When it comes to a good.......great, do everything well gun, there is still a lot to be said for the 4 inch barrel revolver chambered in 357.

I have noticed several threads on different boards recently espousing that the 4 inch 357, or revolvers in general, are still adequate duty guns. This is NOT what I am talking about. The threat has changed and so have police tactics. I do not think a revolver is still useful as a daily duty gun.

But as Joe Citizen, in retirement and working part time, my old duty gun, a 4 inch 66-2 makes sense and is getting shot and carried more lately.

I have the option of very good and street proven 38+P loads or hot 158 grain 357s. Some will now caution about running 357s in K-frame Magnums. Here is my take on that. In 49 years or shooting, being issued, training and examining literally thousands of K-frame Magnum revolvers, I have only ever personally seen one with a cracked forcing cone. One. In person.

And the forcing cone on that model 19-5 was filthy. Caked with lead and carbon. And the owner was shooting his own handloads when it occured. Come to your own conclusions as to why it failed.

I think there is a lot of utility to a nice pre lock S&W K-frame Magnum. It carries and conceals well. Is not too heavy. And the accuracy reminds me of the fun and joy of shooting as opposed to practicing and training for serious purpose. Shooting is fun. I think I lose sight of that with the focus on defensive use.

And I wish I owned a semi auto pistol that was as accurate and fun to shoot as my 4 inch 66-2. Any other fans here? Regards 18DAI

I carried a 3" Model 65 for about 18 months, a bit heavy and I never had to use it, but I have no doubt it would be effective in the large majority of potential CCW situations. I have a 4" 66 as well but never carried it.

I carried one on duty before we transitioned to SIG semi autos. It was my own as the department only issued the S&W Model 15. 158gr Remington jhp was issued by the armory. To large to carry for off duty, especially in AZ summers.

I have long held the belief the cracked forcing cones began when Super-Vel produced their high velocity (and high pressure) loads. I have a four inch model 19-5, it was a birthday present 36 years ago, I have shot countless .357s, including some hot, slightly primer flattening hand loads. It is doing just fine and is currently my bedside gun. I also own a two and half inch model 19-3, I have used it for CCW quite often. I think they get the job done.

I call my 4" 686 as my sport/utility revolver. You can use it for target shooting with .38 wad cutters, you can use .38 +Ps or .357 for defense and there are some good .357 rounds for hunting and game management. I personally like .357 for areas where I might have to deal with a 4 legged predator.

Plus it's really easy to reload for.

I really learned how to shoot well with S&W -19’s and -66’s.

Phenomenal guns! Low maintenance, easy to clean, and will pretty much go “Bang” every time you pull the trigger. The only problems I’ve seen were attributed to real hot hand loads, or the timing being off (mostly due to some cowboy “snapping” the gun to close the cylinder).


Yes, they WERE great duty weapons back in the 60’s and early 70’s, but you’re limited to 6 rounds. However, I have no hesitation carrying a 5 shot snub as a backup at times.

quote:

Originally posted by 18DAI:
When it comes to a good.......great, do everything well gun, there is still a lot to be said for the 4 inch barrel revolver chambered in 357.

Though many have tried, nobody's been able to replicate the performance of the .357 Magnum in a bottom-feeder yet. Not for the range of bullet weights the .357 Mag. can handle.

quote:

Originally posted by 18DAI:
Some will now caution about running 357s in K-frame Magnums. Here is my take on that. In 49 years or shooting, being issued, training and examining literally thousands of K-frame Magnum revolvers, I have only ever personally seen one with a cracked forcing cone.

IIRC, it wasn't just the forcing cones that were an issue with shooting full-house .357 Mag. loads out of K-frames day in, day out, but that the frames wouldn't handle the abuse?

I recall reading a review of my Ruger Security Six when it first came out, and that was one of its positives. "Frame of a .44 Mag" wrote the reviewer. He specifically referenced it in to comparison to S&W DA frames of the period and wrote something like "Unlike S&W frames, this one can handle full house loads all day long" or suchlike.

quote:

Originally posted by 18DAI:
And I wish I owned a semi auto pistol that was as accurate and fun to shoot as my 4 inch 66-2. Any other fans here? Regards 18DAI

"Fun to shoot..." Heh. Short story: It'd been years since I'd gone shooting. Like maybe twenty? Bill Clinton had just signed the Brady Bill. I was pissed. Took an emergency vacation day and went on a local search to buy a "high-capacity" center-fire pistol. Found one. Probably the last one in Metro-Detroit. A G22.

