Smith 357 mag for carry and range

[marinville]

May I ask why you are looking at 3 inch for barrel length?
I no longer carry anything with a BRT but have found that for concealment, the barrel does 9not take away from concealability. It's the grip.
I carry a Kahr P9 Covert in mild weather.
Same short grip as a PM9 but 3.5 inch longer bbl of the P9.
As far as caliber and the .357, the .357 SIG in a Glock33 could possibly be an option in lieu of a revolver.

I agree with you that the grip length makes a gun concealable. This is why I do not use plus two magazine extensions, pinky finger be damned. I want a 3" barrel because I believe it offers the best trade off for ballistics and accuracy vs weight and balance.

ETA: Also, excessive barrel length can impede a smooth draw.

[Gunsnwater]

Guns wear out. Revolvers wear out. Get a 640-1 with night sights. You really need 2 revolvers. Make the second one a 27 with 4 or 6 inch barrel.

[bripro]

Look into Wiley Clapp SP101 or GP100.
Here’s a link to the Sp101
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...02165/redirect
In my opinion it’s not worth the price but has sights instead of the channel.

A simple grip swap makes my 4 inch Smith model 19 very concealable by the way.

[marinville]

Guns wear out. Revolvers wear out. Get a 640-1 with night sights. You really need 2 revolvers. Make the second one a 27 with 4 or 6 inch barrel.

I appreciate the advice, but if I followed it I would be out over a thousand dollars and have two revolvers I don't want. I'm not looking for the best revolver for concealment or the best revolver for target shooting. I'm looking for a revolver that can be carried and can be shot to reasonable accuracy under 25 yards at the range and not wear out in an unreasonable amount of time, shooting 357.

[Gunsnwater]

I appreciate the advice, but if I followed it I would be out over a thousand dollars and have two revolvers I don't want. I'm not looking for the best revolver for concealment or the best revolver for target shooting. I'm looking for a revolver that can be carried and can be shot to reasonable accuracy under 25 yards at the range and not wear out in an unreasonable amount of time, shooting 357.

All steel j frame will do that.

[marinville]

All steel j frame will do that.

This is more on track with what I'm trying to figure out: if a J frame , such as the model 60, can handle 357 mag habitually, and if not, then if a model 66 K frame can. If the answer to both is no, I will probably end up with an L frame 686+ but I'm afraid it would be a bear to carry.

FYI: I haven't ruled out a Ruger entirely, and I'm going to research them a bit more, but I'm trying to keep this on track.

[Gunsnwater]

If your talking 500 rounds a year, the j will be fine. If your talking 10,000 your going to see the gun go out of time no matter what gun you pick. Most people I believe are under 500 unless it's competition.

For self protection you really must get comfortable with the double action. Once you are, the single action becomes the tit on a bull so to speak. I like the 640 because no lint gets in and nothing snags. It's not your cup of tea. I get it, because I felt that way at one time. Ultimately you have to choose and you won't go wrong with an all steel j.

The LCR in 357 or 9mm would be a good pick also. They make an exposed hammer version.

[R L Suehr]

Look into Wiley Clapp SP101 or GP100.
Here’s a link to the Sp101
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...02165/redirect
In my opinion it’s not worth the price but has sights instead of the channel.

A simple grip swap makes my 4 inch Smith model 19 very concealable by the way.

Wiley Clap model was going to be my suggestion for adjustable sights as well. They make a "match champion" version of the sp101 as well that has adjustable sights also, but I believe it has a 4" barrel.

If your talking 500 rounds a year, the j will be fine. If your talking 10,000 your going to see the gun go out of time no matter what gun you pick. Most people I believe are under 500 unless it's competition.

For self protection you really must get comfortable with the double action. Once you are, the single action becomes the tit on a bull so to speak. I like the 640 because no lint gets in and nothing snags. It's not your cup of tea. I get it, because I felt that way at one time. Ultimately you have to choose and you won't go wrong with an all steel j.

The LCR in 357 or 9mm would be a good pick also. They make an exposed hammer version.

I have the snubby version of the LCR and it's a great little CCW. It's not a lot of fun at the range though with full 357 loads. The LCRx might be a good option. It ticks most of the boxes the op is looking for.

[R L Suehr]

To the op. I'm not really understanding the why of only shooting 357. One of the great parts of the 357revolvers is that you can use cheaper 38's for practice. Less recoil is a bonus too. I shoot mostly 38 out of mine and save the 357 stuff for sd duty. I fire a couple boxes worth a year through them for fun usually.

[marinville]

If your talking 500 rounds a year, the j will be fine. If your talking 10,000 your going to see the gun go out of time no matter what gun you pick. Most people I believe are under 500 unless it's competition.

For self protection you really must get comfortable with the double action. Once you are, the single action becomes the tit on a bull so to speak. I like the 640 because no lint gets in and nothing snags. It's not your cup of tea. I get it, because I felt that way at one time. Ultimately you have to choose and you won't go wrong with an all steel j.

The LCR in 357 or 9mm would be a good pick also. They make an exposed hammer version.

I am thinking in the neighborhood of 700-1250 rounds a year.