Guns & Shooting
.357 Mag
7/27/14 @ 6:28 PM
Displaying 1 to 15 of 23 posts
A 4" is ideal providing you can conceal it. Better velocity and better energy. If you had a Ruger SP101 (5 shot) it is a tad lighter than the GP100. Both great. I have used S&W, Colt, Taurus, Walther, as a LEO and think the Ruger is great. As good or better than S&W for a lot less $. Colt is excellent but again the hi price. Go to a gun store and play with a bunch of them before you decide.
Jim
Wow.
Does Korth Make the World’s Best Revolver?
"“The frame, crane and even the sideplate are completely milled from drop forgings. All components are subjected to a proprietary process to achieve a surface hardness of up to 60 HRc (Rockwell c scale). Approximately 600 individual operations are required to manufacture one revolver. Of these operations, only about 30% are actual machine work. The rest, all of 70%, are true ‘man-hours’: Hand work, fitting, inspection and making sure that every aspect of the gun is flawless. "
Nice, but way too rich for my blood!
Most of the development of the .357 was Elmer Keith. It was for stopping people and does a grand job at that. I've shot several (357's not people) but do not have one. In the wake of the incident in MO I feel the want to purchase something, a .357 would be a nice addition to the collection. My only problem is between Ruger and S&W, and barrel length, I have a M&P 40c for concealed (nice).
Colt Python if you want a Rolls Royce. Ruger GP100, Ruger SP101, S&W, Dan Wesson.
Lots of good ones for a fraction of the cost of a Python. Python is great, I carried one as a deputy for a long time. I bought it new for $125.00. Now you are looking at $2000.-$3000.
Jim
I quit teasing myself by watching the auctions on Pythons a while ago, but when I checked Gunbroker before making my post, most of the NIB's with bona fide bids on them are up in the $3K range, and those are the "plain Jane" Pythons with 2-3 days left to bid. They'll probably go up a bit before the hammer falls, maybe not to $5K though. Regardless, even at $2K I'm not buying right now. 
Old Salt, the Python is a marvel of gun making and finishing. I don't know of any other production revolver that even comes close to the fit and finish of the Python. But for actual use I'll take a S&W as I do not like the trigger feel on the Python at all. The prices you quoted are what a lot of people are asking for them but not actually what they are getting for them. If you look on GunBroker at finished sales you'll see the going price for NIB models is closer to $2500. Still a lot of money bit not the prices some are asking. I know where there is a NIB 8" Ultimate Python that they are asking $3500 for and it isn't getting any interest from serious buyers.
I want a 4" Diamondback in 22LR but those prices are skyrocketing as well.
You don't need to spend anywhere near $1,200 to get an accurate and reliable .357 magnum revolver, but if you want something "special" there's certianly nothing wrong with that. I have a Ruger GP100 6" that does everything I need it to do and consistently does it well.
Now, if I could have any .357 I wished for, it would definitely be a Colt Python. I can't justify the expense at this point in my life, though. They stopped production in 1999 or 2000, I think, and a like-new unfired model is going to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $4K-$5K, although people ask for a lot more than that sometimes just to see who might bite.
I don't know if you guys ever use the site gunbot.net, but there are 60 different options for factory ammo for the 41 mag that are available. More with 44 mag and 357 mag. These online real time finders make it pretty easy to get just about anything as far as factory ammo is concerned, as long as the United States Citizen doesn't go into an ammo panic. Granted, you may have to pay a bit for shipping, but if it means getting the cartridge you want, it may be worth it for some.
Fifty yards or less with a proper bullet the 357 with perform just fine on deer. You will want to use a bullet that is designed for controlled expansion. Not rapid expansion like your typical defense load. I would recommend a 180 grain hard cast lead bullet. Through both front shoulders deer is not going anywhere. Bullet will go clean through no problem and cause plenty of damage. All I carry in my 686 is a handload with these bullets but they are available as factory ammo from a couple different sources. From using them on live targets and some very dense non live targets I have total faith in this combo. Performance has been exceptionally.
I think the biggest reason for the large amount of used large caliber handguns is cost of ammo and more people wanting a defense handgun. The 357 is probable the most cost effective, best balance of gun size to power caliber when it comes to a defense gun. Lots of ammo choices so you can almost always find something cheap to plink with. Hard to find ammo for the larger calibers that are not loaded with premium components thus they demand premium prices.
The 41 mag is a great cartridge. But if you want to shoot it a lot it is a handloaders cartridge. Not much options of factory ammo and it can be hard to find.
Have you ever thought about the 41 mag? Lighter recoil than the 44, very good cartridge for hunting, can get it in a variety of either single action or double action revolvers. I've owned 3 of them and sold all of them but if I were to get back into handgun hunting, the 41 mag would be the ticket.
Another option is to get a 44 or 454 and shoot 44 Special and 45 LC out of them. I know my 4" S&W 629 Mountain Gun is absolutley no fun to shoot with full house loads but is a blast with 44 Specials. The problem with the 357 is it's just not an adequet caliber for whitetails. Yes I know people will come on here and say they've shot deer with it and I know it will kill a deer but it's minimal at best. Penetration is the key with calibers like this and good luck finding a real hunting bullet in any store, all you will find are JHP and JSP ammo, no hard lead bullets.
If you want a gun that's fun to shoot and to maybe carry in the woods when you go for a walk the 357 is a good choice but really it's not something you should try to take a deer with unless you don't have any other option.
Displaying 1 to 15 of 23 posts
