Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 357 Magnum just about dead

The 357 mag steps into sort of another league out of carbine length barrels. This is especially true if you reload and are picky with your bullets. I’ve loaded a couple rifles year ago with everything from 2400, H110 and RE7 and can tell you the package is an honest deer rifle from 100 yds to a bit more. Some rifle cranks I’ve known swear a hot loaded 357 carbine delivers enough energy even to 150 yds. I knew these older men, knew their experience and believed them.

Now there are all kinds of people who will swear with no actual physical proof that the S&W K frames can’t handle 40-45K of pressure but the old US Border Patrol used to put 30K stiff rounds through their 19’s, year after year. I realize the famous Jim Jordan shot a model 27 N farme but if you ever saw the size of his hands the 27 looked like a J frame. So if you’re the type the shoots this kind of regimen in your K frames then I guess the L frame is your ticket. Same grip size but heavier frame and yoke. This was factory’s answer to the buying public’s fear of worn out worthless K frames, believe it or not. When I was in the business about 60-70% of my work load was revolvers and especially K frames. I took care of rental guns at two indoor ranges and have seen my share of abused handguns including cracked Sig 9mm frames, and yes cracked K frames in way of the barrel threads but not that common. Otherwise K frames with lots of work at high pressure loads do stretch. It’s actually pressure related frame distortion originating from the top strap. So you’ll get varying degrees of end shake but this is far from the death of the gun, depending on measurements. Any decent mechanic can tighten the revolver up again and a new lease on life.

Rick

Bill Jordan is credited with pitching the idea of a K-frame .357 to S&W. Bill Jordan worked with S&W to design the Combat Magnum .357 K-frame. This was later named Model 19 when S&W began numbering their models. Jordan carried and used the K-frame on duty and in his shooting exhibitions. Skeeter Skelton carried a 5" Model 27 N-frame for much of his career. Maybe that is who you were thinking of.

Askins did indeed like the Colt guns and that is what he bought for issue revolvers when he was in charge of such at the Border Patrol. Skeeter was an S&W man and his 5" M27 became his favorite. Due to his writings that particular setup developed a cult-like following among pistolaros of the time. Jordan developed the Combat Magnum with S&W which later became the Model 19. The N-frame was too heavy to pack for a long shift. That Combat Magnum M19 was his pick for a duty revolver. Jordan shot S&W K-frames in his shooting exhibitions. He mostly used wax bullets fired by a primer in the .38 Special.

In case anyone's interested, all this talk of
.357's made me go out haunting the local pawn and gun shops.

At La Familia in Hollywood, FL, a local pawn shop that bought the gun shop where I used to do a lot of horse trading, they had a 19-4 in very good condition. 4", blued. Barely a turn line. Recessed cylinder and pinned barrel. $799 on the price tag. They are a pretty good size pawn shop chain out of Orlando. Several shops. I'm sure somebody could make a nice deal on that gun. And before anybody asks why I didn't buy it, I've probably got 14 or 15 .357's. I don't really need another one.

LOL. Then why did you go shopping for one?

PS I'd be tempted to jump on the 19-4. Pinned and recessed. I've got a like-new 19-5 four incher, but I wish it was a -4. I've got a -4 snubby and a -4 six inch, both also in like-new condition.

Hey Clyde, I didn't "go shopping for one". I go shopping at pawn shops for whatever I might find.

Colonel Askins preferred Colts, Skeeter S&W

"All this talk of .357's made me go out haunting the local pawn and gun shops."

- Local Dirt

Wish we had pawn shops.

The closest is 40 miles and out of state.

357 is as dead as the 30-06, not

That's exactly what I said, dumb fugk. Not a single word said that I was hunting specifically for a .357.

You really do deserve all the heat you get for being a moron.

Dillonbuck, I've got at least 6 good ones within 5 miles of my house.

I live about 4 miles from the Hard Rock casino. Wherever you have a gamlng facility, there are always going to be pawn shops nearby.

What a silly thing to argue about, but it's clear that all reasonable people would understand your words to mean you were interested in .357 Magnums while haunting those shops.