Shot my 357 LCR for the first time. Then bought a 4 in sp101

[matlt]

So I put about 20 rounds of 158gr 357 through the lcr. The recoil is seriously nuts. I have a blood blister on my finger from trigger bite, and the blast I got in my face every time I shot a 357 round one was borderline painful. I dont think I could ever manage decent follow up shots, but the recoil is not totally unmanageable. I wonder if the trigger bite was improper grip. But it hurts. 38 was down right pleasant to shoot. Very tame, very little recoil. My hand and arm feels fine, even after a couple one handed 357 shots. While I would certainly feel comfortable enough shooting 357 in a defensive/hunting situation, I dont think I'll be doing it at the range anymore. For now I'm content just carrying 38+p in it.

That being said, after I left the range I went out looking for the 4+ inch barrel 357 I've been wanting. Had my eyes set on either a gp100 or a taurus model 65. The shop didnt have either. What caught my eye was a 4.2 inch adjustable rear sight fiber optic front sp101. I ended up taking it home. This model seems to be new as I cant find any reviews other than gunblast on it. Im a little worried about the durability of the fiber optic front sight though. Is the any way to prevent these from breaking and/or falling out? Kind of odd to have such fragile sights on a revolver famous for being a budget high quality tank.

I think the lcr will remain a 38spl concealed carry gun and the magnums will be saved for the sp101. I should also mention the lcr had one malfunction where the trigger didnt reset. I shot a round, went bang. Trigger stayed back. I pulled it a few times, tried to push it forward. Only thing that fixed it was me pulling on it and sliding my finger off to let it spring forward. Maybe it just needs to be broken in?

[Smokehouse]

Imagine this...that 17oz LCR beat the snot out of you with .357 rounds...think of how a S&W 340PD weighing in at 11.4oz would feel with the same round.

I had a 26oz 2.25" SP101 and that was plenty recoil for me with hot rounds...I couldn't imagine the LCR let alone the PD. I currently have a S&W Bodyguard 38 revolver and with hot .38 +P rounds, it can sting a bit (it weighs in at 14.3oz).

A friend of mine shot that PD....once...he wanted to get through cylinder full of .357 but he said it was so painful, he gave up...

S&W also makes a sub 30oz .44mag...I bet that thing is a madman too...

[AustinOX]

I have a 340PD. .357 ammo sucks to shoot out of it, but fortunately Speer makes a 135 gr .38 +p round that is excellent for self defense. I no longer see a need to use .357 in a snubbie.

[waterhead]

You don't have to worry about the quality of the sp101. They are built like tanks and will outlast your great-grandchildren

[mhen]

I borrowed my mom's SP101 2" for a day of shooting. The 38s are fun to shoot out of that thing, the .357 mag Hydrashocks definately wake you up though haha. It may not be fun to shoot at the range, but you definately know that it will do the job as long as you can hit your target.

[johnrobe]

I like the Speer 135gr. .357 short barrel ammo as well as the 125 gr. Golden Sabers in my 3" SP101. I think these are both "reduced power" loads....somewhere between .38+P and a full house .357. My hand hurts just thinking about shooting .357's out of a LCR or scandium J-frame.

[DevJames]

the front fiberoptics are pretty durable sights.

I can't recall what company supplied them but you can but replacement inserts in several colors for most of them.

[misfit-x]

Originally Posted by DevJames

the front fiberoptics are pretty durable sights.

I can't recall what company supplied them but you can but replacement inserts in several colors for most of them.

Hi-Viz makes them. If they can take the beating though my LCR then they will handle the SP-101.

I made it through 15 rounds of 125gr JSP through my LCR before my hand quit. They are much nicer to shoot though my new GP100. I got the .357 magnum version for the versatility and the extra 2.6oz. I do want to do some night shooting to see the fireball that comes out of that almost 2" barrel

[slugger6]

I carry the LCR .38 +P as a backup and like it just fine. The .357 is just too much for me.

[Russ7777]

I shot a s&w bodyguard in the .38 special and that was painful enough; I cannot imagine a .357 in the bodyguard.