Best J frame 357

[wrangler5]

For MY hands, wrists and elbows, the best 357 J frame is the one I shoot 38 Specials in. I fired exactly ONE 357 round through my 649-3. Even with a Pachmayr Decelerator grip (the cushiest one they make) it still hurt. I can say I've done it, but will not do it again.

That said, the 649 is the nicest J frame shooter I've owned.

 

[Stainz]

I'm guessing that a 640 Pro, like my 632 Pro below except for the six shot .327 Federal Magnum vs five shot caliber, might just be ideal for carry. Both can sport the 60 Pro's excellent wood grips. I've shot plenty of 'manageable' Speer 115gr Gold Dot .327 Federals - reportedly @ ~1,300 fps - through mine. They are close to .357 Magnums... which, admittedly, I have never shot from my 60 Pro (bottom).

The 60 Pro is my only J-frame .357 Magnum, even though here it has only seen my wimpy .357M plinker loads and .38's. Due to it's size/weight, my 642 is my favorite pocketable .38. My favorite .38/.357M, even though they have not launched a real .357M while in my care - and I bought them new - are my 627s... of course, a bit bigger than a J-frame...

The allure of the 640 Pro is strong, however... Sadly, my pockets just aren't deep enough to fund one now.

Stainz

 

[chief63]

I do like my 640 pro for IWB carry. No exposed hammer, no IL, moon clips, good sights, installed apex trigger kit. Enough weight to tame 38 +Ps and 357 SD rounds are manageable if desired.

 

[Old cop]

I've come to the conclusion that I don't care for the .357 in a J frame, I've tried most of them. It could be my age (66) but I cannot seem to control the follow-up shot adequately. For me the smallest frame is the K, and given the wide selection of frames an styles that is the direction I'd take.

 

[VaRecon]

I enjoy my 640 Pro but to truly be the best the shooter needs options.
60 Pro would have to be my choice.

 

[zip777]

Old cop you make a good point. With the heavy recoil it is harder to get back on target so I guess it boils down to intended use. If I were a LEO I would probably not load .357 in a smaller revolver I carried as a BUG. Chances are greater in this scenario you may have to take shots from a greater distance in a stand off I would imagine.

In my case seeing how my 649 is a CCW chances are very high it would be a "belly gun" used at very close distances where "long" distance shooting is probably not going to happen.

IMO bottom line is you need to consider what firearm and round best fit the scenario in which you believe it will be used.

BTW I'm digging that 640 pro!

 

[MikeChandler]

For MY hands, wrists and elbows, the best 357 J frame is the one I shoot 38 Specials in. I fired exactly ONE 357 round through my 649-3. Even with a Pachmayr Decelerator grip (the cushiest one they make) it still hurt. I can say I've done it, but will not do it again.

That said, the 649 is the nicest J frame shooter I've owned.

Try using the Speer 357 135gr SB 357. It was highly recommended at the defensive shooting class I took, as being more optimal for a J frame 2" revolver. As explained to me, the hotter stuff is just creating an inefficient fireball, excessive blast and recoil, but it's not driving the bullet optimally from a 2" revolver. This short barrel ammo (and other 357 ammo optimized for a 2" barrel) is the best performance and penetration you can get from the 2" barrel.

The Speer 357 135gr SB GDHP is 990 velocity 294 energy. In comparison the 38 Special +P puts out 945 and 248 energy from a 4" barrel - so you are getting better performance from your 2" 357 than 38 p+ from a 4" (and way better than using 38 p+ in your 2", which is going to be a lot less power).

It's not going to hurt, and there won't be an issue with follow-up shots, and you'll have cleaner cylinders, and you won't have an issue with the increased gap between the bullet and the forcing cone, and it works great in a 649.

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

LOL - spillover from the other thread!

An sp101 weighs exactly THREE OUNCES MORE than a 649-3 or -5, and the 649 is only 6 ounces less than the scandium 1911 S&W makes.

Do you really think that THREE OUNCES makes that big of a difference? I guess I'll be renting an SP101 tomorrow, and find out for myself.

Like I said before, the 3" sp101 (27 oz) is very tolerable with 357 loads. I don't know that it's the extra weight or the design. But it's not bad at all. I've never shot the 2" sp101, but it's only 1 oz lighter and otherwise identical. I can't imagine it'd be any different from the 3". I do prefer the Hogue grips over those weird blocky grips they come with.

