How many of you have fired full house .357 Magnums - - - in your snubbies

[eb07]

So are you going to discuss my data with me? You claim the 357 is useless in a short barreled revolver, I am saying it is more powerful and have the data to back it up.

If you can handle it, you should carry it. If you cannot I can see how it would be useless to you.

Yes, I have shot it at night as well... low and behold, I am not and was not blinded.

 

[kaaskop49]

Snub mags were born in the 1960s during an era when police were having to use their weapons more and finding the .38 Spl police service load lacking in stopping power. Colt's Python was the first, I believe, in '64 or '65, and the snub 19 entered regular production in '66 according to SCSW.

In the 1968 Gun Digest, early police trainer Paul B. Weston worked up both weapons with Remington 158gr ammo. R-P clocked their .38 service load at 775fps in 2" and 1060fps in 2.5" for a 158gr lead bullet in .357. Clearly a difference in velocity with these early loads and the mag loads showed greater smack in the primitive impact targets back then.

That need still exists: those darn BGs just won't go away or realize the error of their ways. The OP was harsh with me in an earlier post on this very subject. Perhaps he doesn't leave casinos late at night. I want, need, and carry the mag loads, I practice with them in my 60 and SP101.
End of story.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[rwsmith]

I don't even use.....

I don't even use full magnum loads for SD in my 686. They are more the low end of the .357 range.

 

[djh1765]

How many of you have fired full house .357 Magnum rounds through a 2" revolver and will you ever do it again and would you carry that for self defense?


Answer is simple.

Yes I have and still do and Yes I carry it all the time.
djh

 

[Road Rat]

My snubbie is a S&W 640-1 and it is a blast to shoot at the local range!!! A ball of orange the size of a basketball comes out the barrel and really gets the attention of others!!! Always warn others first.

I don't have an issue with recoil in it.

 

[Watchdog]

I just noted in another thread how useless I think full house magnums are in short barreled revolvers, ditto for +P in short barreled Airweights.

They're only useless if they misfire.

 

[old bear]

How many of you have fired full house .357 Magnums - - - in your snubbies

I have for years and enjoyed it. As I get older I don't enjoy it at all. But it's nice to know I can use strong .357 magnum ammo if needed. I use the word strong instead of "full-house" as very few of us have had the chance to shoot the real .357 Magnum ammo, as developed in the 1930's.

For day to day carry, I load my .357 Magnum revolvers with the Buffalo Bore 38/44 +p load. More than enough power for anything I'm likely to come across.

 

[rcp1936]

78 years old and can still fire 357s in my 65-5 3" no problem
But for HD and Conceal I use Buffalo Bore +Ps gold dot

 

[Watchdog]

78 years old and can still fire 357s in my 65-5 3" no problem...

I'll be pleased...and more than a little amazed...if I make it to seventy-eight, never mind still being able to shoot full power .357s out of a revolver, snubby or any other kind.

 

[M3Stuart]

No problemo!

5.0 gr of Titegroup with a 158gr Berry's plated FN - which is the max recommended for that load.

BTW, this pic shows a grouping of 20 shots with almost all shots within the 3" diameter blue part of the target out of a 2" snub 60-9 at 7 yards.

 

[old 1911 fan]

I have carried my 2.5" M19 with 158G jhp Magnums for over 30 years as for my "town gun." I go on bear hunts 2 or 3 times a year. For backup on these I now carry my 3" 629 PC 44 Mag. Carry Comp with 240 G jsp Magnums. I now have a 4" .500 Smith & Wesson that I want to get to know before I start carrying it on bear hunts in the US. I can only take long guns to Canada. Yup I like my Snubbies!

old 1911 fan

 

[Black_Sheep]

My EDC is a Model 60 loaded with Hornady 158 grain JHP so I'll run a cylinder through it at every practice session. Recoil is "brisk" but with Pachmayr Compacs it's very tolerable. That said, I wouldn't want to run a whole box through it in a single session...

 

[dmar]

Full power .357s in my Lady Smith make that girl a real handful! In my Ruger SP 101 snub, no problem at all... Actually, pretty fun.

Fired a friend's Airweight in .357, and I would not be in a hurry to do it again. I've got an Airweight in .38, and carry +Ps in it, and again, no problem. To me, this is the way t go with the light weights.

 

[Otreb]

First time out with lcr .357, I shot 100 rnds, 50 .357 and 50 .38.

This was 25 yrds, 50 of Magtech 158gr .357, plus a group of Hornady CD 125gr FTX.
It wasn't bad, but fatigue does kick in about halfway through the box.

 

[SmithMarine]

I think some overblow how strong 357 kicks in a snubbie. They are not supposed to be target guns. From experience, you will not notice recoil, flash or bang when adrenaline in flowing for real.
I carry Winchester 145 gr Silvertip 357s in my 2" 649. They average at 1108 on the Chrono in my gun and work fine. Hit to point of aim so no Kentucky windage as with lighter bullets and a bit more penetration with speed fore expansion. I use the Buffalo Bore Heavy load 38+P 158 gr dead-soft lead HP gas check at 997fps on the chrono in my 38 - 638. Hits to sights and good expansion not painful. Wood Altamont grips on both. I carry these to be uncomfortable - to the other guy if necessary. 'He who practice with marshmallow should carry Nerf gun.'

 

[chipper]

I use 357's in my carry M&P 360. I have installed extended crimson laser grips on her. Just that little extra length for my little finger really makes a big difference in hanging onto that little bugger.

 

[MTKTM]

I have a number of magnum snubs and shoot them frequently, a 629PC 2 5/8", 66 2.5", 19 2.5", 327PD 2", 640, 340PD, and a Ruger SP101 2.25"....and I will add the 500 4" although not exactly a snub. I've enjoyed shooting all of them with full magnum loads with the sole exception of.......you know it!......the 340PD. Great to carry, sucks to shoot with magnums.

 

[S&W19506070]

My model 19 snubby handles 357, I use it for my glove box, at the range the 38's are all I use, much less snappy.

 

[RobertJ.]

I carried an SP-101 until last year, when a friend who had to have it made me an offer I couldn't refuse. The vast majority of what I shot through it were full house loads. I didn't find it unpleasant.

The only .357 snub I currently own is a 2.5" 19-5. I recently discovered it just loves IMR 4227 and the Speer 158 gr. JHP. My load isn't at max, but it's stout. That's probably all I'll shoot through it from this point on, in fact I bought two pounds of that powder just for that gun and load.

I think it will still outlast me, even with the full power load. And if I want to shoot target ammo, I've got better choices.

 

[BigBill]

I fired 357magnum max reloads in my 2 3/4" barreled ruger police service six. No problem but it did have the custom made to the size of my hand : herret finger groove grips.

With my ruger super Blackhawk I was almost a grain past max load in the 44 magnum. Everyone left the range who was near me. We're young and crazy back then 40 years ago. Do not try this at home we were professional xxx you know what I mean. These were elephant loads.