Most concealable 6-shot .357?

[insane_irish]

Hey guys, wanting your opinions on what is the most concealable .357 with a 6-shot capacity. Would prefer current production, but ones that are available in good shape used would be fine as well.

If it is an older design, I have heard that some of them are not recommended for use of full load 125 gr. but rather were designed around the then more common 158 gr. loads. Is this true?

So far all I have shot is a 3" GP100 which I really liked, but wanted to get your opinions.

Thanks.

 

[MADISON]

Most concealable 6 shot .357

Go to E-bay and see if you can find a Bianchi 9R-2 holster.
Since the 70's I have carried, off and on, a 2 3/4 inch Ruger Security 6 in a 9R-2. Also, a 2 inch barrel 19 or 2 inch 66 would fit.

 

[pistolet1]

There was the Colt Lawman in .357; with a 2" barrel, it was 7 1/4" overall, just a quarter of an inch shorter than the S&W Model 19 with a 2 1/2" barrel.

 

[Perldog007]

Rossi 461 or 462. I have heard tell of quality control at Taurus and shaky customer service so it would seem to behoove one to check a prospective purchase out carefully (Rossi is now Braztech owned by Taurus).

On the other hand, look over the forums and you will find legions of minions singing the praises of Taurus revolvers, including me.

 

[justinbaby]

You are asking a lot. You want to shoot full load 125's in a 6 shot concealed? You can do that in a S&W K-frame 6 shot snubby 2-1/2 - 3 inch on a limited basis. But not thousands upon thousands of rounds. Either go with 158's with a 6 shot Smith, or drop down to a 5 shot Ruger for 125's, also in 2-1/2 - 3 inch. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Now, if you go with an L frame...

IMHO, of course

justinbaby

 

[ooreach]

check out taurus 615, it's a 7 shot, but besides a thick cylinder it works well in smart carry and i've got a iwb that works. revolver design just breaks up patern better.

 

[Sarge]

The short, fixed sight Rossi looks as good to me as anything in this class. I would expect the gun to be usable and I would indeed shoot it with Federal 125 Mags or the equivalent. Prove the gun with what you're going to carry and get to know where it shoots with them. Run a few through it DA once in awhile just to stay in trim.

For fun shooting with these guns however, the little .38 HBWC target load is hard to beat and in most snubs it shoots to almost exactly the same place. I have a ball with that load in a 2" SP101, whose regular diet is the Federal mags.

Let us know what you get & how it works out.

 

[jrothWA]

Bianchi 6L IWB holster...

allows me to carry 4" RSS under a loose golf shirt.
5'1'', 236lbs, hides nicely ( okay, it molds into the blubber)

 

[Majic]

Colt Magnum Carry. Not much bigger than a S&W J-frame.

 

[apr1775]

I highly recomend the Rossi as I'm impressed with mine. Fits into holsters made for a Colt Detective Special, unless one made to fit very tight. Mine groups nicely at point of aim. The action is very smooth, but rather heavy trigger pull although it is getting better. Other board members have had ones that were not so good; just do the revolver check out procedure before taking it home.

 

[Dilligaf]

Another vote for a Rossi 461. 6-shot .357 in a J-frame sized package.

 

[kgpcr]

I have a Taurus 617S 7 shot .357 and i love it. I pocket carry all the time in the summer with it!

 

[jetman]

There are still some out there to be had. They aren't cheap but climbing in value almost daily. I too would recommend the Colt Magnum Carry. They are practically indestructable, and appreciating in value where most are depreciating.

 

[dawgfvr]

Oh come on guys...how 'bout the Ruger Speed Six?
This was/is the perfect carry .357 mag ever to be made.

 

[BillCA]

Irish,

I'd vote for a K-Frame S&W because...well, I'm biased.

For a fixed sight model, either the model 13 (blue) or Model 65 (stainless). These normally come with a 4" barrel, but S&W made some with 3" barrels, but they are fairly hard to find. Seems lots of CCW folks snap 'em up.