Took that G22 to the range and ran a couple mags through it. "Ok, cool. Now let's try my venerable old Ruger." Loaded-up six rounds of full-house .357 Mag. JHPs. "I'll try SA first," I thought to myself. After all: It'd been years. Carefully sighted, pulled the trigger...

HOLY CRAP!!!



I've been promising (threatening?) to get my Security Six back out to the range, but it's going to take a bit of practice to find shooting full-house .357 Mag comfortable again after shooting these nancy boy rounds all these years

And to think: Back In The Day I used to shoot those all day long, and somewhat quickly in DA, too, and never thought twice about it.

I have an older 4" GP100 that I picked up on a whim because I saw it on the used rack and it called my name. That thing is a downright tack driver, and it handles everything from powderpuff .38 up to full-house .357 mag with aplomb. It's my son's favorite gun to shoot, and it very near the top of my list as well. Which reminds me...I need to load up some more .38!

I love all 357's just remember there is another.

It’s funny to see how people think L and K frames are heavy and not concealable. From 2004-2006 I carried a 4” S&W 610 in a Bladetech level 1 holster on duty and in a Alessi IWB off-duty.

I have 2 1/2 and 4 inch 66s and a 4 inch 28, delightful revolvers.

I have a 19-3 P/R that I've shot a boat load of .357 through. You have to keep in mind that .357 factory loads of the era were 158gr SWC lead tipped bullets. When the lighter 110/125gr full jacketed loads were introduced, the forcing cone issues started to appear. It was a combination of the higher velocity/pressure jacketed rounds and heavily leaded forcing cones from practicing with .38 Special. Keep your forcing cone clean and shoot heavier, slower .357 bullets and you should never have an issue.

It took me a long time to master the S&W revolver. Still not as competent as I would like to be. However, I had a great outing with a friend's 57 & 610 several years ago that piqued my interest in revolvers again, but not for self-defense.

Many say 357 SIG is not as hot as 357 Mag, but I will take 12+1 of these in a P226 any day.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
I love all 357's just remember there is another.

Carried a Model 13 on duty for quite a few years. 125gr JHP Load.
Off duty was a 3 inch Model 65. The old FBI Load of an all lead 158gr +P SWCHP.
No complaints.
Still have a mint M65 3 inch and will never part with it.

quote:

Originally posted by burnetma:
Many say 357 SIG is not as hot as 357 Mag, ...

That would be because, with the possible exception of 125 gr. loadings in both, it is not

To get .357 Mag performance levels in an auto-loader with a wider range of bullet weights you have to go up to a 10mm.

You mentioned a 4" 66-2? I got mine out yesterday and fired it for the first time in a dozen years. To me it's the ultimate combat revolver.

While I've been a died-in-the-wool 1911 45ACP fan for well over 50 years, I will admit my M681-1 4 incher is a dead nuts accurate fun shooter.

I love shooting my revolvers and I grew up learning to shoot on a 4" .357. Lately, I've been shooting my revolvers a lot because I've been working J-frames into my carry rotation. But if I'm going to carry something the size of K-frame it's hard not to reach for one of my Beretta 92 models instead.

There was a recent episode on Primary & Secondary that was excellent about revolvers in general. One of the panelists made a point about how great a 4" .357 is because it shoots "a flashbang with a .38 behind it". The psychological impact and the physical impact of the flame on target at close range is a heck of an added bonus.

My 4 inch Model 19. Good for carry, home defense or just shootin'.

I'm a security six fan, and in the modern, a GP100 fan.

I carry .357 Sig, and often .38 in a 2" revolver. My personal favorite for .357 Magnum is the Ruger SP101, but in a 3".

While a larger pistol could be concealed, for the weight, bulk, etc, something the size of a J-frame is about as big as I want to go for concealment. The Kimber K6S has as good a trigger as any of the striker fired auto pistols today, can be had in a 3" barrel, and houses six rounds for the same size as most five shot j-frame size pistols.

For a four inch, it's either a security six for me, or a GP100.