S&W .44 Magnum vs .357 Magnum

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ramair2k

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I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on these two revolvers. What are the pros and cons to each one? Can either of these be purchased brand new in MA? Is there a benefit to one over the other? Recoil?

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
IMHO .357 is enough of a gun for most carry and range needs, and since it also takes the .38 special rounds in everything from reloaded wadcutters to +P+ loads, plus whatever .357 rounds there are out there, you'll never be at a loss for something to shoot.

.44 mags, although they will take .44 special loads, are not as versatile as far as availability of ammo, but damn they are fun to shoot.
 
I have a S+W 629 44 mag with a scope. I bring it to the range every time I go and shoot a few round through it each time. Yes 38/357 is more fun because of the less recoil and the ammo is cheaper and easier to find but nothing beets "The most powerful hand gun in the world and has the power to blow your head clean off...etc.." I know it's not the most powerful hand gun in the world but you have to love that Harry speech. When I break out the 629 everybody has to have a look. When a 44mag goes off everyone wants to know what your shooting. 44mag compared to 95% of all other hand guns is like the 50BMG to 95% of all other rifles. I think it's mostly an ego thing. I have two 357's that I love but I will always have a 44mag in some shape or form in the safe as long as I own guns.
 
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Yes, you can purchase many different revolvers in MA in either .357 or .44. A .44 is simply "more." More money for the gun. A lot more money for the ammunition. And a heck of a lot more recoil.

Unless you are going to be handgun hunting, a .357 is more than enough gun, far cheaper to feed, and less painful.
 
If you're going to shoot bowling pins .44 magnum is better hands down.

A .44 mag fluff load will do what a full power .357 load does to pins.

You should be reloading for both calibers regardless. Otherwise you will go broke shooting either. (Commercial ammo for .357 mag is obnoxious, and the same for .44 mag is "obnoxious + absurd". price wise. )

-Mike
 
M1911 said:
Yes, you can purchase many different revolvers in MA in either .357 or .44. A .44 is simply "more." More money for the gun. A lot more money for the ammunition. And a heck of a lot more recoil.

Unless you are going to be handgun hunting, a .357 is more than enough gun, far cheaper to feed, and less painful.
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A .44 doesn't have to be painful. If you handload with .44 you'll be a lot better off. Then you can set up the loads for what you want. The loads don't -have- to be abusive to get the job done.

-Mike
 
Thanks guys. What can one expect to pay for either of these new? If used, can you point me in the right direction as to what to look for in a used revolver? I see there are a few different configurations that these .357 and .44 magnums come in ie..classic, performance center. What are the differences? Also, barrel length, what do you recomend? The 5 inch is more "eye" appealing to me, but what benefits do the longer or shorter barrels have?
 
what are you planning to do with it?

IMHO anything over 4 inches in a K or N frame isn't going to be something you are going to want to carry on your hip.

Range? CCW? hunting?

Performance Center.. $$$$$$$$$

LOnger barrel... more pressure, better sight radius
 
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Glockaholic said:
what are you planning to do with it?

IMHO anything over 4 inches in a K or N frame isn't going to be something you are going to want to carry on your hip.

Range? CCW? hunting?

Performance Center.. $$$$$$$$$
Click to expand...

I have restrictions on my LTC right now (live in a red city) so mainly range, and home defense.
 
Home defense, go buy yourself a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870, short barrel.. a handgun is not the greatest weapon for home defense, but we can discuss that later.

Try to find a Model 13 0r 19 used, .357 4 inch barrel, or something similar. be prepared to go buy new rubber grips for it if you insist on shooting .357 magnum rounds on a regular basis.



Four Seasons has a great reputation, go visit them and see what they have new or used, Collectors in Stoneham is right up the street, there is a place up in Middleton.
 
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I already have a Mossberg 500. This would be just a backup to that I guess. Make a long story short, it wouldnt be for CCW. If and when I ever get a ALP LTC, I have a G23 for ccw.

I am in Medford, so Four Seasons is right up the road.
 
Glockaholic said:
Home defense, go buy yourself a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870, short barrel.. a handgun is not the greatest weapon for home defense, but we can discuss that later.

Try to find a Model 13 0r 19 used, .357 4 inch barrel, or something similar. be prepared to go buy new rubber grips for it if you insist on shooting .357 magnum rounds on a regular basis.



Four Seasons has a great reputation, go visit them and see what they have new or used, Collectors in Stoneham is right up the street, there is a place up in Middleton.
Click to expand...

The 19 w/ 6" is a great gun w/ .357 loads, wood and all. The downside of the S&W small frame is 158gr are what it was intended to shoot. A prolonged dose of 125's will ruin the frame. Still a great gun.
 
I'll admit, I bought this simply because I thought it looked cool and felt good.

627_1.jpg


That said, it's very nice to shoot. There's very little recoil with .38s and .357 is easy too, if quite a bit louder.

I've shot .44 Mag through an older 629 a few times and found the recoil a bit much.
 
Glockaholic said:
Home defense, go buy yourself a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870, short barrel.. a handgun is not the greatest weapon for home defense, but we can discuss that later.
Click to expand...

In theory, you are right.

