Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 357 Magnum - Pics and dicussion thread!!

Yep.

I figured there would also be at least ONE Colt in a 357 before now!

Shrapnel made me do it...

The one on the left is a .357

1) 1960's Colt Trooper .357. 4" Ex police gun, but tight, accurate and reliable.
2) 1980's 686 6" with an Andy Cannon action job. Heavy, ugly but shoots like-well an L-frame with an Andy Cannon Action job.
3) Recent 627 Performance center 5" eight shooter. Not old or "classic" but a great shooter and is my favorite of the three.

I didn't have a specific reason to buy any of these. I liked them, had the money and bought them.

Those Marlin's really tame the round, easier blast, much higher mv - 2050 w/158s over Lil Gun....deadly on deer and hell on 2 liter coke bottles at 150 yds with open sights

Would not use the 145 ST due to lack of penetration. In my 2.5 inch Model 19, I use 158gr SWCHP's that I cast myself and load in .38 Special brass at +P velocities so as to duplicate a load known as "The FBI Load".

Don

Hawk, very nice collection!

Yes it is.

They ALL belong to a retired friend. I store em, shoot em and get to show them off!

Pretty good deal.

Yep. That's the one.

Federal full snot 125 grain JHP in my S&W M60 J frame. Recoil is kind of nasty but it'll hold a 2 inch 50 yard group at the bench. I don't shoot it enough to care about wear and tear on me or the gun, I want something will decidedly wear and tear anything I shoot with it.

Tom

Cliff, i'm sure a lot of the guys here can give you better handloading advice than i can.

but for what it might be worth--as a suggestion only--in short barreled .357 rigs that are used when out and about on the street:

i use a 125 grain Speer Gold Dot, and 10 grains of WSF (there are better powder choices for the .357 case, WSF is better suited for shorter cases--yet i still do use it in longer cases--but this decision was made about 23 years ago in an effort to limit powder inventories).

if the rig is to be employed in the home--as a "nightstand revolver" only--the 90 grain Speer Gold Dot (for the .380 auto), and 11 (or 10), grains of WSF is a suitable choice in those cases where other family members might be snoozing in adjacent rooms.

as always, you should do your own testing, starting with lower charges. think of WSF as "a different version of Unique". low flash, and it meters well too.

35 years ago, i would often load the 140 for a number of applications. i no longer use them, preferring the 125 gr. for urban carry, and the 158 gr. weight for carrying in a woods setting.

i don't know if you remember them, but years ago S&W used to load a 90 gr. soft point claiming 1650 fps from a 4 inch tube. it looked like a blunted round nose, and in some opinions, was "famed for over penetrating". the 90 gr. Gold Dot HP is a similar concept, except that due to the HP, it affords instant expansion--with very little fragmentation...

i still feel that the 125 gr. is one of the best choices for a CCW in .38 Special, or .357 mag.

I vastly prefer the Hogue grips on the SP101. Some of my SP101's have the Hogue grips and some have the Trausch grips. Both are very nice. Don't get the knuckle whacked as much.

I have a little over two .357s, but not quite three:

I've been wanting one of those myself. Very nice.

Sorry about the crappy cell phone pic, it's the only one I have of this:

27-2 letters to sometime in the 70's, can't remember exactly what year.

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Geno

PS, Oh, I forgot the other one, an old Ruger Blackhawk.............. but it's been converted to a .257

Thanks guys

686-4 3"

Model 19-3



I honestly never shoot the thing. I tend to use a 4" Model 15 .38 for small bore/non rimfire stuff. If something is needed in the .357 range, I simply go up to light .44 mag loads that replicate .44 Specials. I find them much more pleasant to shoot.

If I got a second one, that would be it!!

I've owned the 6" Vent-Heavy model for a long time, but collected up the rest of the pieces/parts in the last couple years to round out the whole Pistol Pack. These fellas are getting spendy!

Oops, forgot, I still need the belt buckle!