I LOVE my .357, but...
- Thread starter Driveout02
- Start date
When I go to the range, I practice with .38's in my GP100, then finish off with some .357's for feel. Mostly for cost. Mine is 6", so it's a bit large, but when my license come's in, it's going to be a smaller version of the same thing. I love the feel. I have to agree, if you're going to be worried about protecting yourself and your loved ones, don't feel worried about overkill.
I had a S&W Model 66 with a 2.5" barrel, but the muzzle blast was too much for me. I sold it to a friend who is a US Army officer and a lot tougher than me.
I still have a S&W M60 in .38Spl+P with a 2" barrel, and I can deal with that one.
The only .357Mag I still have is a Marlin 1894C, and that's easy to shoot. Big difference between a 30oz revolver and a 7lb rifle!
carguychris
New member
Keep the K and save up for a J. 
IMHO a K-frame is more fun as a range gun. Unless you have really small hands, it's hard to get a good grip on a J-frame. Due to the short distance from the backstrap to the trigger, I find it hard to pull the trigger while keeping the sights aligned. The J-frame's coil mainspring makes the trigger less smooth and more "stagey" vs. the leaf mainspring in the K-frame. Furthermore, almost any .38Spl J-frame is going to have harsher recoil than the same load in a .38Spl or .357Mag K-frame.
The main reason to buy a J is to carry it and conceal it. The second reason is that the little bitty guns are just nifty. However, a K-frame is IMHO more fun to shoot and easier to shoot well. I enjoy shooting K-frames more than just about any other gun I've tried.
IMHO a K-frame is more fun as a range gun. Unless you have really small hands, it's hard to get a good grip on a J-frame. Due to the short distance from the backstrap to the trigger, I find it hard to pull the trigger while keeping the sights aligned. The J-frame's coil mainspring makes the trigger less smooth and more "stagey" vs. the leaf mainspring in the K-frame. Furthermore, almost any .38Spl J-frame is going to have harsher recoil than the same load in a .38Spl or .357Mag K-frame.
The main reason to buy a J is to carry it and conceal it. The second reason is that the little bitty guns are just nifty.
However, a K-frame is IMHO more fun to shoot and easier to shoot well. I enjoy shooting K-frames more than just about any other gun I've tried. I would also say keep it and the .357 is not too much for defense
I carry a j-frame in .357 and find it perfectly comfortable for SD. Additionally, I have 0 concerns regarding its reliability or stopping potential. The .38 +p is a good choice if that's all you can handle, but, I do think bigger is better in this case.
Funon1
I carry a j-frame in .357 and find it perfectly comfortable for SD. Additionally, I have 0 concerns regarding its reliability or stopping potential. The .38 +p is a good choice if that's all you can handle, but, I do think bigger is better in this case.
Funon1