In practice, I disagree. If I were to grab a long gun for home defense it would be an AR-15 carbine. Less recoil, more ammo, capable of much more precision, easier reloading, and shorter (easier to maneuver around the house). The issue of "overpenetration" is not an issue because it is just as bad if you miss with either.

But I choose a handgun for immediate home defense. Why? Because it leaves me with a free hand to open doors, turn on lights, pick up my daughter, etc.
 
Get a Model 629. Four Seasons probably has them. If not, Collectors probably does. Either one can get it for you if they don't have it in stock.
 
Unless you're going to reload (soon), get a .357 Magnum.

If you get a .44 Magnum, you might find the recoil of a full power load uncomfortable, and it can cause bad habits. You can also plan to spend well over $30/box locally for ammo. 44 Special has much less recoil (it's one of my favorite rounds to shoot out of a revolver) but is hard to find, and even more expensive than .44 Magnum when you do find it. I'd never keep a .44 Magnum for home defense, and you'll probably never meet anybody that likes big bore revolvers as much as I do.

You can shoot .38 Special out of the .357 for less than half the cost of the .44, and there are way more used S&W .357 revolvers around than .44s. Frequent the shops and you'll find something for a decent price.

If you do decide to reload, you can do a lot with both the .357 and the .44, I just picked up 1000 200gr lead .44 bullets for $72. Using my brass I can make 1000 rounds of accurate, soft-shooting .44s for around $120 (or $6/box).

I'll just make sure I don't crimp my rounds as much as Jose did with the cartridge on the left, and my brass will last more than a few loadings. [wink]
 
Kick is dependent on technique and body size. I shoot mostly big revolvers, 44,500,and 357 and it does not bother me, I like it. Some hate it, I would suggest you try a couple out before you spend. Barrel length and load size will always make a big difference, a 44 with "cowboy"loads is a pop gun and comparable to a 22, a 357 4" shooting hot 158 gr bullets can be a handful for some and depending on frame , grip or your hand size painful to some. You will rarely get back what you paid for it after firing a box and deciding it's not for you. Of course thats where the classified vultures come in, good luck and be safe.
 
ramair2k said:
I have restrictions on my LTC right now (live in a red city) so mainly range, and home defense.
Click to expand...
I would suggest a used S&W Model 66 4" (or its blued counterpart, Model 19), or a S&W Model 686 4". You really have no need for the 44 Magnum. The .357 will be much cheaper and more pleasant to shoot.

Get a .357 and practice with lightly loaded .38Spcl to start.
 
EddieCoyle said:
I'll just make sure I don't crimp my rounds as much as Jose did with the cartridge on the left, and my brass will last more than a few loadings. [wink]
Click to expand...

[smile]

I've since backed off the seater die......

Those two are actually my seater die OAL setup dummies. The one on the left is a 250 grain Keith SWC, the other a 200 grain RNFP.
 
Get a .357 magnum revolver, specifically a 4" model 686 or something similar. The biggest benefit of the .357 mag revolver is that it will also chamber .38 special ammo, which is both cheaper and has less recoil than .357 mag. While it's fun to shoot the larger round, you'll find in the long run that .38sp has far more practical applications.

Get a used gun - it'll already be broken in for you, will be cheaper, and hopefully you can get an earlier model without the silly lawyer features (like the internal lock).

Price point for a used S&W .357 is around $500 - anything under is a good deal.

I saw a few nice models in the case at Roches in Cambridge for about that price.

A .44 magnum is a fun gun, but has fewer practical applications and the recoil can take its toll, both on your muscles and your shooting ability. It's big, heavy and very expensive to shoot. Price point should be around $650 for a used model 629.
 
Here's a photo of the 629 big boy. When this baby comes out everything stops and everybody wants to see it shoot. So for the WOW factor there's nothing like a 44mag but it should not be your first or only gun nor your carry gun. The 8-3/8" barrel will be a little hard to conceal.



DSC_2013.JPG

If since installed new rubber grips to make the recoil more bearable.
 
Have I shown you my .44 Magnums lately?

Blued (Lew Horton 29-3)
pic042.jpg


Stainless (629-4 Mountain Gun)
DSC00260.jpg


Nickel (29-2)
pic045.jpg
 
Jose said:
Have I shown you my .44 Magnums lately?

Blued (Lew Horton 29-3)
pic042.jpg
Click to expand...

Beautiful gun Jose.

ETA: to the OP..
If you go green before the next shoot and then attend the shoot I'll let you try out my Dan Wesson .44 and my two Smiths in
.357
 
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That 29-3 is utterly stellar.

To the OP: If you do decide you're going to go .44Mag, you can pick up a Colt Anaconda for around the same price as a S&W Performance Center gun. The fit, finish and accuracy on the Colt revolvers is beyond compare.
 
I own and shoot both in barrel lengths from 2 1/2" to 8 3/8" but I reload. What do you want to do with it? I have 5 and if you'd like to try them out, I shoot at Harvard sportsmens Club every weekend morning. As drgrant said,if you don't reload you'll go broke shooting either.
 
ramair2k said:
I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on these two revolvers. What are the pros and cons to each one? Can either of these be purchased brand new in MA? Is there a benefit to one over the other? Recoil?

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

What do you plan on using your handgun for? Hunting (if so, what?) HD/SD?
 

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