Isn't the 357mag an outdated POS loved only by old guys with shrunken genitals? You know, the kind that post pictures of their revolver with a knife lying on animal skin?

A 4" barrel in a pistol is equivalent to a 3" barrel in a revolver. The 40sw pistol can do 155gr @1250fps. Can a 3" revolver move a 158gr pill that fast?

I can't see any reason to lug around an anemic 6-7 shooter anymore.

Never been a big fan of the .357.

Oh boy here we go...

Yep, but I own more than a handful. They are 38's...

The .357 as a defensive cartridge just doesn't make much sense when you consider cartridges available in semi-auto's. In fact, I can't think of ANY defensive situation where I would want a revolver over a semi-auto; this is the 21st century.

So why would I carry a .357? Because I want to!

When I go into the woods, that's when I indulge and carry some of my other handguns just because I like them, and I want to carry them. Not because they're "best" (oh God, I hate that word) tool for the job, but because I just have a cool revolver and I want to carry it in the woods.

You could carry a 50 AE Desert Eagle and you'd still be retarded.

I got one (6 inch Colt King Cobra) but I love the modern version, 357 Sig.

For personal defense, I believe the Sig is the best in my opinion. The 357 Magnum is still an outstanding cartridge for the woods.

Ballistically they are both plenty powerful enough for defensive purposes. And, I'd choose my Glock 22 over my Security Six every time for personal defense.

That said, a 3" 357 revolver easily has the nuts to start a 158gr at 1250 plus.

Here's a 2.25" SP101 starting a 180gr at 1260 fps.

The .357 Magnum, like the .45 ACP, is a creature of the era in which it was developed. Guns,bullets, and propellants have come a long way since then. If neither already existed today, would there be a good reason to invent them?

limited ammo capacity is a reality, but not anemic in any sense.


Not all handgun shooting is a life-or-death situation, Sometimes it's just for enjoyment. I like my revolvers when there is snow on the ground, and I want to recover brass. It's just a lot easier with a revolver.

This might be over your zika-virus tiny head, but anyone carrying a DE IS retarded.

You had to have just taken that shot for this thread, right?

I have both and shoot both. For whatever reason (long time familiarity most likely) I shoot the K Frame S&W M66-8 2.75" .357 Mag better. Here are some chrono results from my then new Labradar test run.

Labradar Muzzle Velocity (familiarization run)
60 Deg F
S&W M66-8 2.75" .357 Mag

130gr Fed Hydra-Shok JHP "Personal Defense" PD357HS2 H …….. 1,416 fps avg (84 fps ES) -- two rounds
140gr Underwood Xtreme Penetrator (Philips head mono metal).. 1,422 fps avg ( 5 fps ES) -- two rounds
158gr Horn Xtp - 15.0gr A2400 Std small pistol, new Starline...… 1,316 fps avg (49 fps ES) -- six rounds
165gr CSWCGC (358156) - 13.0gr A2400 New Starline         ...… 1,180 fps avg (84 fps ES) -- six rounds
180gr Buff Bore …………………………………………………………………………….. 1,312 fps avg ( 6 fps ES) -- two rounds
185gr LFNGC (Beartooth), 15.0gr Lil'Gun, CCI 400 New Starline.. 1,228 fps avg (14 fps ES) – two rounds
200gr WLNGC (leadheads), 13.4gr H110, Fed 205, New Starline.. 1,102 fps avg ( 4 fps ES) – two rounds
200gr WLNGC (leadheads), 14.4gr H110, Fed 205, New Starline.. 1,155 fps avg ( 2 fps ES) – two rounds
(purported to be the “Doubletap” load info)
200gr WLNGC (leadheads) handload with Lil Gun ………………………. 1,266 fps avg ( 2 fps ES) -- two rounds
Load data not given -- maybe too much of a good thing. Spent cases fell from chambers, and no obvious signs of over pressure. Recoil was heavy for a .357.

