[DJDan]

I want a small revolver in .357.
I currently have pistols in .380 (Hi-Point) and 9 mm (XD9 SC) but want a revolver in a more powerful round.

What do you all think about this one?

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=617SH2C&category=Revolver

I know NOTHING about revolvers...I have never even shot one.

I like the idea of having 7 rounds instead of 5 so I would prefer a higher round count.

Forgive my ignorance but would this gun also be able to shoot the .38 round as well or am I confused?

Feel free to recommend other revolvers as well. I am currently learning before I get serious about purchasing. I want to make the right decision for me.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

 

[Raptor536]

I'm new here, and an amateur shooter at best, and I have little experience with revolvers.

That being said, I have a friend who owns a Taurus revolver, and he's been extremely happy with it. He heartily recommends it to anyone who asks. I know, only one recommendation, and it's coming second-hand, so take it for what it's worth.

And my understanding has always been that .357 mag revolvers will feed .38 special, but I might be wrong.

 

[kgpcr]

I have one in stainless and i love it. its my little pocket rocket. great little handgun with a big bite. i like the 7 shots of .3574mag

 

[DJDan]

Can this revolver shoot the .38 round for sure? If so I think I'm going to look into this gun seriously. I will probably purchase in SS instead of Titanium for the cost.
Looks like I should be able to pick up one for around $300 or so.

 

[willbond]

I have a Taurus Tracker in 17HMR and it's great. A buddy of mine had a Titanium Taurus in 45 Long Colt, and it was a lot of fun to shoot. Taurus Revolvers are considered high quality and a very good value. And yes, any revolver that will shoot .357 Magnum will shoot .38 Special. Buy one.

 

[jkswiss]

You might want to check out another one of the Taurus revolvers.

They have one out that shoots .357Mag, .38 Special, and get this, 9mm.
I plan on trading in my Taurus 66 for this one.

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=TRIAD-85SS&category=Revolver

I suppose its only 5 rounds though, a definite disadvantage against 7rds. I wonder how big to cylinder is going to be to hold 7 rounds. My Taurus model 66 holds 7 rounds and it aint skinny!

 

[manygunner]

Taurus makes good guns, and for less then S&W and Beretta. I own both a PT-92 Beretta knock-off and a Taurus .44 Mag revolver. Both work great and are quite accurate. Personally I like the Taurus revolver more then S&W, more bang for the buck and more reliable. I traded in a S&W M-29 Series 8 61/2" .44 Mag for my Taurus M44CP4 and never looked back. My wife loves her Taurus 83 .38 Spl revolver and it cost us a mere $150. I want to see similiar price on a S&W gun in good working order.

 

[omegaic]

Man, are you in for a treat. I got my first revolver a little while ago and I am in love with it. I can shoot better with it than almost every other gun I have fired. I went all out and got a S&W, I figure do it right the first time. Of course I grabbed the 4" barrel simply because CCW is nigh impossible in NJ. Good luck with your purchase!

 

[TomSwift]

I have a Taurus Model 608 which holds eight rounds. It's a .357 ported revolver and has a great trigger. You are correct, you can shoot .38 Special rounds out of it. I do it all the time.

 

[hobocircus]

I got one of these (S&W66) and usually shoot .38 special +p through it. I like the plus p round cause it isn't quite as punishing as the .357 and it's has a bit more "pop" than the standard .38 special.
Can't go wrong with a good quality revolver. Lots of fun and if you take your time a box of 50 can last you at least 1/2 hour as opposed to shooting a semi like RoboCop and blasting through a box of 50 in 2 minutes flat! :lol:

 

[wganz]

What do you all think about this one?

This is my opinion, so take it for that. I got my first centerfire rifle at the tender age of 14 back in 1969 and have shot extensively with both pistols and rifles for the past 36 years.

My suggestion is to find a range that has rental guns and try out a snub nose .357 first. Regardless if it is a Taurus or not, just to try out that combination of ammuntion && barrel length. The combination of a short barrel with the increased charge for a .357 can be very unpleasant. For a new shooter, my main concern is that you will develop a flinch from it and spoil your training. For a new shooter, I'd never recommend anything shorter than 4", and a 5" would be better. With that much of the charge being burnt in the open air for a quite impressive fireball, the velocities are not that much more than a .38 Special.{info on .38 && .357 relationship can be found here http://www.recguns.com/Sources/IIIB4.html} You indicated that it not being a CCW due to NJ idiotic/liberal gun laws. So, the shorter barrel won't gain you anything practical and could actually be a detriment to a new shooter.

