IMO some of us have a tendancy to view the past through rose tinted lenses.

Now, if you take off those rose tinted lenses and look around, today you'll find that there are some VERY stout 357 Magnum loadings available from some smaller manufacturers. Buffalo Bore and Double Tap both have a reputation for building loads that push the limits of what can be done. I just looked at Double Tap and they list a 158 gn. JHP listed at 1245 fps out of a 1 7/8 inch S&W, 1400 fps out of a 4 inch Ruger GP-100, and 1540 fps out of a 6 inch 686. In addition to these Defense loads they also offer a variety of other loads that will raise your eyebrows. I expect that if I were to look at Buffalo Bore I would find similar results. That being 357 Magnums that produce numbers that are historical for the 357 Magnum.

PS; personally IMO the 357 Magnum is too much of a good thing and NOT a good choice for Defense. It's too loud, the section energy density is too high, and the recoil doesn't permit rapid followups in anything lighter than about 45 ounces. That means when loaded near maximum levels it'll leave you deafened, the bullet will just blow through your opponent, and you'll be standing there with your ears ringing and hand stinging with the gun off target when you should be firing a second shot. For these reasons I don't find it the least bit surprizing that many commercial SD loads are reduced recoil variants that actually allow a more effective defense. To be blunt, More Power isn't always the best answer, the best answer is to choose the most effective power available that works for YOU.