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Help me decide on .357 carry revolver

5K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  Roockie 
#1 ·
I’m young and new to concealed carrying snd revolvers in general. Like a typical young person I thought the Glock 19 was the best firearm ever made...look I’m learning to grow a pair ok! Now I’m all things revolver. Right now I’d say I’m leaning towards a ruger sp101 but idk I’m pretty new when it comes to these godly handguns and curious what people have to say
 
#4 ·
the sp101 is a quality revolver....but i prefer pocket carry...........to those ends it is a bit too large and heavy. The trigger may need to be worked on a tad...

the S&W j frame series offer more 357 choices in a slightly smaller more pocket-able package......the model 60 is the classic there as well as the model 649. Vast grip choices compared to the ruger.

the Ruger LCR and LCRx in 357 is my choice.....great triggers out of the box, pocket-able with less weight than a magnum smith j frame, a 3" 357 magnum LCRx version is now available which is tempting for me.....but i am holding out for a 327 in a 3" if they ever get around to building it....
 
#10 ·
2 cents. A short barreled 357 is no better than a 38 special. 38 +P is a waste in a short barrel to. If you don't believe me just call the manufactures.
All blast and recoil with very little or no better performance. For concealed carry, get the one you will carry and be proficient with. They are just a paper weight unless you do..
 
#17 ·
LuckyGunner ballistic test/Federal HST 38+P 130 grain-2" barrel


I hear what you're saying about velocity loss out of a 2" barrel which would usually equate to failure to expand. In the test the expansion average on 5 shots was .73 inches and all expanded fully. This is the best performance I've seen for 38+P and what I carry. I'm no expert but it looks like a very good defensive round. Technology Electronic device
 
#14 ·
I chose a SP101 DAO 2.25" 357 for carry AIWB. The cons are only 5 rounds, heavier(26 oz) than other 5 shot revolvers and a trigger that's heavy before some tinkering. iMO, 357s are painful out of my SP. The same can be said of any similar weight 357. Snubs in general take more practice to be accurate. Shooting 38+P is easy on the hands out of the SP because of the weight and Federal HST micro 38+P s an excellent defensive load. After installing a 10# main Spring and hammer shims my SP trigger is light, smooth and reliable. If you want a lighter revolver you can check out the Ruger LCR/LCRX that has a reputation for a fine trigger.
 
#15 ·
As others have noted, .357 in a short-barrel is a waste, most of the stored energy goes unused. If you want a short-barrel revolver, then you'd be better off with something along the lines of a .38 special. That said, my personal preference for revolvers is usually S&W, but I think Ruger has more to offer in terms of modern carry revolvers.

Side note, nothing wrong with carrying a full-size 9 (like the Glock 19) if you can tolerate the extra weight and bulk on your hip, different strokes for different folks, as they say.

Just remember, the best carry piece is one you will practice with regularly, and carry consistently.
 
#19 ·
unless the 357 is in a 36+ ounce revolver.......i avoid using the round....

sure.....i can tolerate a few rounds of 357 magnum thru my LCR in one sitting.......but i do not shoot enough 357 rounds thru the LCR to be considered proficient with the round in that format on the courses of fire i practice with......3 to 25 yards. Nowadays extended shooting with the mag simply hurts my hand, rattles my teeth, raises blisters, and gives me a headache along with a slower time and larger groups......

i never really like the old school method of practicing with 38's and then carrying magnums.....accuracy and follow-up shots may not suffer at handshake distances......but as distance increases, the speed and accuracy decreases......for me.

i have enjoyed many of the postings of lucky gunner.....i found their comparisons of 38 rounds very interesting......and still of more interest to me their article over the 32's as they apply to the snub.

 
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#20 ·
My personal experience with Rugers has been dismal. Brand new LCR was sent back to the factory after the cylinder seized in less than 50 rounds. I talked them into sending me an SP101 as replacement. Revolver was mostly for my wife to shoot for enough practice only to use proficiently as a carry gun, and that polymer frame did not do much to absorb recoil. The SP101, It was... Okay. Traded it away. I have had many revolvers in my day, including many snub-nosed. The only one that I felt comfortable with as an EDC, and I'm sure it will get some laughs from the purists out there, was the Rossi m877. The larger combat grip made it easier to handle and more accurate in my opinion. Other than that, I would stick with the Glock 19 all day long.
 
#21 ·
luck of the draw i guess......

i currently have LCRs in 327 and 357.......most likely never go back to a Smith snub. The round count is high with 38 specials........and the 32 Longs and 32 H&R round counts are slowly climbing....but i do not reload for those calibers.....yet.

have known of several rossi model 68 owners whom are very happy...Can't remember the model number, but they use to produce a 22 kit gun clone of the smith model 63.....a thousand times better than a taurus model 94
 
#23 ·
Thread is a few month old yet I'll hop in. Paul Harrell has a few vids where he talks, or introduces in the topic at hand, the short barreled 357 Magnum ammunition with regards to loss of energy n vs some other calibers.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Just saw a Youtube vid yesterday comparing 38spl+p and 357 mag in both 4inch bbl and I think 2" or 2-1/4" bbl. Same weight bullets (factory Remington). With the 4 inchers the velocity at 15yards was 500 fps higher with the .357. With the snubbys the difference was still around 400 fps. In my opinion .357 is worth the difference. I'll go and review the vid again to make sure my numbers and conclusions are accurate.

Mike

Here is a link to the vid from yesterday:

As it turns my memory isn't as bad as I thought it might be. My numbers above are mostly spot on. The snubbys are 38 - less than 2" and the .357 2-1/4" so a little over a quarter inch longer for the .357. Opinion stays the same.

Mike
 
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