New S&W 357!

[American1776]

Today I decided that my Ruger SP101 had served its time with me. Nothing against the Ruger, I just didn't shoot all that well with it after a lot of practice, and it was just a tad heavier than what I wanted in a 'deep concealment' option.

So, I made a trade at a LGS and paid the difference for a NIB Smith & Wesson M649 357 magnum. It has that goofy lock on it, but I've always wanted one of these humpback magnums, and there it was.

I carefully inspected the lockup, timing, made sure the barrel was clocked at 12, and looked at everything else. As good as it gets, so little magnum has a new home. First thing I did when I got it home was clean it (was actually a little dirty, esp. for a new gun).

The good thing is my holsters for the Ruger fit the S&W pretty well.

My first impressions: this revolver feels great in the hand. It's lighter than the Ruger, but still substantial. It points GREAT, and holding it is like having it 'shake your hand' back. It's a VERY well balanced revolver. I'm pretty pumped to get this to the range and set off some full house magnums. To me, the humpback profile looks very becoming.

Any other M649 magnum owners; comments/experience are welcome.

[pennlineman]

Nice revolver! I have a 640-1 in .357. This is the Centennial version of the J frame. Mine shoots as well as any other J frame. It is a bit of a handful with magnum loads but not terribly bad. I shoot mostly .38's out of mine and carry it with .357's. I'm not sure how well the J from will hold up to a steady diet of magnums.

Great little revolvers. Congrats and enjoy!

[American1776]

Nice revolver! I have a 640-1 in .357. This is the Centennial version of the J frame. Mine shoots as well as any other J frame. It is a bit of a handful with magnum loads but not terribly bad. I shoot mostly .38's out of mine and carry it with .357's. I'm not sure how well the J from will hold up to a steady diet of magnums.

Great little revolvers. Congrats and enjoy!

Thanks.

I was wondering about shooting magnums frequently in this J-frame. My Ruger SP101 was renowned for its supposed 'indestructability'.

I actually like shooting magnums. Would the worry with the steel J-frame magnums be the cylinder going loose or timing issues, or would this be a worry with the forcing cone/top strap cracking? I only shoot heavier 357's (142-158 gr.), so I steer clear of the super cracking light grain magnums.

[pennlineman]

Thanks.

I was wondering about shooting magnums frequently in this J-frame. My Ruger SP101 was renowned for its supposed 'indestructability'.

I actually like shooting magnums. Would the worry with the steel J-frame magnums be the cylinder going loose or timing issues, or would this be a worry with the forcing cone/top strap cracking? I only shoot heavier 357's (142-158 gr.), so I steer clear of the super cracking light grain magnums.

Like I said, I'm not sure. I'm not too concerned with the forcing cone or frame damage. Metallurgy is a lot better than the old days. I think the timing and coming loose may become an issue at some point, when? I don't know. It comes with a life time warranty and I know one way to figure it out.