Opinions on the 360 357 mag

Mr. Tettnanger · May 6, 2020

I think I want to get back in the J-frame game. I have owned and carried several different J-frames of the years. I sold off my 442 back in February and sort of miss having a small revolver on hand.

I am leaning really hard toward getting the 360, 357 magnum offering. I like the front sight, weight, and hammer.

Any thoughts or opinions on this model?

***This is not the 360PD model.***

Thanks!

colt_saa · May 6, 2020

This is a great revolver as long as you are not recoil shy

This is not the gun to take plinking out in the back woods

Full power 357 Magnum ammunition in a Scandium j-frame revolver is a character defining experience

There is no doubt it will deliver substantially more energy on target than it's 38 Special brother, but this combination is not for everyone

pbramlett · May 6, 2020

Picked up my 360pd yesterday. I’m looking forward to trying it out. I had a 342pd years ago I traded for a Winchester 9422. Glad to have another scandium.

BLUEDOT37 · May 7, 2020

Options:

To me it makes sense to get the 360 in 357Mag -vs- 38Spcl. especially if you reload.

You can load SD ammo to something in-between 38Spcl(+P) & full Magnum to carry if the full loads are too much.

I'd guess there are factory loads in-between also though I only handload.

You can use bigger cushie grips for practice & put the smaller grips back on for carry.

You could just practice with 38Spcl(+P) that has the same POI as the hotter 357Mag ammo you carry for SD & only shoot occasionally.

It's not all one or the other, IMO.

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CH4 · May 7, 2020

I was looking for a 360 when I happened upon a 342PD. Knowing I’d only carry +Ps, I purchased the 342 and haven’t looked back.

texmex · May 7, 2020

It is a lot of fun to load it with 357 and see the look on your buddies face when he shoots it. Even better if you load four 38 wadcutters to come up first and the magnum last. He will think the gun blew up.

oddshooter · May 7, 2020

I really hate my 360PD Scandium. I would never go to the woods without it.

I'm too light in the butt to keep my pants up trying to carry any weight at all. Cinching them up all day gets old quick.
The little 360pd only weights 13 oz. and I actually forget I'm wearing it.
The other side of that coin is that it is the most brutal shooter I own. The recoil shooting a good 357mag is downright painful. The caveat is that the one time I had to fire it, I never felt the recoil. A few minutes later and the adrenaline started to wear off, I felt it when my hand started to ache.

For me, this is the greatest "carry" gun ever made. On the other hand, it is absolutely the worst range toy ever invented by some sadist.
And get the grip part right by putting rubber on that covers the metal backstrap (duh, what was SW thinking?).

Depending on your plan for it, you will love it or hate it. Or like me, both at the same time.

Prescut

ImDrRich · May 7, 2020

A friend bought one. He told me it's the only gun he's ever bought that he regrets as the recoil is unbearable. He plans to sell.

mikerjf · May 7, 2020

Now, I'm an Airweight guy, and paying up for a scandium 15oz gun just so I *could* (but won't) shoot 357's doesn't make sense to me. So my call would be, either just get a normal Airweight and shoot 38 +P's, or pay up for one of the 11-12 oz units and still shoot 38 +P's. The super-light gun will be a nicer carry for the 99.99% of the time you're NOT shooting it.

If you reload, then the super-light gun can be a fun range toy as well.

Injunbro · May 7, 2020

Excellent carry gun: light, dependable & we carry a lot farther than we shoot... but will wind you up like a windmill & set your eyebrows on fire w/ hot .357 loads.

colt_saa · May 7, 2020

texmex said:
It is a lot of fun to load it with 357 and see the look on your buddies face when he shoots it. Even better if you load four 38 wadcutters to come up first and the magnum last. He will think the gun blew up.

You are a cruel person

kaaskop49 · May 7, 2020

colt_saa said:
You are a cruel person

Just saw a montage video of such incidents in my CCW renewal class. There is nothing funny about this.

Back to topic, I own several .357 aluminum snubs. NONE are pleasant to fire. The M&P 340 model with its steel cylinder is tolerable with the more moderate 110gr .357 loads. These light bullet loads are a no-go in the Titanium cylinder models such as the 360.

Interesting how many folks buy these guns and then announce ".38+P is all I need." Why not then buy a .38 snub at half the price? YMMV

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

1sailor · May 7, 2020

For me it was a no brainer. I own several 357 revolvers. It only made sense that my carry piece would fire the same ammo. Also, if you've been around during any of the shortages you can appreciate how being able to fire a variety of ammo can be a good thing. I think the big thing is "Do you want to spend that much". If so then by all means go with the .357. Seriously, if you can afford the difference in cost then why not.

GeoJelly · May 7, 2020

Being prolly the lowest income guy in this thread - I don't have a .357 version. I got this 360J a coupla years ago & love it. It's wearing a set of CT laser grips now and goes thru my beside rotation. I picked it up used so it isn't perfect finish-wise but it's a great little revolver.

Mr. Tettnanger · May 7, 2020

There really isn't a huge price difference over buying a 442 vs picking up this 360 model (not the 360 PD model) One of my gun shops have them on special for $439.00.

Not bad when compared to $420 or $432 that two online retailers want for the 442!

uncleted327 · May 8, 2020

I think they are excellent carry guns. Recoil is brisk but not the horror story some people claim. Though recoil is a very subjective thing. Even if you never shoot magnums I still think they are worth it. You will always have the option, you gain a fully shrouded ejector rod and a real front sight. And the scandium frames are much stouter than the regular aluminum frames. The FDE grips are junk though, and interferes with single action shooting. I dumped mine for a set of VZs.

wrangler5 · May 8, 2020

kaaskop49 said:
Interesting how many folks buy these guns and then announce ".38+P is all I need." Why not then buy a .38 snub at half the price? YMMV

The steel 357s have a quarter inch longer barrel which includes a quarter inch longer ejection rod, a substantial percentage increase over the 38 models. Still not long enough to pull a 38 Special case all the way out, but it gets a lot closer to it. (And of course you get the longer sight radius for more accurate long range shooting.

) If the 357 lightweights are the same, that would be a reason - for me - to pay extra for one.

Even though I would never fire a 357 round out of a lightweight J frame myself. I did fire one (1) round out of a steel J frame once - even with a big cushy Pachmayer grip it still hurt, and my aging bones and joints don’t do well with that kind of abuse any more.

duane_wade · May 8, 2020

I love my 360 Airweight and shoot 125 gr Golden Saber for practice and carry but I changed to a Hogue monogrip because the stock grip didn't give me enough grip length and I was getting some serious trigger slap on the back of the index finger. The Hogue grips took care of that. The Golden Saber advertise 1220 fps out of a 4" barrel so I'm thinking out of my snubbie I'm running about 1100-1150 fps. Anything hotter definitely is too much for me to put more than 5-10 rounds through it then I'm done. The Golden Saber i can shoot a box of ammo and not hurt at all.

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Mike_Fontenot · May 12, 2020

It's really stupid that S&W used the same 360 model number for at least three very different guns ... some .38. some .357, some with titanium cylinders and some with steel cylinders.

B_Still · May 12, 2020

Mike_Fontenot said:
It's really stupid that S&W used the same 360 model number for at least three very different guns ... some .38. some .357, some with titanium cylinders and some with steel cylinders.

interesting comment. I just saw on a local forum a 360j: 38 spl, steel cylinder, black ramp front sight, for $380 with a leather OWB holster (Galco). Seems like a good deal (?) on a scandium j-frame for a poor man with no intention of shooting .357 anyway.

Apparently that model used to be a Japanese police service revolver.

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Opinions on the 360 357 mag

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