With adjustable sights, a 2.5" Model 19 (blue) or Model (66) stainless. There are 3" versions available, but the 2.5" is more common. Besides, they look nice too.

S&W Model 19

Stainless wears better in a holster.

S&W Model 66

Both of these guns are now out of production, unfortunately. The Model 686 is the replacement, however they are slightly larger and heavier. Used Model 19's and 66's can often be found for under $450 depending on where you live.

Re: Ammo selection
The problem with the K-Frame .357 was that heavy use of 125-gr .357 Magnum loads was linked to cracking of the frame just underneath the forcing cone. Two reasons are believed to be the cause of this problem. First, the short 125gr bullet leaves the case a fraction of a second earlier than a longer bullet, with less stability and a longer period of hot high pressure gas behind it. Second, the shorter bullet isn't quite stable as it makes the jump from cylinder to barrel and it strikes the forcing cone with angular force. Compounding this problem is that 125's are moving faster than a heavier bullet, imparting more of a blow. This repeated hammering, after time, causes enough stress to weaken the frame until it cracks. The solution is a longer bullet (heavier) that is moving slower and because of its length, is more stable leaving the cylinder. Or one can use 125-gr bullets loaded to lower velocities than the nominal 1500 fps (6") used in defensive ammo. The good news is that there are excellent choices to replace the 125-gr bullet, such as Speer's 135-gr Gold Dot (Short barrel) load, Winchester's 145-gr Silvertip and the more traditional 158-gr loads.

I think the problem has been, largely, overblown even though it exists. I was largely seen in police issue guns when training policies forced officers to practice with .357 ammo instead of .38 specials and thousands of rounds were fired through the guns.

 

[insane_irish]

You are asking a lot. You want to shoot full load 125's in a 6 shot concealed? You can do that in a S&W K-frame 6 shot snubby 2-1/2 - 3 inch on a limited basis. But not thousands upon thousands of rounds. Either go with 158's with a 6 shot Smith, or drop down to a 5 shot Ruger for 125's, also in 2-1/2 - 3 inch. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Yeah, that is kind of what I thought. Honestly, my plan would probably be for approximately 50-60 or so full load 125's per month and then 158 mags and .38's as well. Can a K-frame hold up to that?

maybe I will stick with the 135's

 

[ddskehan]

my 19-3 snubbie in nickel finish has been great, but it is a little on the big side. Was easier to hide than my colt trooper snubbie thou.

 

[justinbaby]

Yeah, that is kind of what I thought. Honestly, my plan would probably be for approximately 50-60 or so full load 125's per month and then 158 mags and .38's as well. Can a K-frame hold up to that?

At 50-60 a month you are still talking 600 - 720 rounds per year. Assuming you want the revolver to be TROUBLE FREE for five years, that's 3,000 - 3,600 for the lifespan of the piece. I would seriously take a look at heavier slugs, lower velocities. Heck, I have an L frame 586 in 2-1/2" and won't shoot 125's in them. (I want to preserve my forcing cone!) I shoot 158gr hydro-shocks instead. People can laugh all they want. That's what I shoot.

justinbaby

 

[Sgt127]

Yeah, that is kind of what I thought. Honestly, my plan would probably be for approximately 50-60 or so full load 125's per month and then 158 mags and .38's as well. Can a K-frame hold up to that?


The Ruger you fired has a little heft to it, have you ever fired a snub357? Out of a Ruger SP-101 or a 3" K frame, I'm good for about 12 rounds of 125 GR .357 magnums at a time. Its a nasty and sharp recoil. I cannot even imagine what the little Scandium guns are like to shoot. My dainty little hands can't take the punishment anymore, if you can, more power to you, its a damned good choice for a defense gun.

I wish Ruger would come back out with the Speed Six line to fill the void S&W left when they dropped the K frames.

 

[Majic]

Heck, I have an L frame 586 in 2-1/2" and won't shoot 125's in them. (I want to preserve my forcing cone!)

The L-frame has no forcing cone troubles. It has a full forcing cone. It's the K-frame that has the bottomed milled so that it's weakened.