If even needed, I would limit useage of the 180, 185, and 200gr loads in J & K Frame guns

Also ran two Buff Bore 180s thru 16" Rossi M92 carbine ……………. 1,894 fps avg ( 6 fps ES) -- two rounds

I have and like both revolvers and semi-autos. For most any realistic self-defense scenario a 5 or 6 shot revolver is more than adequate. However, if I am expecting to go to war and potentially fight off massed Banzai charges, by all means give me a large capacity semi-auto with multiple extra mags.

I load my own ammo and about the hottest safe 9mm ammo I can come up with is about equal to good .38 Special loads. Think a 7 or 8 shot .45 ACP M-1911 has good stopping power? I agree that it does. However, my .44 Special +P loads in a 5 or 6 shot revolver are much better. Actually, I have lately been looking at maybe loading up some .44 Russian loads (just a shorter version of .44 Spl, which is a shorter .44 Mag.) that appear to be about equal to a .45 ACP. So, I can take my .44 Mag and safely load it for "T-Rex" magnum stopping power loads, deer and elk size magnum loads, anti-personnel and deer & hog sized +P special loads, or special and Russian loads for varmints, target, and anti-personnel use. I cannot find that versatility in any semi-auto.

Both revolvers and semi-autos have pros and cons. With semis you can get higher capacities and can reload faster. Good for Banzai charges and spray and pray shooting. With revolvers you have less capacity, slower reloading, and much better ammo power versatility. I think the most important thing with either one of them is to be able to actually hit as many targets as your are likely to encounter accurately with enough power to do the job.

You could carry a 50 AE Desert Eagle and you'd still be retarded.
—————********


————————-

+ 2

BTW, I have and like the 40 SW

That was hurtful, dla. Maybe a little true...but still hurtful. I didn’t have an animal skin handy.

This is the best I could do.

Okay. I'm compelled to join in. I grabbed the only revolver I had that wasn't in the safe, and the nearest fudd folder that wasn't in the safe, and arranged this shot over animal fur.

Same.

You must frequent a different kind of woods than I'm used to.

Getting him to hold still for the photo was the hardest part.

I don't hunt deer or hogs (or for that matter anything) with a 40 S&W. 357 Mag 158gr JSP, a few times.

Sweet blade, looks like a rosewood Copperlock.

Thanks.

ronc inspired me to put a lil' sumpin together for this solemn occasion...



Bobcat pelt
S&W 66-1 in ... wait for it .... .357 Magnum
Ledoux Custom knife
Antelope jawbone

Whurs dem vedeoos. Weuns mustus haves dem vedeoos. Whurs dem bulluts that dooes them damagages?

I shoot revolvers better.

Let’s leave my shrunken genitals out of it.

widrahthaar,

Good call on the classy booze in the pic. I always enjoy that. Nothing says "nice gun" like a bottle of high grade spirits. But, it looks like you peeled your animal skin off. Too bad--you were on your way to a perfect gun pic...

I’m not a boomer, probably why I f’d it up.

Nothing like at night touching off a short barreled .357 loaded full of H110. Truck gun here is a 40 S&W Springfield XDM short barrel full size grip.

Well, come on you 40 Short and Weak guys, get in the game!

We've seen plenty of dead animal, big knife and high class booze pics from the .357 crowd. Time for y'all to post pics of your 40's with some supermarket chardonnay lying on a rainbow feather boa. Extra points for a really badass nail file...

Sounds like something you would hear from a "young loud mouth know it all" at the gun counter of Cabela's. Idiot.

You have a lot to learn.

I'm lov'n this. ^^^

TFF😂

A .357 in a full size revolver is a beast! Start lopping barrel off and you lose power, and controllability and gain muzzle blast. I'll take a compact (Glock 27) 9 or more shot .40 loaded with 180 grain Federal HST for my self defense needs.
YMMV.

Ron

How about a 10milly

We've nothing to prove.

