A light recoil 357 in a lightweight J frame is a 38 special.

 

Thanks TJ but....

I'm not interested in 38spl + P, but I am interested in 357 mag with less recoil than full power loads.

 

Remington's Golden Saber .357 load is my favorite round for lightweight revolvers. Even out of a snub nose, it is still a very capable load. A quick check of Lucky Gunner's ammo test will give you an idea of what to expect.

 

Those are expensive, but good ammo. I generally stick to Hydra-Shoks when I can find them in the store. Any Federal Hydra Shok round, including the low-recoil, would be fine with me.

 

I've fired enough stout 38+p in an airweight 38 to know I don't want to fire any 357 magnum rounds in one.

 

I had a 640. Even that heavy gun was miserable with 357 Magnum. My 19 2.5” was almost as bad.

For revolvers, I concluded long ago that 4” barrels or longer are best.

 

I purchased a CZ 75 from a local gun shop Kirk Guns Shop . It fits my hand like a glove. I wear it on the hip using a BlackHawk holster. The felt recoil is negligible. The gun seems to like all the factory ammo I ‘ve have fired in it. I really enjoy the pistol. The CZ is a nice little gun. My only regret is that I should have purchased this classic years ago. Thank you CZ. For those in need visit the store below, delivery is not bad at all

https://kirkgunsshop.com/product/cz-75-compact/

 

Um... did you mean to respond to my post about 357 Magnums from a lightweight j-frame?

 

Favorite 357 ammo and J frame? Does not compute, 5 rounds loaded in a crisis and pray I hit the target twice. 357 out of a mini tank Ruger SP-101 is more reasonable for me

 

357 out of my 2 1/4” SP-101 is doable. WITH a Pachmayer grip on it. Shot it several times Speer Lawman 125 from. Follow ups were not quick. I don’t think I’d do a 340 PD S&W.

 

Thought about a S&W 340PD or M&P340. Ultimately decided against - high price and limited capacity.
Bought a box of these on a lark while still considering the S&W 340's.
Fired a few rounds through a friend's S&W Model 19 (2.5"). Nope! Nope! Split time hits were glacial. Gave the left-overs to my friend.
Please keep us posted on your experience. Look forward to your opinions on the 340.

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I'm not interested in 38spl + P, but I am interested in 357 mag with less recoil than full power loads.

There's really nothing in between.

 

Ahhh... the 340PD with .357... It's a punisher!

After purchasing I started out with some .38's in 125 and 158 gr - It's a handful!!! But carries like a DREAM...

Then one day I made the decision to run some full .357 through the little beast...

It was a nice sunny day at the outdoor range... The range tables are covered by a corrugated metal roof. First distance is 15 feet, so I setup my target and warmed up with some of the leftover .38s...

THEN I loaded up a full cylinder of 158Gr .357.... BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! Every round RANG that corrugated tin cover, FIRE BALL was HUGE!!!

Stopped and looked at the target... and had this strange feeling - looked around and the whole range was looking at me... then the feeling came back to my hands...

Then I hear a voice - "Thanks Man!"

I turned around to see a guy standing just to my right with blood trickling down his cheek...

He continues: "You just saved me $1000 bucks"... and he turned and walked away.

The 'BEAST' hasn't been out of the safe for a looooong time... I reckon I should just sell it or trade it for AMMO...

I don't think the recoil would be any lighter with .125Gr .357.

That's my story of the S&W 340 PD...

 

Remington 125 SJHPs.
125 or 135 Gold Dots are great if you can find them.

 

I was issued the 640 as my backup for many years. I always carried 357 158 federal hydra shocks. We were given the option of carrying 38 +p’s hydra shocks, a fair number of guys opted for the 38’s. I could get off 5 accurate shots in a reasonable time at the 10 yard line. I wouldn’t want to shoot a box of 50 full power rounds every time I went to the range. I now have a M60 3” which seems to handle the full power loads much better and actually isn’t too bad. I have thought about the 340 a couple times. Would probably opt for 38’s for the first 3 shots with 357 in the last two if I were to go that direction. Good luck.

 

Chuckling…I have no idea, my 442 Airweight with just a standard 38spl 158gr is more palm punch I want wish to contend with..if I’m gunna get beat up by recoil the gun better be able to separate the turret from the main body of a T14… 😜

 

I had one of those. Cracked the titanium cylinder once, jacked up the frame twice. The last time the rebuilt it, I sold it. The nicest shooting load was CORBON DPX.

I tried to run my steel J frame fast, speedloaders are frustrating for me with a J frame. I sold my 640 and if I want a magnum I take one of my steel revolvers.

For the same power level as I got from the 357 in a 2" snubby I have a Sig P365 loaded with +P 9mm without the blast and recoil.

