NON-PINNED Barrels, the L-Frames, and the New Era Revolvers


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Old 08-14-2009, 08:07 PM
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Default Smith & Wesson 357 / 38 Special Revolver

Hi, I am new to this, but I have gone through the proper Gun Safety courses and am going to get my LTC in my town. I realy like the S&W 357/ 38 Special revolver as a firearm. My Question is how many models of 357/38 special did S&W make? I would like to buy used so what is a Good value for them? Please I welcome any comments and suggestions.
Joe.
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Old 08-14-2009, 08:15 PM
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The first 357 mag.I bought was a model 640.It is a DAO Snubbie and is alot of fun to shoot.I would tend to stay away from the airweight revolvers because the recoil with even 38+P's is a bit much and doesn't lend itself to continual practice.I bought all my S+W's new so I am not much help with prices but there are many learned members that will help.Go into the Smith and Wesson website so you can get all the technical specs on the different revolvers....God Bless....Mike
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Old 08-14-2009, 08:31 PM
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Joe,

You might consider the S&W model 686 in either a 2 1/2, 3, or 4 inch. I've had the 4 inch model since 1980 & have put over 30,000 rounds thru it. Good weapon. Fires, 38+p, 38 +P+, and 357 with no problems. Heavy .. but excellent.
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Old 08-14-2009, 08:34 PM
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Welcome to the forum.

The .357 Magnum, the Combat Magnum, The Highway Patrolman, the Models 10, 13, 19, 27, 28, 60, 65, 66, 340, 360, 386, 520, 581, 586, 619, 620, 627, 640, 649, 681 and 686 were all chambered in .357 Magnum at one time or another. I’m sure I missed some. More models were available in .38 Special. Depending on what it is, a good price is somewhere between $300 and $5000.

Just about any S&W .357 Mag. in nice shape is worth $350.
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Old 08-14-2009, 08:41 PM
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As cruiser rn stated the 640 is really nice, first out with an airweight might not be much fun and prove difficult to master early on.
The 640 with .38 specials is a real nice carry option. If you do not mind a little larger frame the model 10 or 64 with a 4" barrel in .38 are pretty tough and were the standard for alot of law enforcement agencies and can be had used from 250.00 right on up to 500.00 plus, there is quite a few different models in .38/357 new and used available. You will get a lot of good advice and some well educated opinions on this board. Oh and welcome to the board
carl
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Old 08-14-2009, 09:07 PM
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S&W groups their revolvers by frame size, so I think you would do well to start by looking at revolvers in each of the following classifications:
J-Frame ... Lightest
K-Frame ... Medium
L-Frame ... Heavier
N-Frame ... Even Heavier

I suggest you look at the K-Frames since they are a happy medium. (Sort of the Goldie Locks choice).

This includes the Model 13, Model 19, Model 65, and Model 66. (This leaves out a lot of choices to make things simple).

My suggestion would be the M13 (blue finish) or the M65 (stainless) with a 3" barrel. These have fixed sights so are more suitable to carry. I don't know the current market that well, but would guess you can find a good one on the used market for $500, give or take.
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Old 08-14-2009, 09:12 PM
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Thanks for all your Info. I will look into the different models, Joe.
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Old 08-14-2009, 09:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by exfebee View Post
Joe,

You might consider the S&W model 686 in either a 2 1/2, 3, or 4 inch. I've had the 4 inch model since 1980 & have put over 30,000 rounds thru it. Good weapon. Fires, 38+p, 38 +P+, and 357 with no problems. Heavy .. but excellent.

Thirty thousand rounds?!?! You da Man!
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Old 08-14-2009, 09:23 PM
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640-1.$500.Available without lock and pre-MIM.O,yeah,revolver is DAO[look these up-will give you expertise!] Welcome to the club!Where are you from?
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Old 08-15-2009, 12:56 PM
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I agree that a K frame would be your best size to start with.
the nice thing about any S&W revolver that is rated to shoot .357mag's, is that it will also shoot any .38spl.
but you can't shoot .357mag's from a gun that is rated to shoot .38spl only.
good luck
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Old 08-15-2009, 02:27 PM
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While the 38+P airweights are light in weight, they are extremely easy to stuff in a pocket and almost forget it's there. The 442 & 642 are reasonably priced ($400-450), shoot 38+P ammo (which is more than adequate for almost all self-defense scenarios), and reliable. You will find the added weight of larger frame revolvers is a factor that may result in your not carrying concealed as often as you would like. That was my experience, and it resulted in my purchasing a no-lock 442, that I will now keep for life, and carry in a pocket daily.
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340, 357 magnum, 38spl, 442, 581, 586, 627, 640, 642, 649, 681, 686, airweight, concealed, highway patrolman, k frame, lock, m13, m65, model 10, model 19, model 65, model 66, patrolman, smith and wesson

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