Is there some reason a handgun shooter can't have both and enjoy the differences? JFC

No photos here, but I use 3 different .357's: For EDC I carry the J Frame , 5 shot, 3" barrel S&W. I also carry it in muzzle loader season.. In the saddle I carry a Ruger 4"Securiy Six. At the range I mostly shoot my 6" S&W 686.I also have a 6" Ruger Bakckhawk that does not get shot much.
Besides those three .357's I have 4 different 22 revolvers. Favorite being the S&W K-22.

I only have two semi's. An Interarms Firestar and a Sig P320 sub conpact. in 9mm .I gave my 1911 in 45ACP to a friend two years gago

For some reason, I can shoot all the .357's quite well, both single and double acton but I really have to workat it to shoot the semis even half as well without the dreaded low and to the left.I know what I am doing wrong, but cannot seem to correct it except by extreme concentration with each shot. At the range, I can run 300 rounds thru the 3 different .357's and be very satisfied. The semis, not so much. I can' t get comfortable grip on them.

I feel that if I should ever need the EDC gun, I can hit what I need to with only five rounds. I am not so confident with the semis although I could do a lot of hurt with 12 -15 rounds out of the semis I guess.

The other thing is I hate chasing brass at the range. Even worse in the winter and the fact that I need a tool to fill the magazines. With a revolver, they are easy to load, and dump the empties in a coffee can.

Guess I am just one of those old farts

Nope, we're hard-wired for tribalism......grin

We can't address this question unless you clarify whether you're referring to real life or 24HourCampfire life.

Room in vault, training, & plicking fun for both.

When I first reloaded for my M&P40, 4", I found that Hodgdon's Longshot load data gave me 1370fps average for a Hi Tek coated 18bhn 155gr lswc. The M&P has full casehead support, and I stretched my COL out to 1.16", so no worries there but it would throw my brass into the next county. I throttled it way back to almost the starting load to arrive at 1250fps which seemed reasonable. I also fiddled with 180gr fodder and quickly decided to stay under 1200fps.
Turns out that lots of folks discovered the same thing with Longshot - the 40sw becomes the 10mm lite.

I still carry a revolver when I'm serious about bears, ( 329pd with 270gr WFN @1150fps), but my knife is a Havalon Piranta and I don't have any animal skins.

I fully expected to come home from work and find some .40's wrapped in feathers..or at least some sort of photographic retort from the .40 gang.

And what do I get? Nuttin'.

Hmmph.

Depends primarily on the bullets over speed, noise, racket and recoil. Posting muzzle velocities of handgun rounds and boasting "power" sure looks conclusive, but its also pretty misleading.

The wheelgun chambering eats more and different bullets with less issue. It even eats different length brass.

Sure, lots of people have remarked their 357s are 38s, but no one has remarked their 40 is one....

I will conclude the 40 is the modern day version of the 38-40, which isnt a bad thing.

That's a good assessment. It's a very versatile cartridge.

http://www.thesixgunjournal.net/the-40-sw-your-tax-dollars-at-work/

Very enterestinng the 45acp vs .44 Special & Russian. Not too long ago Brian Pearce did a loading marathon on the .45 Auto Rim. Some impressive loads with old and new .45 AR revolvers. Bro n law has a newer model .45 AR revolver with 5" barrel and the article gave me quite the case of lust. Don't recall the Model number maybe someone can fill in the blank. Brings to mind the suitability for a woods gun. I'm pretty sure a 270gr hard cast at 800+ would be sufficient for anything up to 8" Black Locust.

The 45 Schofield often gets forgotten in the 45 caliber lineage and works well in the Ruger as opposed to the 45 autos with moons as a "45 Special".

Excellent! You're in the lead for the .40 crowd so far. I like the pod things, that's a nice touch.

jmd025,

Wow, that's perfect. Well done! (Nice gun, BTW! And, you're a good dude for posting that!)

357 mag was a great man stopper for its time. By the late 80s and early 90s semi autos became the modern era fighting guns, the wonder nines with more capacity made there appearance. The semi automatic became more reliable which was a concern at the time. This became the new standard. Revolvers and cartridges commonly used declined. Never cared for 357. Mag but it was a great cartridge!

