SW 360PD .357 Magnum Airlite

[JSandi]

SW 360PD .357 Magnum Airlite

Yesterday I bought myself one of these little gems, the Scandium model with the idea of using this as my backup gun from a Galco ankle holster.

Today I shot this little monster for the first time.

H-O-L-Y M-O-L-Y!!!!

This thing packs a punch recoil wise, I knew it would be hard in part to the weight or lack there of but damn!

On the up side though its lightweight, small, very carry friendly and it

[3/4s]

Some recoil huh? Nope, I don`t own one but I just bought an old S&W Model 58 .41 Magnum. Can`t wait to shoot that bad boy.

[Sleuth]

No, thanks. But at the distances you are likely to use it, .38's or .38+P will provide all the power you would need (or could use). Or practice/train with .38 JHP, and carry .357's for the real world.

BTW, find someone with a cronograph, and measure the speed of the different loads from your gun. In many cases, .357's are loaded with a slower powder for 4" barrels, and the velocity gain over .38 JHP in a short barrel is little or none. So you may be paying a large penalty in recoil for a tiny gain in velocity.

[34thMP]

360PD? Is that the one with the slightly-less-than-2" barrel (can't remember exactly how long)? I've always wondered about the accuracy of such short barrels (esp. in a revolver)...is it accurate enough for your average distances or would it be restricted to elevator combat?

I know that scandium/titanium stuff is pretty strong, but I would just feel...uncomfortable firing a .357 mag in something as light (and roughly the same size) as my TV remote.

[kirch]

I had a S&W 642 Airweight in .38 for a short time. Put about 50 rounds through it and realized that it was just too much punch for me. I can't imagine what it'd be like with .357. Sold mine to purchase my 3913.

I'm pleased with the 3913, but I sure did like how concealable and comfortable that 642 was. Check the 'gun regrets' thread and you'll see that's one on my list.

[JSandi]

It has a 1 7/8 inch barrel.

I was firing 125 grain Rem JHP at a pie plate size circle from 12 feet and 25 feet and at 12 feet it has good accuracy, from 25 feet I was landing them in and around the circle but the group as a whole would still fit inside of a small adults chest area.

I plan on bench resting it this weekend and shooting it at various distances to see what groups the gun is capable of.

One of the downsides I experienced was, the cylinder release (I believe) popped the top of my thumb real good and drew blood, (I

[GCPD0171]

Those little guns do pack a punch. I have an air weight model 642. It's only a .38spl and you can feel it. If I shoot more that 20 or 30 rounds at a time I develop a cut on the side of my trigger finger. When its time to qualify with it I just wrap tape around my finger and that does the trick.

[Sleuth]

BTW, for many years we carried the Q4070 load, a 110g JHP that produced 1,000 FPS from a 2" .38. We used to say that if you hit, it cauterized the wound, and if you missed, it set fire to their clothes so you could see them. I still have a few boxes of the original load around - they could hurt from steel frame M60's.

You must balance power with control. At the ranges you are likely to need your revolver, the shooting problem is not difficult. But what if their are two attackers? 3? Be ready for anything, including ammo you can hit with.

[RCSDReserve]

I carry one as a back up. I tried several different loads in order to find one that I could handle. I tried Golden Sabres, Hydrashoks, Proload, Cor-bon, and Speer. The 125gr Speer Gold Dot HP do not kick nearly as bad as the others. Speer also had the smallest flash from the muzzle and cylinder gap. I also bought custom wood grips that covered the backstrap better. The rubber grips that come on it don't cover the backstrap as well and are too spongy. It is very accurate at ranges beyond reasonable snubbie use.

[BorderRat]

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