Recommend a .357 Magnum concealed carry revolver!

[Fossil4Life]

I had the opportunity to attend the Gettysburg gun show today, and I found a slick looking Smith & Wesson Model 640 in .357 Magnum flavor with a 2" barrel. It was a great looking piece, and I almost impulse bought it for $499.99 (I am assuming this price was fair?)

Problem is, I'd really like to make sure there aren't any other revolvers in this caliber I should be looking at. Ideally, I am looking for a concealed carry revolver in .357 Magnum. So what I need to know is this:

1) Was the Model 640 I saw at the gun show a good price? Condition was 85-90%.
2) What other .357 Magnum revolvers do you guys recommend?
3) Is it true you can use .357 Magnum and .38 S&W Special interchangeably in this revolver?

Thanks!

[soberbyker]

Yes, you can shoot 38 special rounds through a 357 magnum revolver, but you can not go the other way, if the gun is designed for 38 special you CAN NOT shoot 357 mag with it.

I have a Ruger SP101 .357 magnum and find it a great little gun. It is my daily carry piece.

.

[Xringshooter]

soberbyker beat me to it. I would also recommend a Ruger SP101 in .357. A brute of a gun but can be concealed easily. You can shoot mild .38 Spec or wild .357 Mags in it. It will take anything you feed it without coming apart.

[Fossil4Life]

Was the price for the Model 640 I saw at the gunshow fair? What would be a typical trade in price for it if I were to buy it and trade it in sometime down the road?

[renegadephoenix]

smith model 60 for me. the 640 sells for $650ish new.

[The_War_Wagon]

Taurus 605 for me. .38 +P and you're good for summertime carry in shorts & a tee shirt, no less!

[harold63]

smith model 60 for me. the 640 sells for $650ish new.

I like the 60 over the 640, as well. More grip comes in handy in a SHTF, .357 situation. The 640 is a good gun and the price sounds good, but you have to have a sure grip on it if things go south.

[65mustang]

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...s_id=411541101
This looks like a good deal from Bud's. I was thinking about it but funds are pretty low right now. $483 shipped for a new model 360

[Yentl Marmelstein]

Why is there this need to own a new gun? Same with cars. I've never owned a new car in my life, and with good reason: They're lousy investments.

When I carry a .357 revolver, I carry either an S&W 66 or a Rossi 877. I paid $375 for the 66 and $225 for the Rossi from a member on this site.

[PhillyGunslinger]

If you want to shoot 357's out of it go with a medium frame size at least.
S&W model 66 is perfect but they stopped making them. The 686 comes ina 2 1/2 inch barrel but it's a bit beefier being an L frame. The new Rossi 357 snubs are very nice and affordable too ! You could also go with a Ruger GP 100 in the 3 inch barrel.
Whichever you choose make sure it's a medium frame or bigger. Small frame 357's are punishing to shoot with fullhouse loads, and follow up shots more difficult. They also put alot of wear on the gun due to their small size. This is why 90% of people use 38 +P in a small fram 357. If you buy a 357 for defense, use 357 cartridges !
If your not going to use 357's then just buy a 38 Special !
The reason of the 357 is power and potency. The one shot stopping ratio for the 357 is 98% ! A 125 gr bullet at 1450 fps has 585 ft-lbs of energy. Can you say WHALLOP !
When police were using 38's they needed 3 and 4 shots to put someone down at times if they were large or drug influenced. With a 357, ONE shot is all that's needed !
Practice and get proficient with the 357. Once you have become skilled with the round
you won't have to worry about wasting ammo. I guess this is why they only make six, seven, and eight shooters for the 357, it's got so much punch there's no need for that second {just in case} shot .