It still is (.357 Magnum) a great cartridge!

People tend to take this business of what kind and caliber of pistol way too seriously.

OK, I'll take the challenge. I'll have you know I actually killed a whitetail with my G23 a few years back. One shot kill. Headed back to camp just after dark and there at my turn is a small car with flashers on. Expecting car trouble I slowed and pulled off ahead of him as he stood to the side. Seems the vehicle ahead of him whacked a knot head and there it lay, head swaying, not able to do anything else. Guy would have finished it off he said but didn't have a gun. Didn't even have a knife. Didn't ask about a tire tool but doubt that too. So out comes King Glock to alleviate pain & suffering. 155 gr Silvertip between the eyes at hair burn range. No exit. Little Bitty flopped a bit and it was over. One shot kill. Last I saw was the guy figgering out how to get 50 lbs of veal in his car without spilling blood all over.

But ".40 S&W one shot kill". That's the story.

The 14 shot Hi Power was designed and sold in 1935. Great fighting gun. The bullets back then sucked, unlike today. Who would have thought that guns made with recycled plastic would be popular.

What mount is that?

We need to have a consensus on the consensus of which is goodest. Good better goodest. I am of the opinion that the 9MM due to its atomicness is the most atomic.
If we could have some videos and recovered bullets (projectiles) it would be nice.
We need concreteness in the opinions of the opinionated. Being opinionated is okay as long as the opinions are based in videos and bullets.
Where are our resident videographers when we desire them with their wealth of opinionated opinions?
I have anguished in anguishing anguish over this and am sleepless in my nightly slumbering even though I try to relax in a relaxing way as I try to go to slumberating sleep.

Carver custom , competition version .

In that situation a 22lr would have done it too.

No it wouldn't. Only a 22lr placed through the brain stem will kill quickly. A knowing how to hit the brain stem is a skill requiring knowledge - which few possess. OTH, a big hole from a big bullet can destroy the brain stem from a lot of different angles and mistakes.

Oh man. This thread has everything.

Not quite, but now it does..

God bless America!

And this is what old guys with shrunken genitals do - porn.
Isn't there a sub-forum for this?

If this is your idea of porn, you better stay down in your mommy's basement..

This is porn.
















Orgy.

Yikes. No kidding!

Nope, no way a .22 would have killed that deer as dead as the .40 did. But I think maybe a Gold Dot woulda made it deader yet.

Now the fair question would have been, 40 vs 41............

357s have their qualities, but I prefer this round in a rifle for 4-legged creatures, its a WHOLE other ballgame at 2,050 with a 158.

Now the round does excel with the best loads for PD - but as noted capacity is the downside.

To me the 40 is best with 165-180 unless a good cast 200. Size and weight can have their advantages. All depends on application. Hard to beat the Smith 357 triggers in SA mode. Yes, Colt's are nice, but not sure the guns are as durable. I'd gladly punch a deer or hog with a good load in an accurate 40 as I would a 357. Now put a 180 in a long barreled 357.......it changes things.

All can work when good bullets destroy vitals.

for years, the 125 gr 357 was the gold standard. revolvers are outdated now.

the 40 is, no doubt effective. wonder why it isn't more popular.

the biggest problem with revolvers is that you can't spray and pray and there isn't anywhere to mount a flashlight.

40 S&W is by far the most used caliber by police nationwide, although a lot are going back to the 9mm..

"Duty Pistol Calibers
After a major shift initiated by the FBI just a few years ago, the 9mm reigns supreme as the standard duty caliber in issue handguns across the U.S., despite the fact that, almost 30 years ago, the same FBI pushed the development of the .40 Smith & Wesson cartridge as the ultimate law enforcement round. The .40 replaced the 10mm as the FBI’s ultimate cartridge and also sounded the death knell for the .38 Special revolver, which had been the standard since the 1900s.

