Imshootin
Member
Thinking of nabbing one of these I found for sale. Anyone have or had this gun and have any feedback on it? Thanks in advance.
386 Sc Mountain Lite
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OP
Imshootin
Member
Went ahead and picked it up yesterday. Took it to the range today. I like it. 18 ounce .357 on an L-frame with a 3 1/8" barrel. Now I just have to find a nice holster for it.
Frizzman
US Veteran
I have the same gun in .44 spl, the 396 SC Mountain Lite. I like mine. The same gun in a 7 shot .357 would be mighty handy also.
Mine is one of 3 "lock" guns I own. It is so incredibly light that I do find myself packing it from time to time. I use 158 gr SP ammo and it kicks a bit, but it is obviously not a shoot all day revolver. The other 2 lockers are the M21 and M22, wish I could find them w/o locks.
OP
Imshootin
Member
Maybe you can help me out. I'm looking at a holster for it. I've found one for the 396 but they don't list it for the 386. My question is, "What is the diameter of your cylinder?" I know yours hold 5 .44's where mine holds 7 .357's. I was going to call S&W but maybe you can measure yours and let me know. If they're the same size or close, it should fit perfectly.
I have both 386 and 396 Mtn Lites. If the holster in question is boned, the cylinder flutes won't line up. Other than the diff in cyl flute location, the hoster will work for either gun. I have a Milt Sparks Versa Max II (this holster is boned) that was built for the 396 and my 386 fits just fine.
Paul
Paul
OP
Imshootin
Member
Thanks. That's what I needed to know.
Frizzman
US Veteran
Yes, the diameter of an L frame cylinder will be the same no matter what the caliber. I use a couple of holsters made for 4" L frames for my 396 that are designed for a .357 L frame. They work fine. They are not tightly boned to fit particular cylinder flutes so they work with the 5 shot or 6 shot or 7 shot L frame cylinders.
rburg
Member
I think the OP here has hit upon one of the problems with these fine guns. Yes, I like my 386sc, so much that some accident of fate might have managed to cause the nub on the lock to vanish!
One of my 396s (no lock) came at a street fair in central KY. It came with one of those Gawd awful cloth Uncle Mikes holsters. I almost told the seller to keep it, but it came with the gun, so I took it. Then I decided to strap it on my hip. After a couple of hours of walking the event, it won a friend.
Yes, all the L frame guns use the same general size and shape of holster. The big difference being the barrel length. Some of us prefer open end holsters, others closed. In rainy weather, you can actually fill your holster with water. Open ended ones tend to drain....
But over the years I've bought holsers that have been modified by prior owners. Some look like a razor knife was all they used. Others were a little more workmanlike and finished with a disk sander, then just maybe some dye to match. Its a leap of faith to start cutting on a $100 chunk of leather at today's prices. But I've always been cheap, and if you look, you can find a brand name chunk of leather in used piles really cheap. If the gun fits and the only thing wrong is the leather is too long, cut it down. You have a minor problem with the stitching, but if you use care and "unstitch" below where you're cutting, you can do a pretty good job of tying it off or running the thread back into remaining holes. Trust me....
One of my 396s (no lock) came at a street fair in central KY. It came with one of those Gawd awful cloth Uncle Mikes holsters. I almost told the seller to keep it, but it came with the gun, so I took it. Then I decided to strap it on my hip. After a couple of hours of walking the event, it won a friend.
Yes, all the L frame guns use the same general size and shape of holster. The big difference being the barrel length. Some of us prefer open end holsters, others closed. In rainy weather, you can actually fill your holster with water. Open ended ones tend to drain....
But over the years I've bought holsers that have been modified by prior owners. Some look like a razor knife was all they used. Others were a little more workmanlike and finished with a disk sander, then just maybe some dye to match. Its a leap of faith to start cutting on a $100 chunk of leather at today's prices. But I've always been cheap, and if you look, you can find a brand name chunk of leather in used piles really cheap. If the gun fits and the only thing wrong is the leather is too long, cut it down. You have a minor problem with the stitching, but if you use care and "unstitch" below where you're cutting, you can do a pretty good job of tying it off or running the thread back into remaining holes. Trust me....
duckloads
Member
That looks like a great L frame. I have a 625-9 Mountain Gun and have looked at 686's. The 686's are about as heavy as the N frame 625. I might have to look for a 386 SC myself.
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