Posted: 3/19/2005 6:09:07 PM EDT
I've decided to go with an S&W .357 as my first handgun. I actually couldn't decide between an auto and a revolver, so i decided to go with both. It seems that's the typical advice around here  I'm not sure which model .357 would be best. I like the idea of a lightweight, but i'm concerned about recoil. Is there a large difference in recoil between the AirLite and standard steel models? I'm considering the following models. 386pd 7 rd 17.5 oz. 686p 7 rd 34.5 oz, and 66 6 rd 32 oz. Looking to keep the barrel under 2 1/2 inches. Any pros/cons or advice is appreciated.
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Not knowing how recoil sensitive you are, the 640 was fine with me. Stout, to be sure but very accurate and managable. I'd hate to say get the light one and you be relegated to .38 specials or not happy with it. Even then, a handful for a first gun unless you have fired one before. |
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Depands on what you plan to do with it. For an enjoyable range and home / vehicle defense gun that can double once in a while for CCW, I like the 4 in. K frame guns...M19 / 66 / 13 / 65 but I do not try and beat these guns to death with lots and lots of full power magnum loads...mostly I use .38spl. standard or +p rounds for range use. For shooting mostly full power magnums, get the L frame 686 or maybe even find an N frame M27 / 627 / 28 etc. They are beefed up to be able to run with full loads for years and heavy enough to offset the added recoil and make the gun comfortable to shoot. For dedicated CCW, I really like the 3in. heavy barreled M13 / 65s if the revolver is my main gun, but the little J frame 5 shooters are, no doubt, easier to hide. Many have no problems packing an all steel J frame snub, but I no longer even own one, having long ago decided that the only justification for my use of these little guns was for deep concealment...either as a pocket gun or, more usually, as a backup gun. In this role, I may shoot as many as 10-15 rounds a year through each of mine...seldom more. IMO, the best buy, and most useful of these lightweights, is the M642 in .38spl. it is affordable, easy to hide and will shoot as well as you can, I own a 340PD that is my constant carry pistol, but they are overpriced and shooting full 125gr, magnum loads in a 12oz. gun is...well...memorable, to say the least! If you seriously want a small snub you can shoot lots of magnum rounds through with no problems, the Ruger SP101 is, hands down, the best out there, but heavier and harder to carry / hide than the S&W J frames. Not knocking your personal choices, but I have found after decades of revolver use that it is damned difficult to beat a 4in. K frame S&W as an all around wheelgun so long as you are not determined to beat it to death with thousands of full magnum loads a year. The larger framed, short barreled guns are, for me, neither "fish" nor "fowl"...but others like them. My $.02 worth. |
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+1 for the 2.5" K-frame. One of my all time fav revolvers - hefty enough to decently handle full-house loads, adjustable sights, and a wider selection of grips. And in my experience, the actions have been head-and-shoulders above any J-frame I've ever handled. FWIW, if you're intending to CCW, consider a quality gun-belt and holster, they'll make a world of difference in ease of carry. |
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Thanks for all your input. Now for the super newb question of the day. I've googled my laptop to death and cannot find the difference between a J frame and a K/L frame. S&W site reports the frame of each pistol as small/med, and sometimes large. Is J frame a compact grip, and K/L frame the full size? Thanks again. |
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Avoid snubbies as a first gun at all cost. The little buggers can be surprisingly difficult to shoot well. It can be done, but its hard and not something the typically newbie will master quickly or easily. You will likely get very frustrated. Four inch K frame is very hard to beat. L frame if you plan on lots of magmum loads, but relatively few shooters shoot that much magnum ammo. Cost alone precludes it and its just not that much fun after fifty rounds. The various LW snubbies will be a real handful if you're not used to shooting the heavy stuff. You will almost certainly develop a flinch that will be a bugger to cure. Stay with all steel for the first one out of the gate. |
| Alright good, i'm glad I asked. 1 more and we'll kick this thread. I've got kind of small hands. I'm looking at the 66 suggested by ikor. the 4 inch looks to have a very large grip...K frame? But the grip on the 2.5 inch looks somwhere in between, not sure if this is a J frame. Should I just go with the larger model and train my hand to the larger grip? TIA |
Traditionally, the 2 1/2 " has a round butt and the 4" a square butt...this has changed recently, however, IIRC. They are both still K frame guns. ("J" frames are the 5-shot snubbies and such) The square butt cannot usually be concealed quite as well as the round, but that is also often a function of grips and holsters as well as what design the butt itself is. My personal favorite for serious revolver CCW is the 3" RB M13 / 65 with heavy barrel or maybe the limited run of 3" RB M66's made by S&W...I just missed out on these, damnit!  Except for the relatively rare 3" 66, these are fixed sight guns...but that will have little bearing on shots out to 25yd. or so. You will find that the slightly longer (than 2 1/2") barrel is no more difficult to conceal, and gives you a full extractor rod stroke as well as better recoil control and practical accuracy.The pics of the factory-new guns will show full sized target grips on the 4" M66, but sevral makers have smaller ones available. One great thing about revolver grips (stocks) is that you can swap them out quickly! |
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You will find that there is a lot of personal preference involved in your decision. How often and how you plan to carry it are good things to think about. If you can try some different revolvers at the range, even if you have to go somewhere that rents them (some indoor ranges do that), it might help you make your decision. |
