I just got my 1st revolver!

[Ol'Bluesmoke]

My first was a tuarus too...357mag...SS, nice shooter..sold it for a Ruger SP101 though.

[jason867]

Just ordered this pocket holster for it.

AMERICAN PRIDE LEATHER CONCEALED POCKET HOLSTER FOR MANY GUNS - Free USA Shipping

it's supposed to fit S&W j & k frames, and I heard the 617 was similiar to a k frame (not sure where I heard this at).

[Ol'Bluesmoke]

Allll right! Nice gun! My first handgun (over 15 yrs ago) was a Taurus 669 .357 and I loved that revolver. It was a great shooter and the perfect first gun. It helped me learn trigger control and if you can master the trigger on a double action revolver you can master any trigger system. Also I think looking for the sights which are diminished on these types of revolvers really help with sight acquisition over time on any pistol.
BTW...the hydrashoks are good ammo, especially the personal defense loads...you did okay man...enjoy!

[theweakerbrother]

I've read from a few armchair commandos that shooting .357 out of a barrel of two inches or shorter isn't worth the trade off. You lose a lot of FPS and just get a loud bang. I believe it but I don't understand physics enough to prove it.

[jason867]

Well my memory of physics class back in high school is a little rusty too.

Velocity (fps) = force X time

the more force you have (a .357mag load instead of a .38) and the more time that the force is applied to the projectile, the more velocity the projectile will achieve.

So a .357mag load, even in a 2" barrel, will give more velocity. But obviously the majority of the force is wasted (in a flash/bang) after the bullet leaves the barrel.

Of course there's more variables involved than the three above (friction, wind resistance, mass & momentum of gun, mass of bullet, shooters wrist strength, etc...)

[TopDog]

Congratulations. My first revolver was a .44 Mag I was in love with the big bang, still am. Have .44 Mag, .357mag and a Taurus 415 (2 inch) in .41mag. That Taurus is loads of fun to shoot.

[jason conley]

Should have bought a smith! But any revolver is better than no revolver!

[FreeLand]

Originally Posted by jason conley

Should have bought a smith! But any revolver is better than no revolver!

I have owned a couple of Taurus snub nose revolvers. They work just as well as my S&W. So there's nothing wrong with your Taurus!

If the +P Hydra Shok have more kick than you're comfortable with, Winchester .38 SPL 110 Gr Silvertip have a good reputation.

[jason867]

We'll see when I get to the range. A friend may be giving me some .357mag silvertips to try out, I'll have the +p hydras, and I'll also have some standard .38s from cabelas (hopefully)

[trnsplntfrmohio]

If I might ask, you made a comment about getting your carry permit. Why did you choose the 617 with the external hammer. I have come to love my CIA .357 with no external hammer, no spur completely enclosed case. Not having a hammer on these tiny guns seems a no brainer so why did you choose to have an external hammer when you can get the exact same gun with an internal hammer and less of a chance of the hammer getting snagged on anything in a "situation".