Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns New .357...

My old 6" M19 likes 14.5 grs. of #2400 under the 158 gr. XTP. I'll chronograph it but I'll hazard a guess the 4" barrel will run around 1200 fps with that load. If it shoots well and gives me about that much velocity I'll not fiddle around looking for another load.

Where did you get the plug for safety? Or did you have your gunsmith do it?

It’s hard to beat a S&W 357 - no matter which model. That’s a nice one.

I have not done that yet. It's likely to happen at some point in the near future. From looking around there are at least a couple guys making a plug/lock delete kit. It looks to be a simple project and looks good when done. About the same as taking the crossbolt safety off a Marlin lever action and installing a plug. Pretty simple and really looks clean from the outside.

The only thing I have done is change the front sight. Standard issue is the typical S&W red ramp front sight. I swapped that out this morning for an SDM Super Sight with a smallish green fiber optic insert. The green fiber optic dot is a big improvement for my eyes over the old dull red ramp insert. With S&W's DX front sight system changing the front sight blade is a piece of cake.

Good lookin' gun, MOGC. May your bullets fly straight.

👍👍

The only thing I have done is change the front sight. Standard issue is the typical S&W red ramp front sight. I swapped that out this morning for an SDM Super Sight with a smallish green fiber optic insert. The green fiber optic dot is a big improvement for my eyes over the old dull red ramp insert. With S&W's DX front sight system changing the front sight blade is a piece of cake.
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Good move on changing the front sight. I did the same on my M-69 with a HI-VIZ green fiber optic. Mucho improved. I wish I could do the same with my M-19, but it is older and doesn't have the removable front sight.

I just remembered, the first and last one I saw a few years ago at a Texas gun shop, had a canted front sight.

That’s a sweet wheelgun. I have been thinking about the same model.

I've had a bunch of good .357s, but my favorite was a 686 4" CS-1, a contract overrun for the Customs Service. It had an all-black .1" wide front sight (slightly narrower than normal), a round butt, and lordy, was it slick. I could shoot DA with it better than I could SA, even with magnum loads. I had Pachmayr Compacs on it, because they fit my hands pretty well. It was a sweet rig. I never should have let that guy talk me out of it. It was a perfect size for carrying, and I did carry it quite a bit back then.

Shame that one got away, ratsmacker. I can understand the reverence, though. I've got a few .357's. But, an immaculate no "-" 4" 686 is particularly close to my heart.

That will shoot well.

Good grab.

None better, IMO.

I took a year off paper pushing and worked a gun section of a great LGS. We got some of the first 686s that were shipped, and I picked one out of the twenty guns. It's butter smooth and still tight.

I,too, prefer the Pachmayrs to the stock concalo big grips.

The gun here, the 686 SSR Pro comes with two sets of grips. A set of S&W marked rubber finger groove Hogue grips and the wood grips pictured. The wood grips that came on the gun feel really good. I haven't shot it yet, the weather here is hovering around the 100* mark about every day with humidity to match so going to the range doesn't have much appeal right now. But I suspect the wood grips on the gun are going to be pretty good under recoil. I never cared for the finger groove Hogues. Hogue grips with no finger grooves feel good to me but I don't match up well with the finger grooves.

Have not heard of a single one of those that didn't shoot well.

I think that was a good grab. Looking forward to your shooting report. I haven't heard anything negative either, but no actual experience.