Anybody shoot a .357 Magnum snubbie?

[Ogg]

@JWC - shrouded hammer for the win.

SP-101 vs others (E.g. S&W model 60 etc.) - the SP-101 is a lump and a half. Very heavy for it's size. The Good is that the weight gives better control and soaks up a bit of recoil, the Bad is that it's a lot of weight to carry around.
For carry in a purse, one of the small DA or DA/SA autos in .380 might be a better bet (e.g. P3AT). Weighs nothing, and the narrow body (revolvers are 3X wider or more) make carry much easier. If weight is not much of an issue, why not a compact DA/SA auto (everyone makes them - glock, beretta, etc) in 9mm+P or .40?

 

[budget71]

I took my wife to the range last Saturday to try a few pistols. She had it in her mind she wanted a little .380 to carry in a fanny pack while biking. She ended up trying out a SW bodyguard .380,. I then had her try a ruger SP101 I 357, a SW 642 airweight with shrouded hammer and the Ruger lcr in 357. She shot the Lcr the best by far using..38 sp federal hydra shok low recoil ammo (only pd ammo the range had). She bought the Lcr. We picked up a few boxes of 357 and 38 and headed out to out hunt club to shoot more. She can't be more pleases and will carry it with. 38 spcl. There's no need for the. 357 with such k a short barrel. However the. 357 version of the Lcr dampens the recoil even more than the. 38spl version of the Lcr.
Incidentally, we picked up a box of 130gr federal hydra shok low recoil... Man was a misnomer! That ammo clocked 1400fps from a 6" model 27. It hit harder than anything else we had. Low recoil my a$$.

FWIW.. She shot the polymer 357 better than the all steel sp101.. Makes little sense at first but it is what it is.... That's why it's a good idea to try out a few to see what fits you best. If she had just took my advice she would have taken either the 101 or a SW Ladysmith 357 that was sitting there.

 

[Rcm1987]

My wife loves her 2in 357 taurus. I took her to the range and rented her as many calibers as they had So she could make a decision on what she was comfortable with. She picked the 357 magnum. Keep in mind she didn't touch guns before I came along. So after buying her gun I started loading 38sp in it to get her used to the gun and after a box of those stepped up to the 357 rounds and she loves it. More accurate with the damn thing than I am! She's 5'2" and got little piano hands. Her only issue was the factory grip wasn't long enough to make her feel like she had a good grip on it so I swapped it out with a full size rubber Houge grip and that's her baby.

 

[CAMSDADDY]

I have shot my Model 60 j frame with every grip I could find and when firing 158 gr .357 honestly it was painful. I dont know maybe Im a girly man but my hand and my elbow felt as if I had been hit with a bat. I dont mind shooting them in my 3" model 65 k frame but due to recovery and follow up I dont carry them. Im pretty sure if you can put all 5x5x5 in a critical spot a .38 will get the job done

 

[Pugdad]

My wife weighs less than 100 lbs and handles a Ruger LCR .357 w no problems...I wouldn't want her unloading on me! Also has laser grips on hers...

 

[spencer60]

Ruger LCR... hands down. It best DAO trigger you can find on a reasonably priced revolver, and the polymer and Houge grips really do soak up some of the recoil.

I had one with the CT grips, and have to admit I wasn't a big fan of them. They made 357 recoil a lot harsher, and the gun harder to shoot. I kept the stock grips and put an XS BigDot night sight on instead. Same low-light performance and I was much more accurate with those grips.

If you want some grips that aren't as chunky, Ruger also makes a boot grip for it now that has some of the Tamer material along the back, but are even more concealable.

Most ranges have these as rentals too, so they are easy to test drive.

 

[JWC]

I have shot my Model 60 j frame with every grip I could find and when firing 158 gr .357 honestly it was painful. I dont know maybe Im a girly man but my hand and my elbow felt as if I had been hit with a bat. I dont mind shooting them in my 3" model 65 k frame but due to recovery and follow up I dont carry them. Im pretty sure if you can put all 5x5x5 in a critical spot a .38 will get the job done

Well yes you are. But shooting a J frame .357 is just not fun to me. Heck, the M386 L frame with the Sc frame is just as bad. These small or light frame .357s are a real pain in the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder.

 

[mikey357]

Well yes you are. But shooting a J frame .357 is just not fun to me. Heck, the M386 L frame with the Sc frame is just as bad. These small or light frame .357s are a real pain in the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder.

Hmmm...I've got a 386SC "Mountain Lite" with the 3 & 1/4 inch or whatever it is...I PREFER shooting IT with Full-Bore .357's to shooting a 340 or 360 with .38 Plus-P's...'Course, I've put a slightly larger-than-stock Hogue Rubber Grip on the 386, too...YMMV, of course....mikey357

 

[Junior_357]

I carry a 386NG...but it is most definitely not a comfy practice gun. It's 24 oz. empty...and beats up my hands if I shoot more than a few full-house loads through it.

I toyed with the idea of getting a 360 M&P, but after talking to more than one experienced shooter who had their fingers cut by the trigger guard...I decided to pass on it. Yes...the recoil is that violent in a sub-14 oz. .357. My summer carry is a Model 37...and 38+P's through that are bad enough.

EDIT: I also own a S&W M19-5 snub...and it is perfectly pleasant to shoot even with full house loads. But it isn't exactly a purse-carry sized gun either...

 

[erkinator]

3 of my 5 sisters love the wheel gun. 4 inch 357. brother loads them 38 home defense rounds, but when they go to range and want some fun they put in the magnums