I sold all of mine except a S&W Model 28-2 with 4 inch barrel and at one point I had 9 of them. I also don't like plastic pistols and my main defense pistols are all Sig's and a Sig P228 is my carry pistol. I also love the Browning HP and 1911's.
357 magnum regaining in popularity??
- Thread starter BigBill
- Start date
As others have said, flexibility. Nothing else matches the usefulness of a revolver that can shoot so many levels of power without any modification. It can be had in five shot to eight shot platforms, 11oz to 46+oz. It can be adequate for anything from rabbit sized game using wadcutters in .38sp, to defense using a modern jhp or LSWCHP in .38 or .357- many tailored to long or short bbl/ moderated recoil. It's proven to work better than most any handgun cartridge for SD....and, It useful for medium game hunting with heavier jhp or hardcast lead bullets.
From a carbine, it can approximate 30-30 ballistics in carbines....pretty noteworthy given the established performance of 30-30 over the past 100+ years.
I'm one of those weird folks who shoots .357 from my .357s, I hate the cleaning the rings from the chambers. Aside from chronoing velocities for the sake of comparison between .38sp chambered gun and .357 using .38 ammo, I use .38s for shooting .38.
I have for guns in .357; a Bond Arms Derringer, Ruger LCR, SP101 and GP100 (both 3").
From a carbine, it can approximate 30-30 ballistics in carbines....pretty noteworthy given the established performance of 30-30 over the past 100+ years.
I'm one of those weird folks who shoots .357 from my .357s, I hate the cleaning the rings from the chambers. Aside from chronoing velocities for the sake of comparison between .38sp chambered gun and .357 using .38 ammo, I use .38s for shooting .38.
I have for guns in .357; a Bond Arms Derringer, Ruger LCR, SP101 and GP100 (both 3").
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snowman
Member
Add me to the list of wierdos. I've never found the much-maligned blast, recoil, flash, etc., etc. to be objectionable or a hindrance to what I want to accomplish with them. A number of members have quit using them because of arthritic conditions; if that ever happens to me, then I'll quit using them also. Until then I'll continue to enjoy the challenge of learning to shoot them accurately, overcome flinching, and hit well with follow-up shots as quickly as possible. Though I have some utilitarian motivations for this, it's largely just what I, personally, like to do. Peace & best wishes to all who don't.
[Pardon the thread drift, Bill. I too never knew of any decline in popularity from which the .357 seems to have recovered; but then I haven't followed such things very closely, either.]
Regards,
Andy
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bananaman
Member
I have bought brass in the past because nobody throws 38 Special, or .357 away. When it comes to 9MM, .40, & .45, I pick it up all the time at the range. Their loss is my gain. I don't enjoy picking up brass, but I do. (hate it when I bend over for .380, & 357 Sig) I have 2 L Frame magnums, & 1 N, 28 no dash. I just seem to shoot all of my revolvers better. Bob
Tom_R
Member
The .357/.38 special and the .22 Long Rifle are the two most useful gun cartridges out there. IMHO, a firearms collection should start there. For survival, woods duty, a .22LR Rifle and a .357Magnum on your hip will cover you for 95% of any game you will come across on this continent. For what either of those won't handle a 12 gauge with Slugs will.
For people getting into shooting Handguns a nice Ruger or Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum handgun is a great start. You can dial that gun up or down with just 3 to 4 smart ammunition choices.
Want to shoot 200 pain free Rounds at the Range and make a great day of it with some buddies? You can do that.
Want to set up some Brick and/or Concrete Blocks at a distance and see it turned to smithereens? You can do that.
Want to carry a warm defense load, but have something shy of Magnum power? You can do that.
Want/need to carry some 180 grain small bear stopping Magnum loads for effective use as a trail gun? You can do that.
A revolver gives you those options much, much easier than an auto does.
Want to learn great shooting fundamentals and practices that can carry over to other types of Guns? A revolver gives you the option of mimicking the same type of trigger as a glock (Double action) or a 1911 (Single Action)
The only thing you give up with a revolver is capacity.
For people getting into shooting Handguns a nice Ruger or Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum handgun is a great start. You can dial that gun up or down with just 3 to 4 smart ammunition choices.
Want to shoot 200 pain free Rounds at the Range and make a great day of it with some buddies? You can do that.
Want to set up some Brick and/or Concrete Blocks at a distance and see it turned to smithereens? You can do that.
Want to carry a warm defense load, but have something shy of Magnum power? You can do that.
Want/need to carry some 180 grain small bear stopping Magnum loads for effective use as a trail gun? You can do that.
A revolver gives you those options much, much easier than an auto does.
Want to learn great shooting fundamentals and practices that can carry over to other types of Guns? A revolver gives you the option of mimicking the same type of trigger as a glock (Double action) or a 1911 (Single Action)
The only thing you give up with a revolver is capacity.
jackruff
Member
And there is just something special about the sound and feel of a full-house .357 magnum load in a 6" Ruger GP 100!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
at_liberty
Member
Do you mean the gun or the ammunition? Many 357 Magnum guns never see anything but 38 Special.
Well there's a waste of opportunity!!
gwpercle
Member
Smith & Wesson has started producing the model 66 again. K-frame, 6 shot , stainless , 357 magnum. I don't think they would do this if there was not a demand. Some things are just too good to die! And this is one of them. Kind of like the 1911 in 45 acp, lots are being made and lots are being sold. That's another good idea.
Gary
Gary
I have owned close to 20 357s of one stripe or another, and presently own a baker's dozen. First handgun I ever owned was a 27 given me by my dad in '66. I still have that one. I cannot speak to national trends, but with the huge growth of small snub-nosed 357 revolvers in the past 20 years, I'd say that the caliber is more popular now than it has ever been.
OldGoat
Member
Guess I got the bug. I sold one and bought two in the last four weeks. Regards, Ed
Continental Op
Member
I love my .357s, great round. I believe, with the right bullet, it's around tops on the self-defense/man-stopper ratings list.
That being said, 'becoming more popular' is a relative term. With all the new semi auto platforms available now, I doubt it is anywhere near as popular as it was 25+ years ago. But it still is a very popular round. I keep a M66 by my bed; reliable, accurate gun, and a nasty round... Is it more popular in 2014, than it was in, say, 2004? Good question...
I'm sure there are stats out there somewhere where a manufacturer tracks ammo sales caliber. It would be interesting to see how it has trended...
That being said, 'becoming more popular' is a relative term. With all the new semi auto platforms available now, I doubt it is anywhere near as popular as it was 25+ years ago. But it still is a very popular round. I keep a M66 by my bed; reliable, accurate gun, and a nasty round... Is it more popular in 2014, than it was in, say, 2004? Good question...
I'm sure there are stats out there somewhere where a manufacturer tracks ammo sales caliber. It would be interesting to see how it has trended...
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I recall that, a number of years ago, the 357 in a commercial 125 grain loading, was rated as the #1 man-stopper over all other handgun calibers, even bigger (41 and 44) Magnums. The thinking was that the particular bullet weight, design, frangibility and velocity, was optimal for a human target. I don't know anything about current-day ratings, or if they even exist (I suspect that law-enforcement agencies keep records) these days, but I am pretty certain that a 357 is tough to beat as a PD round.
silentflyer
Member
From the typewriter of the master himself,Skeeter Skelton, sort of says it all...
My Friend, The .357
My Friend, The .357
That came from Marshall and Sanow's widely discredited study. Ignore it.
