Howdy, I'm new here but not new to S&W. Gun enthusiast, and old time revolver man in his early 50's from the Austin area. Employed in law enforcement for nearly 30 years.

Got this pistol recently and it's a Talo Distributors run pistol.

Here's the Smith page:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/w...layErrorView_Y




I don't know if the picture will attach but here's the link to the TALO page at Davidson's, and this is definately the Model 360 I have.

S&W M360SC 357 DA REV 2M FS [Model 360 357 Magnum Talo Editi] - $560.70 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

And here's the specs from that page:

S&W M360SC 357 DA REV 2M FS

Description: S&W M360SC 357 DA REV 2M FS
Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
Model #: Model 360 357 Magnum Talo Edition
Type: Revolver
Finish: Matte Black
Stock: Synthetic Black
Sights: Ft: Serrated Ramp Rr: Notched
Barrel Length: 1.78"
Overall Length: 6.3125"
Weight: 13.3 oz
Packaging: Cardboard Box
Additional Features 1: Round Butt
Additional Features 2: Scandium Alloy, Stainless Steel Cylinder

Sugg. Retail Price: $662.00, priced at $560.70 on this site.


I got this NIB pistol recently that I can't find much information on. It's a Model 360, not Model 360PD. It has a scandium frame but a steel cylinder, .357 magnum and it has the same flat sided barrel as the 360PD. The Cylinder is black like the rest of the gun and not gray like the 360PD. It does not have the "scandium" emblem on the right side of the gun as does the 360PD.

It does contain the same "No less than120 gr bullet" advisory on the right bottom of the barrel. The sights are black sights with no inserts of any kind.


It's weight on my cheap kitchen scale is 14 oz. unloaded and 16 0 oz. loaded, which is just one ounce less than my Model 38 (circa 1994) Bodyguard Airweight, and the official specs have it at 13.3 oz.

I'm not planning on shooting .357 magnum out of it (much), but the rationale is that both lightweight revolvers I currently own are not intended for use with +P ammo. I figure I can shoot a hotter ammo than I can in a 3rd gen Colt Cobra or the Model 38 in as light or a lighter package. Good excuse for a new gun.

I was initially interested in the brutal and ill-advised Model 360PD for a summer heat wave carry gun as well as an ankle holster carry backup of the lightest weight possible. The older I get, the more weight matters. But the price on a new one is in the high 800's and the best price on a used one I've seen was about $650, but it was beat and the cylinder was loose and it wasn't going anywhere with me for any price. No telling what sort of sorry treatment it had seen, by the looks of it.

So in looking for a used 360PD, I came across this 360 model. Although you can tell the difference in a couple of ounces holding a 360PD in one hand and a 360 in the other, I wasn't willing to pony up another $300 for two something less ounces. Besides, the 360PD has a titanium cylinder and the 360's is steel, which accounts for the weight difference and should be a stronger gun, imho. I've had very good luck with the Bodyguard Airweight which is alloy (aluminum?) with steel cylinder and although I'm no gun engineer, steel seems stronger than titanium for this purpose.

I tried doing a search and couldn't find any reference. From what I could find out, this run of guns by Talo came out about a year and a half ago or so.

I'd be curious what anyone knows about this gun. Thanks!

EDIT: I wanted to add that either the hammer is larger on this gun than a regular J frame or some aspect of the cylinder area of the gun is larger because it won't snap into several different Bianchi thumbreak holsters for the J frame. I have some seventies holsters for J frames which are unmarked and it will fit the ones without thumbreaks.

The J frame holsters that won't fit the 360 are the traditional Model 56 Bianchi holsters in belt, paddle and ankle attachments. Also, it will barely cram into the time honored Bianchi Model 6 IWB holster for a J frame, so much so that I deemed it way unsafe to even attempt to carry an exposed hammer snubbie fitting like that in this holster.

The 360 will fit perfectly, and I mean perfectly, however, into all of my Bianchi, Buchheimer, Bell Charter Oak and *various brand* holsters made for...wait for it...the COLT COBRA, a six shot snubbie. Go figure.

In the early 80's, Bianchi made a Model 6 IWB holster for the Detective Special and other 6 shot revolvers, and it's just a wee bit bigger than the J frame model. The 360 fits perfect in this holster as well, whereas it was crammed into the J frame model.

The 360 also works with the J frame Fobus paddle holster.

Which is curious because the 360 would be a J frame, wouldn't it? But try as I may, even though my J frame holsters are made for a snubbie with a 2" barrel and the 360 has a somewhat shorter barrel and fits into the Bianchi thumbreak holsters without being crammed (like in the Model 6 IWB), the thumb break is not going to reach around that hammer far enough to snap.

I don't have any measuring tools to accurately measure the 360's dimensions, but I hold it up next to a Model 38 and a Model 36 from the 1960's and it seems just the same width.

But here's my question: I want to get one of the Galco suede lightweight horizontal shoulder holsters, The Classic Lite Shoulder holster and so I guess I should order it sized for the Colt Cobra/Detective Special, since that's what fits it with the other holsters. I have a Galco open top holster for the Cobra, and the 360 fits in that holster perfectly as well.