357 Magnum in my J-frame?

[GaryS]

No kidding. I shot a cylinder's worth of .357 through a friend's 340PD. Ouch.

The gun will probably last longer than your hand and wrist will...

 

[71velle]

last night I fired a PC 686 plus with magnum loads and that eliminated any thought of shooting 357 in a jframe. The 686 with the 38s felt like a 22 and they sure dont feel that way in my 642.

 

[Cal44]

I shot about 200 rounds of +P 38 special ammo through my Model 638 and I had numbness in my hand for a couple weeks. I can't imagine what punishment I would have taken if I shot a 357 magnum J frame revolver.

Sent from my using Tapatalk

Well a 638 weighs 15 oz and my 60 weighs 24. Plus my barrel is an inch longer.

So maybe 357 in my m60 feels like 38+p in an airweight?

If I start getting numb hands, the experiment will be over

 

[claudel]

I don't mind shooting Corbon 125G DPX out of my 649-3, they barely seem hotter than stout .38s in the steel gun.

No signs of hand damage or anything like that.

I wouldn't spend what it would cost me to shoot enough of them at one time to hurt myself, though.

I see no need to try the nuclear grade .357s in that one, though.

Maybe a couple...

 

[old&slow]

I've shot a box of 158 gr. JSP factory magnums in my 60-10. I've shot a small quantity of Speer 135 gr. factory short barrel magnums as well. The gun is as tight as it was when I got it. Surprisingly, this is one of the most accurate revolvers I own. Shooting magnums in any medium frame (k) or small frame (j) revolver accelerates wear. Think of taking your family car out on the race track. I wouldn't feed my little 60-10 a steady diet of magnums, but it looks like it'll hold up to some once in a while and stay strong.

Ditto.
I carry .357, 135 gr short barrel in my model 60, or 158 gr JHP factory. But about two cylinder full of full blown .357's and I don't want to play any more. I practice mostly with 158 gr .357 reloads, loaded at 38 + P velocity. Less wear and tear on the firearm ,, and me..

 

[koz5614]

Or, if the .357s get too rough, you could hand the gun off to your HUSBAND, and let him shoot it. Sheesh. Not only do I shoot Buffalo Bore .357s that I double-charge, I dip my 640's grip in parafin and roll it in crushed glass to get the full effect of each round.
Seriously!

 

[petepeterson]

I guess I don't really see my 60-15 as a "j-frame", even though it is. With Pach Compacs on it, it has some weight to it, like a mini-686. I see it as a great, all-around carry revolver.

If I'm plinking with it, it's .38s. Out for a hike or enjoying nature some way, it's .357, 158 gr JSP. Carrying around town, 125 gr Golden Sabers (.357).

Looking at the physics of it, the 135 gr SB load by Speer appears to be a hot 9mm, which isn't to shabby, either.

It's not fun to touch off full-powered magnums, but it's nice to have the option, and the beefier grips make all the difference to me.

 

[Dnovo1]

My personal definition of pain is a full house 357 round through a 360PD, the ultimate in no weight, no common sense. It may be the ultimate in the tiny 357 world but I could not get more than two rounds down range before my hand (even using a shooting glove) said no way. And I am not recoil sensitive. My 460 3.5" non-comp model is more pleasant to shoot. David

 

[colt_saa]

there are many threads on this type of subject here on the forum already.

I own quite a few of the J magnum revolvers.I do not believe that any of mine have ever seen a round 38 special fired. I bought 357s because I wanted 357

it is true shooting 357 in a JFrame is not fun. However it is not supposed to be fun, it is supposed to be your last ditch, I need to get my butt out of trouble gun.

for that purpose I want as much power as I can possibly control. there is very little recoil that I can not tolerate for 5 rounds when my life is on the line.

However 357 will not be for everybody,for some it will not even be 38.

as to the question of longevity, it kind of surprises me how often this comes up.the j Magnum was introduced in 1996, 17 years ago. It is not yet old enough for us to know what the true longevity is but 17 years should be long enough for most people. I will bet that 75% of the people on this forum do not keep a gun for 17 years

many of my J magnums are used in training classes. my model 340 has in excess of 7000 full power 357 Magnum through it so far. that was not all shot by me, dozens perhaps even hundreds of officers have fired that particular revolver.

these firearms will stand up to more 357 Magnum ammunition than your hand will

 

[at_liberty]

I guess I don't really see my 60-15 as a "j-frame", even though it is. With Pach Compacs on it, it has some weight to it, like a mini-686. I see it as a great, all-around carry revolver.

