New truck/BUG .357 Mag revolver yields shock and awe!

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Forum friends:

Since receiving my plastic I have only had 1 gun - my Taurus PT-111 in 9MM,
and I have been jonesing to get either a new primary gun or a suitable truck
gun which I could consider using "onbody".

It was looking like I would get either an XD in some flavor, or a 1911.

But when I was down to Austin for the gun buyback on 7/5/10, I went shooting
with austinrealtor. 2 of the guns he brought that day were Smith and Wesson
wheelguns. After shooting them, a revolver moved higher on my list of desirable
guns.

Well, I found a 2008 Rossi R97104 (4" barrel, 6 rounds, .357 Magnum) at a pawnshop.
I liked the fact that it was a .357 so that I could shoot mostly .38 Special +P at the range,
and carry .357 for self defense rounds. The gun is all black with black rubber grips, has good
cylinder lockup, and no scratches.

Initially I put the gun on a 4 month layaway, with monthly payments no more than lunch
money. Heck, after 9 days on layaway, I went and paid off the balance and took it home.
I could not wait to give this bad boy some range time.

First I shot 100 rounds of WWB, 125 grain, .38 Special +P, JHP's. It shot well and felt
great in my hands.

Then I loaded in my first 6 rounds of Remington UMC, 125 grain, .357 Magnum, JSP's.
Now I've fired .380's, 9MM, .40, and .45's so I thought "Hey, the recoil can't be too much,
this thing's just a little bigger than a .32". WRONG, WRONG. WRONG!

The first .357 round I fired was exceptionally heavy on the recoil, the sound was like a cannon,
the air in the shooting lane at Bass Pro in Grapevine, TX whooshed hotly around me, I got a hot
batch of gas on my left hand, and it felt like some kind of gas or debris hit the left side of my face.
WOW! I put the gun down on the shelf and had to compose myself for a minute.

The guy in the lane next to me asked what I was shooting to have such a reaction. I told him .357
and it's my first round ever of that caliber. He laughed and said he's seen many people have the same
reaction when they first shoot .357. Then he went back to watching his woman shoot her M & P 9mm
with 3 pink butt plate mags. Then I shot the remaining 49 rounds of .357. No problems.

If you have experience with .357 Magnums and now know what to expect, feel free to laugh at me.

If you have never shot a .357 Magnum, this is the high recoil experience that some less-experienced
shooters might attribute to a .45. TAM has said that .45's shoot like pussycats. I have to agree.
This range session made it totally clear to me why some here on the board would not favor .357
since your recovery time to get back on target would not be favorable in a gunfight.

After this range session, I have chosen to keep the PT111 onbody, instead of switching to the 971 for
onbody carry. The revolver now lives in a seatbelt holster in the truck, covered by a towel. I would not
especially want to carry it as my EDC since the ejector rod doesn't cleanly eject all the shells at once, and
I don't see myself being a top speed champ with a speedloader.

I've also had to alter my plans for ammo to carry in the revolver. Since it's a truck gun and I might have to
shoot it one-handed if being carjacked, I believe the .357 Magnum loads would blow out my ears, and after
firing the 1st shot one-handed, I'm not sure the revolver would remain in my hand. I'll tell you one thing -
if you ever had to fire this with .357's, the neighbors would never say that they thought they heard firecrackers,
since this gun is extremely loud. If you did not hit the bad guy with this, he might just run away from the sound!
So I am carrying it with .38 Special + P's in in it.

I have been having bad PC problems since 7/3, but have a borrowed PC from which I'm posting this. Feel free
to comment, but I may not be able to respond in a very timely fashion.

SIA

[Beiruty]

SIAA,

You should consider a used HK USP-9 for your truck. A nice HK pistola for you truck. Nothing wrong in your new wheeler, I still prefer Mag Auto-loader. 9mm is proven rd, standard and effective. There is one on sale for $600 with 2 extended Mag on this site. An excellent deal : http://texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=34691" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Congrats on your new revolver.

[Dan20703]

........and now you know why every other caliber tries to compare itself to the 125 grain JHP .357 magnum. Shot from at least a 4" barrel it is one smoking round!

[carlson1]

There are some used S&W 64 (.38+P) for $265 on GT.

[03Lightningrocks]

If you think that .357 was something, you should give my Model 29 in 8 3/8th inch barrel a whirl...LOL. It'll make you look in the mirror to make sure your face ain't bleeding...LOL.

[A-R]

Then I loaded in my first 6 rounds of Remington UMC, 125 grain, .357 Magnum, JSP's.
Now I've fired .380's, 9MM, .40, and .45's so I thought "Hey, the recoil can't be too much,
this thing's just a little bigger than a .32". WRONG, WRONG. WRONG!