 

favorite 357 Magnum self-defense rounds for light j-frames

oxymoron: noun

two words or phrases used together that have, or seem to have, opposite meanings:

• for example a deafening silence
• a cruel kindness
• to make haste slowly
• a mournful optimist

I keep some Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special 110 grain FTX where the 'listed' muzzle velocity is the same as an older box of .38 Special + P ammo that I have laying around (1010 fps). I assume that the more modern .38 Special round can get those velocities without generating +P pressures due to modern powders.
Would you get those velocities out of a little two inch snubby barrel? almost certainly not. Would you get .357 Magnum velocities out of a snubby? certainly not. But after your first shot, your muzzle would be pointing at the sky and the shooter would be on his way to being a flinch-O-matic who couldn't hit the side of a barn if he was inside it.

IMHO The poor muzzle control and slow follow up times from firing a .357 Magnum out of a tiny, light revolver are not worth it for the marginal increase in velocity that you are going to get out of using .357 Magnum versus .38 Special.

 

oxymoron: noun

two words or phrases used together that have, or seem to have, opposite meanings:

• for example a deafening silence
• a cruel kindness
• to make haste slowly
• a mournful optimist

I keep some Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special 110 grain FTX where the 'listed' muzzle velocity is the same as an older box of .38 Special + P ammo that I have laying around (1010 fps). I assume that the more modern .38 Special round can get those velocities without generating +P pressures due to modern powders.
Would you get those velocities out of a little two inch snubby barrel? almost certainly not. Would you get .357 Magnum velocities out of a snubby? certainly not. But after your first shot, your muzzle would be pointing at the sky and the shooter would be on his way to being a flinch-O-matic who couldn't hit the side of a barn if he was inside it.

IMHO The poor muzzle control and slow follow up times from firing a .357 Magnum out of a tiny, light revolver are not worth it for the marginal increase in velocity that you are going to get out of using .357 Magnum versus .38 Special.

If you are unable to make even somewhat rapid shots with this it is not the gun but the shooter. I actually used mine in an IDPA match ONCE.

The velocity difference between a 2" 38 and a 2" 357 is still 400 fps or so IIRC. That is significant. The 357 does lose more than the 38 with the short barrel, but unlike the 38 it can afford to.

 

If I had to run 357 in a small gun I’d go with the 125 Remington Golden Sabre. Low blast yet great results like a full power 125z

THAT SAID there’s really no need to run a 357z. In a snubby. You will get great results and no blast (or future arthritis) running simple 38 special 148 target wadcutter. It has zero blast and the flat end cuts full diameter 38 holes through a sternum and bone and has enough gas to get to the goods. The shorter barrel doesn’t usually allow the velocity to get expansion. And while a 357 will still have it the you have to ask if the extra blast is worth it. If you want a hands free flashbang maybe but that’s for each shooter to ask!

 

When I got my first M&P 340 (I have a pair), I ran a collection of various .357MAG ammunition through it. My favorite previous duty loads, 125gr SJHP & 145gr STHP, and some odds and ends I'd left over. I also picked some Federal 130gr Low recoil Hydra-Shok to try.

I quickly decided I didn't care to use 158gr loads. The heavier the bullet weight, the more it hammers the palm. Newton's Second Law of Motion comes into play.

The 125gr SJHP and the 145gr STHP were acceptable for wrist torque and controllability ... in my hands.

The Federal Low Recoil 130gr load was the easiest of the ones I tried, but that's within a relative scale. They're all somewhat punishing. I ran the little pocket mule through a couple of qual courses-of-fire and some drills, and my hand/wrist was done for the day. I couldn't get any of the other instructors to fire more than a single cylinder load of Magnum ammo through it, and a couple of them were ready to stop shooting it before they'd fired that first cylinder load, but I chided them to finish.

Why did I do it? Just because. To demonstrate to the younger instructors that proper Magnum revolver shooting technique can be used to make the pocket mule tolerable(ish) and controllable. Never said anything about it being fun or enjoyable, though.

I'll say this, I've fired the occasional PD using Magnum loads, and they're worse for felt recoil, being lighter than the M&P's. Relative scale, though. Pain is still pain.

Nowadays I only fire 1-2 cylinder loads of some old recycled Magnum carry loads through either of my M&P 340's, and that's to finish a qual/LEOSA session after running assorted +P and standard pressure loads through it for the course-of-fire. I mostly carry +P, meaning Speer 135gr +P GDHP, Winchester 130gr +P RA38B and what's left of my stash of Remington 125gr GS, and sometimes even some standard pressure 110gr Hornady CD/FTX (which I actually put back to carry in my 37DAO Airweight, since it's built on the old Airweight aluminum frame, but which is a tack-driver and mild-shooting load in all of my J's ).

Sure, using Magnum loads in the sub-2" J-frame barrel does offer some velocity advantage. Chrono testing continues to show that. Is it worth the hammering against the palm and the wrist snap, as well as the way the distal knuckle of the trigger finger gets hammered by the rising trigger guard? Does it cause significantly slower recovery between shots? That's something each person has to answer for themselves. I can only offer that it's a bit harder on my hand, now that I've hit my 70's, than it was in my 50's, when I bought my first M&P 340 in '05.

You'll have to decide for yourself.

One of my M&P 340's is presently loaded with 135gr +P GDHP, and the other one is loaded with Winchester 145gr STHP Magnum. I carry a speedstrip or speedloader of the same ammo. Suit yourself.