With that stated, I have to confess to lusting for a S&W Model 13 with a 3" barrel. This was the FBI's revolver for years until the infamous Miami shootout. http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs7.htm Call me old school if you like; but for a CCW in Texas, it would be OK to get me home from the hospital on the weekends after a late 3-11 shift.

If you want a .357, my recommendation would be to look at a S&W 686 with a 6" barrel which does come with 7 shot capability. IN MY OPINION, you'd be happier in the end with that than a snub nose .357.

My 2¢,

wganz
¶

 

[XD-9Sub68]

I have the 605B...
blue 5 shot 357. and it is a good little gun.

if you were going to carry this concealed, and that was your main reason
for buying.
you might want to look at the hammerless model 617chb

but if you just going to be shooting it - then the hammer is nice to be able
to pull back and use it Single Action.

They may still offer a 1yr NRA membership free with purchase, and they have lifetime warranty.

I think you will be happy.

 

[therooster]

They have one out that shoots .357Mag, .38 Special, and get this, 9mm.

just to let you know, it doesnt shoot all of those out of one gun.

the "9mm/.38/.357" means thats the calibers you can get it in.



yes a .357 will shoot .38 specials

 

[SLCDave]

Dan, this is also just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth.

If you aren't planning on using it for concealed carry, a snubnose revolver isn't very practical. The only reason they are really made is for the purpose of concealment. They aren't as fun to shoot at the range, and they aren't as accurate due to the shorter sight radius, recoil, etc. If you get the lightweight version, this recoil will only increase.

I CAN recommend THIS Taurus revolver. It is essentially the same gun, with a 4" barrel. I own it, and would definately recommend it.

And yes, you can shoot .38 special loads through it. Feel free to ask any questions about it if you have any.

 

[XD_Dan]

I had a 617 in stainless (not titanium), and I loved it. It performed flawlessly for over 1000 rounds. I'd still have it, but it was stolen when our home was broken into about a year and a half ago.

I agree (sort of) with an above post that it wasn't much fun at the range. After about 200 rounds of .357 mag ammo, my wrist would get a bit fatigued, and it was LOUD. A real attention getter at the range. The muzzle flash at night was impressive.
It was a lot of fun with .38 ammo! Much less recoil, much less noise.

The one I owned had different grips than the one in the pic you posted. Mine were a very grippy, soft rubber - similar to Hogue.

IMO it would make a great CCW revolver.

One day I hope to get another one.

 

[SLCDave]

Hogue actually makes that retarded "Ribber Grip" for Taurus. You can buy a regular rubber grip for them now through Hogue or Taurus.

 

[sport]

DJDan, I owned a S&W 686 which was a fantastic weapon but I wanted to go with something with simular balistic but more round capacity thats what my XD357 is for...A very excellent round! Not to get off subject but I wish SA would come out with a sub compact 357sig. I would be in heavan Taurus has alot off choices as well as a life time warranty so what ever you go with you should do ok, just a thought? if you plan to shoot alot at the range I would go with stainless rather than the light weight models.

 

[ttheobald]

I like Taurus guns (I have their .454 myself), and I probably wouldn't hesitate to grab the one you've pointed out, if the price were right. However, if price didn't matter, and I could pick any .357 at all, I'd probably go with a S&W.

That's just me.

T

 

[willbond]

SLCDave I like the "Ribber" Grips on the Taurus. They're comfortable and from what I could tell did a pretty good job of absorbing the recoil on my friend's 45 Long Colt Titanium Taurus.

 

[ghostdoc]

I have a 4" 686 which is great, but if I could, S&W makes an 8 round snubbie in 357 from the performance center. I would love that baby, but no denero. I'm SOL. Hell, I still have 5 others to play with. 226, XDSC-9, Browning Buckmaster Standard, Kimber Target Custom II. Guess I can't complain. gd

Oh The Taurus looks OK. For some reason I shy away from Tauruses.