The 9mm is a reasonable choice as a duty round. The 9mm is reasonably powerful and accurate and is more mild-mannered than the .40. But what about the specific duty pistols and the ammunition that stokes them? Well, that’s the complicated part.:

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/which-firearms-and-ammo-do-police-use/

Revolvers obsolete and outdated.... .LOL. Good chuckle when i see that.

You and Glockdufus should write a book and educate all us old guys with big balls.

Only if the pistol is ported 360º right in front of the chamber.

Nope. Pistol barrel length includes the chamber, revolver does not.

Accept no substitutes!

Amen.

Three words...Forcing Cone Gap.

I much prefer a revolver over an auto. Perhaps the main reason is I reload.

I can not think of a single use I have for a pistol/revolver that a 40 would be as good as a 357.

But then some people need a lot more shots to hit something and for those people maybe a 40 would be better.

A 5 inch semi auto barrel includes the chamber. In an L frame Smith in 357 Mag how long would the barrel have to be INCLUDING CHAMBER for the total length to be 5 inches.
Cylinder length plus barrel length. For the challenged you take the length of the cylinder and subtract that from 5 to get the barrel lenght.
WGAS about the flash gap. We all deal with some type of variation in everything we do.
Now we will have people whine about porting.
Boo hoo my barrel is ported to reduce the horrendous recoil and you are taking advantage of me.I should be allowed an extra inch of barrel to allow for this.
This isn't Golf and no handicaps are allowed.
5 inches total length with chamber is 5 inches total lenght.

Nor have I, other than a platform to launch 38's in. But only when I get a deal on one.

Oh crap..... is my shrunken genitals that obvious?

A fan of the 40 here....

They're all the rage with guys who like tupperware parties.

If for some reason it turned out you couldn't hit anything with your 357 but you wanted to carry a gun, they would recommend a semi-auto pistol, like maybe a 40 S&W, that had a full magazine. Hope is the bad guy will run into one of the bullets in the air.

Used to carry a glock 40 for work back in the day. Won a markmanship coin with the same glock against 30 other shooters. First started shooting glocks in 9 mil outside of tikrit 16 years ago.

After weeks of 12 hour shifts with a 40 and two extra loaded magazines on your hip, id rather it was a lighter 9 mil.

Compact sp 101 in 357 mag is my handgun of choice for carry on the rivers by canoe or the winter trails by dog team. Small, light and multipurpose trail gun. Moose threaten to stomp dogs in the winter when you spook them on the trail. They're super grumpy end of winter.

Around camp with moose meat and caribou meat hanging, bears come around occasionally. Usually just leave rifle propped against cabin tent and keep 357 mag in my pocket.

180 grain swift a-frame over 15 grains of lil gun: 1200 fps

Same 180 grain load for home defense.

I take lotta grouse, hare and beaver with a 158 grain speer tmj/ alliant unique load. Camp meat for the skillet is always nice. It breaks up the monotony of eating caribou and moose everyday.

Red squirrels try to cache sht under my cabin, so pop a few of them with the 158 speer tmj as well.
Very versatile trail gun, I will never need more than 5 shots.
It is my only handgun.


Dla, your rant is interesting. Sometimes, when I haven't had coffee and the dog team wakes me up half dozen times all through the night, I've an occasional rant here n there as well.

Two nights ago, my fkn sled dogs were howling with this black wolf that has been hangin around all season. All the female malamutes are in heat. Woke up super grumpy.

mainer them bunnys look tasty

Never tire of seeing that one!

They're purdy good. I usually simmer them for 4-5 hours in a 20 gallon pot. Separate meat from bone, cook with onions garlic and mushrooms and beef stock. Thicken into meat gravy and freeze in old one gallon food containers.

Two days of hunting yields 5-10 gallons of meat gravy to have over taters or rice.

The broth from boiling snowshoe hare is nasty. It has a gross after taste. That gets used to bait the dog team water.

I love my 357's

Nice work !

I'm not sure which is better--the Mickey Mouse knife or the "Champagne of Beers." Nice work!!