[big truck]

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[JoeFromSidney]

A snub-nosed .357, regardless of make, is very uncomfortable to shoot. Very stout recoil, lots of muzzle blast. I would never recommend anyone settling for such a gun. It's so unpleasant to shoot you'll be reluctant to practice with it, and if you ever really need it, you'll be more afraid of the gun than of your opponent.

This is not a gun for a beginner. It's a gun for experts, and it will take a lot of uncomfortable shooting to become an expert with it.

My wife's household gun is a full-sized Ruger .357 Magnum. It's big enough to soak up the recoil and isn't too bad to shoot. But it's not a "carry" gun.

[G Larry]

Test fire it first.

Until you get to a 4” barrel, I bet you can’t get 2 shots inside the 8 ring at 7 yards, in less than 2 seconds, so its of no use.

I’ve got the S&W 686 in the 7 round w 4” barrel.
Steel...no light-weight material.
It’s for field carry in a shoulder holster.

CCW is fraught w compromise.
Take your time and choose wisely.

[MediaMole]

Definitely get one to try out and shoot some hot loads.

A friend of mine is a big guy — 6’5” and functionally strong, a cop, and police firearms instructor. He got an airweight .357 for backup carry.

His department requires officers qualify with a 50 round course of fire for any gun an officer plans to carry. He got 15 rounds in and had to abandon it. He said his wrist wasn’t right for two weeks.

He ended up selling the gun back.

[Hugin]

Test to see which is best for you. Sight a target, close your eyes, point the gun at the spot you want to hit, then open your eyes. The one that’s on target will more often be the one that will shoot more naturally and be better for you.

[Daffynition]

I just love, love my .357 S&W J-Frame for CC.

Likes:
concealed hammer
out-of-the-box trigger pull
confidence in its performance
CT lasergrips

Disikes:
it's quite *heavy* to carry [for a woman]
finding a holster I like
I must own 12 different holsters for it....don't like any of them

Like others above, I practice w/ .38 special carts
I had practiced with this gun for a quite a while B4 I added CT laser grips. For carry, I use a .357 hollow-point bullet.
Once, and only once, have I had the need for drawing this gun for personal protection. When the laser was focused on the chest of the perp, he dropped to the ground and begged for his life.

The target from yesterday's practice.

Good luck with your hunt for the right gun for you. Perhaps you can find a gun shop that has different models you can try out as rentals. That's a lot easier than commiting to a gun/cal you may not like all that much.

[Lurker]

I’m rather find of my SP101 for everyday carry. Yes, it’s a bit heavy. But it shooter like a dream.

[Georgia Girl 2]

I have a Ruger P85. Helluva weapon. Ruger makes a good gun.

[tumblindice]

A .357 wheel gun? So you want bulk, weight, recoil AND muzzle blast?
Do you want to shoot wad-cutters or some exotic bullet? Why not a good 9mm? Or a .45.
I’ve got a .357 SS Rossi w/ 6” barrel boat anchor presiding over my gun safe, until my daughter wants it for her night stand.

[oldsalt]

Everybody has an opinion when it comes to which gun is good for this or that...here’s mine.
My favorite snubby is my Taurus Total Titanium .357 with a 2” ported barrel
and a seven shot capacity.
Yes the recoil is little stout but I find it manageable,but then I’m 6’1” and 275
lbs.
I can shoot 2-3” groups at 25 feet ...but I’ll concede it’s even better with .38Spec loads

[Labyrinthos]

I have shot both, but prefer neither. I recommend the Ruger SP101 with the 2.25” barrel. The longer barrel will produce greater velocity and energy for both .38spl and .357. Although the SP101 is slightly larger and heavier than the LCR and M&P (i.e., 1/2” longer and 8.9oz heavier than the LCR), it is still a very concealable weapon depending upon your body type. I carry mine inside the waistband with a loose shirt (tails out) or outside the waiseband with a sports jacket, vest, fleece, or sweatshirt. It also conseals well in the front pocket of my cargo pants/shorts and chinos.

Lastly, while the SP101 still has a respectable kick with .357s, it is a lot more manageable than the lighter/smaller LCR and M&P, even with the OEM plastic grip. With that said, I wear a leather “weighlifting glove” when I practice at the range.

[DoodleDawg]

I have a Ruger P95 and I like it a lot. Easy to clean, reliable, fits my hand nicely. It has a 15 round magazine. Never had a problem with it. If the revolvers are as good then you should be happy with it. I don’t conceal carry and it may not be the best choice for that but for any possible self-defense situations I can think of then I think it’s perfect.

[Steve0113]

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[wardaddy]

I am a proponent of fail safe wheelguns and for most average sized men the 357 is the crown prince

About perfect velocity energy and bullet weight magic

Either manufacturer is fine..personal taste

But 2 inch is just for last resort poker table fire

A 4 inch barrel more than doubled energy on same bullet

That matters....a lot

If you want something for very up close get a heavier bullet weight cartridge in a 44 special or Russian or 45 long colt

It won’t burn the powder much either but they’ll have a lead toy soldier worth of weight in their chest

No small crisis and the kick will be far less than the mighty 357 which in that LCR is gonna hop

I’ve got a smith 642 PD .38....and in high pressure loads it’ll blister your palm callous after a box spent

.357 really is best in long barrels.....even in carbine barrels it seriously improves from pistol lengths

In my yute....the Smith M19 with 6 inches was the huckleberry

The 28 was clunkier

[Steve0113]

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