# help - information



## tomcat84 (Apr 7, 2008)

*help- information for 357 revolver*

*hi all.i want to buy a 357 magnum revolver.But i couldnt decide 6'' , 4'' or 2.5'' barrell ..does any one know barell lengh and effect range for 357 magnum.Thank u.*:smt071:smt071


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## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

Welcome to the forum.

What are your uses going to be for the revolver? Hunting? Paper punching? Carry gun?

-Jeff-


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## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

I'll post in this one too since this one is in the right section....you don't need to post in more then one section of the forum for the same question.

Will will your uses be for this revolver? Hunting? Paper punching? Carry gun?

-Jeff-


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## tomcat84 (Apr 7, 2008)

BeefyBeefo said:


> Welcome to the forum.
> 
> What are your uses going to be for the revolver? Hunting? Paper punching? Carry gun?
> 
> -Jeff-


thank you :smt038 .i will buy for defence.maybe hunting..


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## tomcat84 (Apr 7, 2008)

BeefyBeefo said:


> I'll post in this one too since this one is in the right section....you don't need to post in more then one section of the forum for the same question.
> 
> Will will your uses be for this revolver? Hunting? Paper punching? Carry gun?
> 
> -Jeff-


i m sorry friend .i thought that wrong area. but ok now.


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## Wyatt (Jan 29, 2008)

From what you have said, I would go with the 4" barrel. For defense the "snubbie" would be the least accurate of the bunch, both because of the shorter sight radius as well as the kick. A 357 snubbie bucks hard and you will likely not even enjoy shooting it that much and therefore not practice as much as you should. 

If the gun is strictly for home defense you could use the 6", but I wouldn't consider this length if you plan to ever carry the gun holstered for defense. I would say the 6" is more of a hunting gun. Heavier to carry on your hip around the woods, but OK if concealment and speed of draw are not an issue (both issues with defensive carry). And the four incher also makes an excellent mountain gun.

I'd go with the four incher. Come to think of it, I did. Though I never considered the snubbie (for the reasons mentioned) I thought about the 6" but went with the 4" and never looked back. I think the four inch barrel is great for HD and at the same time is simply the most versatile of the 3 lengths.

Good luck.


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

For combined general purpose use, I prefer 4"
For strictly hunting 6"
For concealed carry 2.5"

:smt1099


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## teknoid (Mar 12, 2007)

There's also the 3" option. I've been thinking about one of those myself. The SP101 and GP100 both look interesting. Seems like a decent length for carry, and should kick a bit less than a snubbie.


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

I have a S&W 586 .357 with a 6" barrel. It is super accurate and a great shooter but many a time I wished I'd got a 4". That extra 2" just seems to get in the way when it comes to any kind of daily use other than hunting and then an 8" or 10" would be better. With a Pachmayr combat grip it is a great handling and fairly slim package.
The .357 is a hard barker. I could never get past about 12 rounds of full house magnum rounds before I'd start antisipating the shot and start flenching pretty bad. The good thing is you can shoot a ton of .38 specials through it to get your shooting skills honed and a few Magnums for the fun. I would practice with the .38s and keep it loaded with .357's for home defence. If you don't get the job done with the first 6 then flenching isn't gonna matter anyway.


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## Dsig1 (Dec 23, 2007)

The 4" can be a triple use, OK for carry, OK for target and OK for home defense but not GREAT for any of the uses. 

I have a 6" that I use for target and a 3" that I sometimes carry. Both shoot well at 7 - 10 yards. The 6" gets exponentially more accurate to shoot as you move back from there. I did "qualify" at my local range with my 3" from 25 yards. You have to put 5 consecutive shots on a 20" x 20" paper so at 25 yards it is still accurate enough to consistently hith the width of a human body. 

My theory is that you will eventually get addicted to buying more guns, so buy for the specialty that you would most use the gun for at this time. If you plan to use for CCW, get the snubby. For HD and target, get the 6". Then save up for a few months and go out and get the other one.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Duplicate thread. I merged 'em.


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## Mosquito (Mar 11, 2008)

I'd go for the 6in if I were you. With practice, you can easily take whitetail/mule deer with a 6in .357 mag. Although it will be heavier than the 2 and 4 inch, I personally feel that there is less of a kick because of the added weight. Take a look at the S&W 686 w/ a 6 inch barrel. 

I really don't see much of a difference for HD between a 4 and a 6in. Either one will get the job done, it's a .357mag!

Go for the 6.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Mosquito said:


> I really don't see much of a difference for HD between a 4 and a 6in. Either one will get the job done, it's a .357mag!


In a weapon-retention scenario, it's quite a bit easier to take a 6" revolver from someone than a 4". The long barrel works great as a lever to pop the gun out of someone's hand.

Minor consideration for HD, though.


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## Mosquito (Mar 11, 2008)

Mike Barham said:


> In a weapon-retention scenario, it's quite a bit easier to take a 6" revolver from someone than a 4". The long barrel works great as a lever to pop the gun out of someone's hand.
> 
> Minor consideration for HD, though.


Ahh, I never thought of that. I guess I never planned on letting the BG get that close...


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Mosquito said:


> Ahh, I never thought of that. I guess I never planned on letting the BG get that close...


To paraphrase the great philosopher Jayne Cobb on _Firefly_, "What we plan and what takes place ain't ever exactly been similar." :mrgreen:


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## aafasano (Apr 9, 2008)

tomcat84 said:


> *hi all.i want to buy a 357 magnum revolver.But i couldnt decide 6'' , 4'' or 2.5'' barrell ..does any one know barell lengh and effect range for 357 magnum.Thank u.*:smt071:smt071


Look on gunbroker.com and see if the have any Dan Wesson's that you like.


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## DWFan (Apr 23, 2008)

I echo aafasano. Shop around and find a Dan Wesson M15 Pistol Pak and then you won't have to compromise on what length barrel to buy. You'll have them all and just install the right barrel length for the job at hand.
The effective range limit for hunting deer with the .357 Magnum, IMO, is 75 yards.


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## Don357 (Dec 4, 2007)

*.357's*

I have 2 .357's. A 6" Ruger Blackhawk with a 4x32 scope for hunting, and a 4" Ruger Security-Six for home defense.(My wifes night stand gun). Both are extremely rugged, practically indestructable, and also extremely accurate. I wouldn't want to carry a 6" revolver as a CCW, especially a Single Action. The 4" Sec-Six Maybe in a high ride holster.


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