 

[slodraw]

I carry a 649 most of the time. I wanted it for the weight number one and the ability of the 357. I shoot 38's at the range with a few 357 in to keep in practice.

 

[slodraw]

I should have mentioned that the other carry options are a 9mm Shield, 380 BG or a 380 PPK, probably in that order most of the time. Most of my carry is front pocket. 9c M&P in a Blackhawk for IDPA which I'm just getting into.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Which J frame is the best for 357 mags? And did S&W ever make a blues steel 640?

They are all of equal strength. Pick an operating system, Chief's Special type (exposed hammer), Bodyguard type (shrouded hammer) or Centennial (concealed hammer) and blast away.

That said, I prefer 38 special in ANY J frame, not because I have concerns for the strength of the revolver, but because I have concerns for my hand.

 

[LimaCharlie]

My wife chose a Model 640 Centennial and a Coronado Leather purse for purse carry. She has conceal carried it for over twenty years now. She range qualifies with .357 magnum rounds. She practices with .38+P, but carries .357 magnum 140 grain rounds. She recently fondled a new Pro Series Model 60 and asked if I would buy it for her for Christmas. I carry my 3" Model 66 Performance Center or my 5" 686 Mountain Gun. If I were to choose a J-frame for deep concealment, I would go with the Model 649.

 

[Chuck Jones]

These work well.

/c

 

[Pitdog02]

This is just for all the Scandium guys out there chuckling and knowing the real answer.
360SS .357

 

[pete950]

I love my 60-9

 

[ltxi]

I've come to the conclusion that I don't care for the .357 in a J frame, I've tried most of them. It could be my age (66) but I cannot seem to control the follow-up shot adequately. For me the smallest frame is the K, and given the wide selection of frames an styles that is the direction I'd take.

So completely with you on this one. Been saying the same for years.

My u&c carry round for a .357/.38 J-frame is the 125 std pressure fed ny-clad. I will go +P gold dot in a Model 60 I shoot particularly comfortably.

.357 in a LW J-frame makes it just about a single shot revolver in a rapid crisis situation....at least in my hands. Perhaps I'm just no good enough, but I ain't no novice.

 

[chaim]

Best .357mag J-frame?

If it has to be an actual J-frame (S&W), I'd say the 3" M60. The 3" barrel gives more velocity and thus better overall bullet and hollowpoint performance. The 3" also gives a longer sight radius for better practical accuracy. Any J-frame that is heavy enough to make some use of .357mag manageable will be too heavy for pocket carry anyway, so the 3" won't be at much of a disadvantage v. the 2" for concealment as either will pretty much disappear IWB. However, the extra inch of barrel means almost 2oz more weight to make managing .357mag a tad easier (yet still light enough for easy CCW).

Still, I think any S&W (or Taurus) snub is too light and really not up to the task of managing .357mag. It is far from a pleasant experience. Truly the best "J-frame" (in this case, generically meaning "small framed snub") would be the Ruger SP101 (I do not have one BTW, I prefer my snubs in .38 in which case the S&W and Taurus sized small framed snubs are perfect). The runner up would be the 26oz, 6 shot, Rossi 461/462 if you get a good one (mine isn't fully reliable yet, the cylinder binds on .357mag but not on .38spl). With either, the extra weight helps with managing .357mag quite a bit, and the SP101 is quite a robust design. The SP101 also offers a 3" barrel for the same advantages mentioned for the 3" S&W 60.

Now, if you take .357mag out of the equation, and plan to shoot .38s, I'd say the best J-frames are the 442/642 (for pocket carry) and the 36 or 60 (preferably with a bobbed hammer and DAO conversion) for IWB. I will probably add a 3" M60 sometime in the future.

 

[M3Stuart]

My vote is the 60-9 - though, truth be told, I don't shoot much .357 out of mine...

Shot this one today - put about 30 rounds of .38 LSWC target loads through it...no .357s...

I carry mine in a Galco tuc-n-go or a WRB pocket holster with Hogue Bantams on it.

 

[mbliss57]

I shoot / carry the 640 pro series with Novak night sight and chamfered cylinder... but I just purchased a 649 on line last night too as I like the single action option.

 

[zip777]

I shoot / carry the 640 pro series with Novak night sight and chamfered cylinder... but I just purchased a 649 on line last night too as I like the single action option.

Best of both worlds! Excellent.