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.357 Mag Snub Recommendations

3K views 25 replies 12 participants last post by  Kamarathin 
#1 ·
I am looking for recommendations for a .357 snub for the wife. She has a thing for revolvers and .357's and she is fond of the shorter barrels.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I have a Taurus 605 myself and it's a great small .357. Very controllable and reliable. Price point is good, also. The 651 is another good choice. I've sold a few of them and have had no complaints.

The letter designations refer to the size of the frame. The two Taurus pistols I mentioned are J Frame models, which are the smaller framed revolvers which are the size of the small 5 shot (6 if it was a Colt) detective revolvers you used to see them carry before semis got popular with the police. The higher the letter designation, the bigger the gun.
 
#5 ·
Kamarathin said:
I'll have to ask her to be sure. If I say Lightweight, she'll want a Heavy and vice versa.

I've heard the letter designations for revolvers and I have absolutely no idea what they mean, so any input on that would be beneficial as well.
J frame is the smallest of the Smith frames - N is the largest - K&L in the middle
 
#6 ·
I have a Ruger SP101 snub in 357. It weighs 28 oz loaded with 5 rounds of 158 grn mags. There is only about 50 fps difference between the 158's and 125's in the snub barrel. I would not want to shoot a mag load in a lighter gun. They are also available with a 3" and 4" barrel.
 
#8 · (Edited)
#9 · (Edited)
#10 ·
686=6 rnds 686+=7rnds. I looked it up. Only about a $20 difference for the extra round.
 
#13 ·
SP101-2.25"=26 oz / 3"=27oz / 4"=29.5oz 5 rounds
GP100-3"=36oz / 4"=40oz 6 rounds
686+ -2.5"=34oz /3"=37oz / 4"=39oz 7 rounds
This will give you some idea of weight. The 3" 686+ is a Talo model. How much weight does she want to carry? Keep in mind that heavier is easier to control. It appears that the K frame is no longer available in 357.
 
#15 ·
If at all possible, shoot before you buy.
 
#19 ·
I have to also recommend the sp101. I've conceal carried compact semi auto 40, 45 and the sp101. The j frame ruger just feels great in your hand and looks great too. I have the CT grips which are very comfortable.
Weight does play a big role if you are carrying daily. Daily carrying a 30 oz + gun can be a pain after awhile especially if you are a smaller framed individual. Just my .02
 
#20 ·
Ok, got some more detail from her.

K or L frame
3-4" barrel
.357 mag
Following those parameters there are only two ways to go. S&W Mod 19 or Mod 66. Both are out of production, but should be available used. The 686 is okay, but it's not in the same class.

Since this is for your wife, and based on your comment about the SP 101 coming up so often I feel I should pass this on. If your wife is a small woman with tiny hands you need to let her find one to test fire before you buy it. On rapid fire my daughter's SP 101 ate the tip of her index finger for lunch. It kept getting caught between the tip of the trigger and the trigger guard. I'm not talking pinched, I'm saying it drew blood.

Going outside the stated parameters I would suggest a S&W Model 60 still available from Smith. It is a J frame 5 shot, but can be found with either a two or three inch barrel. The three inch comes with much better sights.
 
#24 ·
My wife is small and does fine with my SP101 loaded with 38+P. She also does fine with her SR9c.
 
#25 ·
It seems to have been missed so far. If you can find a Ruger Speed Six or Security Six in the 2.75" barrel, you have a viable alternative to a 2.5" S&W M19. They usually aren't real high priced, but there are not many for sale - people who have them tend to keep them.

They are bigger and heavier than an SP101 or S&W M60, but they are about the same as the M19 snubby. And they will handle any ammunition in .357 Magnum one cares to hold on to. And you'll need to find aftermarket grips. Pachmeyer makes a set of their rubber grips - or used to make them - and they're still available on some of the auction sites or at gun shows, depending on how far one looks.
 
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