Stainless S&W .357?

A

Adventurer_96

New member
I have to admit first that I can't tell a model 17 from a model 656, but here's the deal:

I'm going back to the gunshow tomorrow, possibly to buy a S&W .357 stainless, police trade-in either 4 or 5" bbl, I can never tell the difference for $260 out the door. The timing on the cylinder seems to be good, and the cylinder is very tight both with hammer down and cocked. There's some wear on the stainless finish that would seem to be from a holster, but checking around the front of the cylinder and the rest of the weapon it seems to have been fired very little. Also, the bore seems close to mint, which really surprised me.

I've been looking for a .38 for home defense but this stainless .357 seems like it would not only be a great home defense weapon (my wife would use it if I had a .38 load in it) but I could also have it as a general purpose revolver.

I know I'm not giving a lot of info here, but I would appreciate any feedback regarding my thoughts on the weapon. Would a snubbie be better in the home defense role if my wife were to use it?

Funny thing is, by the time I get any responses I may be on my way to get it! I'd still love any insight on the issue

La perte des armes est la fin de la liberte.
 
D

dewey

New member
It would be difficult to find fault with the stainless .357
for your stated needs. The gun your are going to go look at is proly a Model 65, a very popular model with LEO. Quite often they can be found in VG-E condition with MINT bores as
these days the officers don't want nor get much range time.
Pick up some 'snap-caps' at the show and drive your bride nuts by snapping it for a few weeks . You'll be amazed at the slick trigger you get.

The .357 can be used with mild target loads for ~$7 box.
I would get some 'el-cheapo reloads and let your wife get used to it.( Have her wear ear plugs and muffs !)Many people prefer .38SPL +Ps for home defense but 125gr. .357 is a widely issued load.....ENJOY....dewey
 
G

Guy B. Meredith

New member
I would vote for the .357 magnum as it can also shoot inexpensive .38 spl loads with no problem. I would vote against a snubbie, particularly for your wife. They are primarily for concealed carry. In the home you can afford a longer barrel and your wife will most likely appreciate the reduced recoil and muzzle blast. Longer barrels are also better general purpose guns, 6" being the most general and 4" a good second.
 
D

dewey

New member
I doeno, Guy. The 4 inch is proly best. My bride was always
skitterish about those BIG guns in 6 inch until she found a S&W 8 3/8s under my bed. She said it scared her ! ...dewey
 
K

K-9

New member
You can't go wrong with a S&W .357. If you ever tire of it,it'll be easy to sell. My 2 cents.
 
J

jimmy

New member
Another standard S&W .357 stainless revolver is the Model 66. And I own a Model 681 that was a police trade-in. Any or all S&W .357 stainless models would be good for home defense. Four inches may be the most useful all-around barrel length.

As for the wife, IMHO a snubbie is not the best way to go. Now, it's true that my wife does not like large, heavy revolvers (like the 681), which, she says, are difficult for her to hold up steadily. So, she prefers snubbies when she hefts them--but *not* when she shoots them!

The all-around best choice for her seems to be a K-frame with a 3-inch barrel and a round butt (a 4-inch barrel length is too heavy for her and a square butt is too deep for her to grasp effectively, she says). The exact model is not too important: it could be a Model 10, 13, 64, or 65--she's only going to shoot .38s in it anyway. In fact, she settled on a Model 10, because I happened to have an "extra" one. YMMV.

Please let us know which model yours turns out to be and how it shoots. :)
 
A

Adventurer_96

New member
Thanks for the help

I really appreciate your replies, although just as I expected I bought it before reading any of them!

It's a model 65-4 police turn in 4" bbl (why I couldn't remember that I don't know) and like I mentioned it's a police trade-in stainless. Upon closer inspection the bore was still in great shape, and as I expected there was a bit of wear evident on the finish, but nothing that would at all take away from the appearance of the pistol.

When I looked closely at the cylinder front it really seemed clean in the sense that it had been fired very little. Additionally, the grips are the stained-wood kind, without any kind of lacquer finish. That works out nicely because the grips seem to be smaller than any other .357 I looked at. The sights are the fixed kind, nothing cosmic but then I won't be entering any contests with this gun I suspect.

My wife won't be able to see this gun for a few more weeks but aside from the fact I had to buy it she seems happy at the features I pointed out to her (smaller grip, heavier gun for recoil, stainless) and I'm happy because it's going to be a great general purpose revolver which may become a carry weapon when I get to Arizona if I can find a good shoulder holster. I bought a cloth one today from one of the outfits that does shows all around the Georgia/Alabama area, and it seemed to be high quality until the snap came apart when I got home! Any suggestions on where to get something like this fixed? Leather repair shop, since they work with heavy materials?

As far as the snubbie debate goes, this gun will take the place of any snubbie I may have bought. She liked the snubbie in part I think because it seems less intimidating. I had a S&W .38 police revolver, beautiful bluing which was a target pistol for a guy in the New England Police Revolver league for years that I traded last year (can't remember the model but I still have the serial number) and she didn't like it at all. Speaking of that revolver, I really want to track it down and get it back. The guy I traded it too doesn't know what he did with it or who he sold it too! Sheesh!

At any rate, a VERY long reply but thanks again for your help and advice. As soon as I got home I took six empty .38 shells and began "snapping!"

Pete

La perte des armes est la fin de la liberte
 
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