If I'm plinking with it, it's .38s. Out for a hike or enjoying nature some way, it's .357, 158 gr JSP. Carrying around town, 125 gr Golden Sabers (.357).

Looking at the physics of it, the 135 gr SB load by Speer appears to be a hot 9mm, which isn't to shabby, either.

It's not fun to touch off full-powered magnums, but it's nice to have the option, and the beefier grips make all the difference to me.

Same here. My 60-15 PC, having a 3" barrel, makes it a versatile gun, and Speer Short Barrel 135 is what I feed it when carried.

 

[kaaskop49]

There are readily available, controllable alternatives for steel frame Js like the 60. I've often posted about the CCI Blazer .357 158gr medium load. Another poster reported it does 990fps in 3". Great load in steel frame J mags. Another alternative is a 110gr .357 load, like the W-W white box round. Don't know the muzzle velocity, but it can be "double tapped" with a little practice. Gotta believe it's hotter than the old 110gr .38 "Treasury load" which was not something to stand in front of.

Importantly, there are no ammo restrictions due to inertia/bullet pull-out as there are with the Scandium guns.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Boogsawaste]

So maybe 357 in my m60 feels like 38+p in an airweight?

It's not the same unfortunately. Even lower powered rounds like blazer aluminum 357 are noticeably stouter. If you find some remington 125 jhp or jsp at Walmart or somewhere local give them a try. Those are pretty stout. I haven't tried any buffalo bore stuff so maybe their +p stuff in an airweight could be similar? I'm sure they're some serious loads.

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

I always carried Federal Hi-Shok 158gr JHP's (about a medium-hot .357 round ... NOT today's full spec .357) in my ultralight (11oz) 360sc scandium/titanium J-Frame snubby. I could stand to shot up my 5 carry rounds every range trip, but they are indeed painful ... occasionally I also got a small cut from the hammer spur (no shooting gloves). But I still carried them, because I KNEW that if I were ever attacked by a bad guy, I'd want the most powerful round I could have at that point.

I also have a 3" all-steel 60-15Pro J-Frame (about twice as heavy as the 360sc), and full-spec 158gr .357mag (like DoubleTap and Underwood) is no problem at all in that gun. I would certainly NOT shoot that full-spec stuff in my 360sc ... I think the gun itself could take it, but I couldn't.

 

[G-Mac]

Why anyone would want, or need, to shoot full-house .357 Magnum ammo out of a J-frame S&W is beyond me. Just plain silly.

 

[Hapworth]

Why anyone would want, or need, to shoot full-house .357 Magnum ammo out of a J-frame S&W is beyond me. Just plain silly.

Superior ballistics. Simple physics and there's no arguing it

Whether the trade-off in what's ballistically gained is worth the cost of generally greater recoil, flash and bang, and slower follow-up shots is debated endlessly.

But there is no denying that when a .38 and a .357 are put through the same revolver, be it snubby or long barrel, the .357 will generate greater numbers -- and for some people that's worth it.

 

[Hapworth]

...I haven't tried any buffalo bore stuff so maybe their +p stuff in an airweight could be similar? I'm sure they're some serious loads.

I'm not very recoil sensitive, but having recently put some BB Heavy .38+P 158 grain LSWHC through a J Airweight, I can attest it has thump to it very similar to a stout .357 load through a steel K-frame.

Mid-range .357 through a steel J -- which I shot immediately after -- recoiled less than Heavy BB through a light J.

 

[colt_saa]

Why anyone would want, or need, to shoot full-house .357 Magnum ammo out of a J-frame S&W is beyond me. Just plain silly.

Ever been in a Firefight where your life was at stake?

If so, did you feel you had too much gun?

 

[307-Niner]

I think everybody is forgetting that the OP has a 22 ounce M60, not an 11 ounce 340PD.

 

[arjay]

I'd give it a try,but I'll bet you miss with #2-#5 [emoji4]

 

[Hapworth]

I think everybody is forgetting that the OP has a 22 ounce M60, not an 11 ounce 340PD.

Nope, I recalled that throughout.