 

Kinda like power shifting the old 426 hemi in a Honda Civic?

By the way, you're old. Welcome to the 70yo generation...

 

Tactical Short Barrel Lower Recoil Low Flash 357 Magnum Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

Tactical Short Barrel Lower Recoil Low Flash 357 Magnum Field Proven pistol and handgun ammo. Maximum firepower bullets. Best ammunition for pistols and handguns for sale. Buffalo Bore. Strictly big bore. Strictly Business.

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There's also a warning about using this ammo in <16oz weight revolvers at the bottom of the narration. Enjoy.

 

Federal HST Micro 38 Special +P 130gn

 

Although I don't carry my 640 anymore, once upon a time it was one of my primary self defense revolvers. Spent a lot of time and money looking that 357 load that would allow decent follow up shots. I wanted the 357 horsepower. Looked before I posted this, the Winchester 110gr Whitebox is still available in several sites. It has great ballistics and very easy for quick follow ups. The best is the Speer Gold Dot 135 gr Short Barrel. Shootable and good perfornance. Tough to find. Number three is the 125gr Golden Saber load. Out of these it has the most recoil and muzzle flash, but works. Hope this helps!

 

Although I don't carry my 640 anymore, once upon ... Looked before I posted this, the Winchester 110gr Whitebox is still available in several sites. It has great ballistics and very easy for quick follow ups. ...

As long as it's not being fired in the Sc/Ti guns with titanium cylinders. The powders used in the light bullet weight Magnum loads produce very hot gases. The S&W Revolver Safety manuals mention this.

CAUTION:
Do not use Magnum loadings with bullet weights of less than 120
grains - This will reduce the possibility of premature erosion in
titanium alloy cylinders.

Yes, the steel insert in the top strap of the SC guns can help reduce flame cutting of the frame, but the titanium cylinders can experience premature erosion in the charge hole throats and on the cylinder face.

 

You've said that you're not interested in 38Spl or 38Spl+P, but those really are your best options.
If you do want .357 Mag, then I suggest going Buffalo Bore - they have a "Tactical Short Barrel Lower Recoil Low Flash 357 Mag" round

 

The idea of chambering an airweight j-frame in .357 magnum has to go down in history as one of the top 5 ideas that sounds really good in theory but sucks beyond belief in real life. Ther is no getting around the laws of physics. Excessive recoil means that accuracy will suffer greatly on repeat shots and you will be forced to fit the gun with bulky rubber grips to try to absorb some of that recoil.

And unless you reload, what you really want is a 357 load that duplicates the velocities of a decent 38 special Plus+p load, and there really aren't many loads like that available and even the lightest 357 mag loads are quite a bit hotter than most 38 Special loads and are still somewhere beyond the pain threshold.

It amazes me that so many hsooter think that 40 Smith and Wesson fired out of teh smae size and weight gun as a G19 has SO mocu more recoil that you coldn never shoot it as accurately with as fast follow-up shots as the same gun chambered in 9mm. OR, what you could do is get over your opposition to using Plus+P 38 special ammo and jsut go with one of these 3 loads:

1) 38 Special Speer Gold Dot +P 125 gr JHP
2) 38 Special Hornady Critical Defense 110 gr FTX
3) 38 Special Federal Personal Defense 130 gr HST Micro

And don't worry about carbon build-up in your 357 chambers. As long as your clean you gun regularly, as you should, that will never happen. Your other alternative is to go to a slightly larger, heavier, but still concealable revolver such as a Kimber k6 2 inch barrel with the shrouded hammer.

 

To the prior post with the image and comments about the Kimber K6s:
I bought and shot a Kimber K6s with the 2" bbl and the shrouded hammer - same as the image.
While it really has an amazing trigger (can be easily 'staged'), great sights and is such a smooth little revolver, I just never really warmed up to it. (And, I'm a big revolver guy - primarily S&W and Ruger, but do own a Colt King Cobra, too). I actually did a Texas Star with it at a decent range and hit with every shot...
Have to admit that for its weight and capacity (nice to have the 6 shots instead of the J-frame 5), I just felt better armed and prepared with a small semi auto - in this case, a Gen3 Glock G26. (I live in CA, so we're limited for purchases by the CA roster - e.g. only Gen3 or prior Glocks are approved. Only those on the roster are handguns authorized for us to buy.)

 

157gr jacketed lead nose

 

That’s a 157gr out of my 6 inch model 66…….

 

 

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This ⬆ ⬆ ⬆

 

I’m a real fan of lightweight J’s and own the 340PD, 442, and 340 M and P. The Federal American Eagle 357 158 grain load is a hoot to shoot. It’s not a full power load. I carry the M and P as I like the extra 2 ozs. My favorite load evolves with time. I still like the Hornady 110 load but have been carrying Buffalo Bore gas checked .38+P. It chronoed at 990 to 1030 out of my revolver. The same load in .357 is roughly 100fps faster and harder on the palm. FWIW I also own a Kimber 2” covered hammer much more user friendly but harder pocket carry. If I’m carrying OWB or IWB it,s a Glock 19 or 48, which is 80-90 % of the time.