question about taurus .357 revolvers

[original gunner]

I really like the look and feel of taurus snub nose revolvers.

in my research the manual I read online says that taurus .357 revolvers will shoot .38 +P+ loads. does this also mean .38 will shoot .357?

Im looking seriously at a .38 or .357 snubby and could use some feedback from folks who have shot a snub .357 and what they thought about the recoil, and also some ballistic information on .38/.357 and what the differences are when the .38 and .357 load are shot inside a revolver designed for .38 special.

thanks!

[original gunner]

ah, answered my own question thanks to pafoa. still interested to get feedback on recoil from folks shooting .357 and .38 P in snub revolvers.

http://www.pafoa.org/forum/pistols-4...diameters.html

[P-11 shooter]

Welcome to the forum OG

You can find out alot by searching. Most likely you aren't the first one to have the same question

Anything else we can help you out with?

[original gunner]

got tons of questions about interstate legality with the AR models, but thats for another time. feedback on .357 recoil would be most helpful right now, as im trying to get myself a nice revolver this weekend at the harrisburg show.

thanks for the warm welcome, this place is a wealth of information!

[P-11 shooter]

.357 recoil.

ALl depends on the gun, and the loads. A snubby with bad grips will bark, and sting your hand. A longer barell with good grips will "push" into your hand more. I tend to shoot auto's alot more so the recoil of a small revolver feels realy jumpy to me.

My colection is lacking wheelguns. There are lots of revolver shooters on here. They'll give you the scoop.

Good luck, bring us some pictures of your new gun so we can all drool over them.

[gf45acp]

It's always nice to be able to fire the magnums in an emergency, but if you go with an airweight snub, Taurus or Smith, the magmun loads are brutal.
Follow up shots become a problem.
I do not have a Taurus, but a S&W 442. It is +p 38 rated. I normally carry Winchester Silvertip standard pressure hollowpoints, with the DOA trigger they make for fast folow up shots. Plus, if another family member needs to use it it will not be as hard to control for her.
If you must have magnums, get a steel frame snub, the weight will help you out.
Please remember that a hit with the lowest power round you can find is better than a miss with a magnum.

[kmrcstintn]

Taurus model 651 ~~ 25 oz; 5 shot; 2" barrel; shrouded hammer; steel gun; short 2 finger wrap around rubber grips;

Speer Gold Dot 135gr 'short barrel' .357 mag load (barely a magnum load w/ velocity hovering @ 1000 fps from 2" barrel) ~~ managable & almost enjoyable

Mastercast 158gr swc leadhead reload (list on website claims 1085 fps) ~~ managable & a good practice round

Mastercast 158gr Rainier jhp 'high velocity' reload (list on website claims 1285 fps) ~~ a cylinderful shot two handed is managable, but not enjoyable; blister in web between thumb & trigger finger developed

Federal Castcore 180gr leadhead (box claims @ 1200 fps; website states 1090 fps) ~~ gave up after 2 cylinderfuls shot two handed; the blister busted & skin stripped away; absolutely horrid recoil after shooting everything else stated above

for woods walking, I would rather tolerate the 10 -12 extra oz that my 4" Ruger Security Six adds to shoot the Federal Castcores!!; I think the hardest hitting round I would put into the snubby would be a 158gr Federal American Eagle jsp for light hiking in the woods/working around hunting camp ~~ even that would be a stretch during practice sessions

later!

[P-11 shooter]

Originally Posted by gf45acp

Please remember that a hit with the lowest power round you can find is better than a miss with a magnum.

Wise words.

[HST]

I am a big fan of revolvers. For the most part, they can take a substantial beating, they're simple, and they're reliable. But, like everything else, they have their benefits and drawbacks.

As most will tell you, the lower the weight the more the recoil. I've shot some of those featherweight snubnose revolvers in .41 Mag and .44 Mag and I can tell you that I'd never want to shoot one recreationally. They're pretty damn brutal with full loads.

In .357, I had a 4.5" with full underlug and it was a lot of fun to shoot. A bit hot under full load, but by no means unmanageable. But again, it was a medium-frame pistol with a good amount of weight. Anything smaller or lighter would change the feel considerably, and I have heard the snubnose .357 can be quite a handful...

If you're in the market for a snub revolver to conceal, I'd stay with a .38. S&W makes some fine hammerless revolvers that are designed just for that purpose and they're a pleasure to shoot.

[Mity2]

Originally Posted by gf45acp

Please remember that a hit with the lowest power round you can find is better than a miss with a magnum.

VERY MUCH true. This is why I carry 38+P in my snubby(Taurus 651).
But Taurus 651 stainless model that I have weigh 25oz, shooting 357 is....acceptable.
and with some practice, you can get them to shoot very accurately(as far as 2" barreled gun goes that is...)