The first .357 round I fired was exceptionally heavy on the recoil, the sound was like a cannon,
the air in the shooting lane at Bass Pro in Grapevine, TX whooshed hotly around me, I got a hot
batch of gas on my left hand, and it felt like some kind of gas or debris hit the left side of my face.
WOW! I put the gun down on the shelf and had to compose myself for a minute.

The guy in the lane next to me asked what I was shooting to have such a reaction. I told him .357
and it's my first round ever of that caliber. He laughed and said he's seen many people have the same
reaction when they first shoot .357.

Exact same reaction I had the first time I fired .357 Magnum loads.

Good stuff, SIA.

Sorry we missed each other on your most recent trip. Hope you son is doing better.

[MoJo]

If you REALLY want a blast our of that .357 stoke it up with some CorBon 125 gr JHP loads. It's the closest thing to a nuclear blast you'll ever hold in your hand!

[texasjeep44]

Nothing wrong with a 357 mag. In time you will get to a point where you can do follow up shots just as fast as your 9mm. With practice that is.

I carry Cor Bon 125 gr, in my SP101 with a 3 inch barrel and it shoots like a dream. Of course I have been shooing 357 mag and 44 mag for a long time.

Congrats on your new gun. Keep practicing and I think you will learn to love the 357 mag round.

[canvasbck]

If your ever in my area you are more than welcome to shoot these two guns. (you supply the ammo to the 500, at over $3 a shell I can't finance other's shooting) After shooting the .500, the .357 mag will feel like a pleasant shooter.

BTW, I had the same reaction as you the first time I shot the .357. You will get used to it.

[joe817]

Well, I don't know whether to laugh, cry or shake my head! Thanks for sharing. Yes the .357 is a handful, and I can certainly sympathize. I owned a Ruger Blackhawk in .41 mag in my late teens for a short while. And shooting it was such an unpleasant experience I traded it away. MUCH more powerful than a .44-40 I had been shooting. Not to mention the .45.

So I can imagine the shock of shooting your Rossi was for you. Congrats on getting it. Shoot it frequently and it will become more manageable, I'm sure.

Sorry to hear you are having computer problems, and hope you get the problem solved pronto. We've missed seeing you around here.

[The Annoyed Man]

If you think that .357 was something, you should give my Model 29 in 8 3/8th inch barrel a whirl...LOL. It'll make you look in the mirror to make sure your face ain't bleeding...LOL.

A .357, while still a very potent round, is a .44 magnum's little brother. Plus, you want shock and awe, try shooting a 125 grain .357 load in a 13 oz scandium pocket revolver.


I love my Model 29, and it's the only gun in my safe with a nickname -- Big Poppa.

[WildBill]

A .357, while still a very potent round, is a .44 magnum's little brother. Plus, you want shock and awe, try shooting a 125 grain .357 load in a 13 oz scandium pocket revolver.

I thought the "shock and awe" was supposed to intimidate the BG, not the shooter.

[The Annoyed Man]

A .357, while still a very potent round, is a .44 magnum's little brother. Plus, you want shock and awe, try shooting a 125 grain .357 load in a 13 oz scandium pocket revolver.

I thought the "shock and awe" was supposed to intimidate the BG, not the shooter.

You got that right.

It reminds me of an old line from Jerry Clower's "Coon Huntin'" story.... "Jus' fahr up here amongst us, 'cause one of us has got to have some relief!"

[ELB]

Forum friends:
The first .357 round I fired was exceptionally heavy on the recoil, the sound was like a cannon ... WOW!
SIA

Heh. It seems it is the 125 gr loading that does this -- I have fired higher and lower weights in my Model 19, and they don't produce the "WOW" that the 125 does.

One day I was chronographing some ammo beside my house (I live out in the sticks). I sent my dog to stay on the front porch, about 30 or 40 yards away. I slowly worked my way through 9mm, .40, and 357 Sig thru my Hi Power. Whenever I looked at the dog, he was watching me with that "concerned" look (he hates being separated from me), but the gunshots didn't seem to faze him. Then I loaded a Hornady 125gr XTP defense ammo round in my S&W Model 19, four inch barrel revolver. I cranked off one round and got the lightning strike CRACK. I turned to check on the dog -- and he was heading off the porch on the other side, went around to the far side of the house, and I didn't see him again until I went looking for him.

btw, the 357 Sig gave the same chrono readings and wetpack penetration as the 357 Mag -- without the noise and recoil. Both were Hornady XTP defense rounds, one was 124 grains, the other 125.

[The Annoyed Man]

btw, the 357 Sig gave the same chrono readings and wetpack penetration as the 357 Mag -- without the noise and recoil. Both were Hornady XTP defense rounds, one was 124 grains, the other 125.

I'm wondering how much of that difference is due to the type of firearm. For instance, if a revolver were chambered in .357 Sig, would it be just as loud as a .357 magnum? I suspect that the lack of a cylinder/barrel gap in the .357 Sig adds considerably to quieting the report.