Desert Eagle 357

I also have the Super Blackhawk in a 10 inch barrel.
Shooting the Eagle is a walk in the park compared to shooting the Blackhawk.
The hand impact from the Blackhawk is intense.
The grip on the Eagle seems stupid big until you pull the trigger.

Managing a 44 mag is a challenge period. 357 will always seems much friendlier.

The 357 is respected for good reason and it is a lot better for many actual practical uses.
The 44 mag is more of a swing for the fence and chase the 357s out of the house.

As Harry said. "...and would blow your head clean off"

No matter how hard I hung onto my SB it always ended up in the 1:00 position after I fired. After 6 rounds I'd usually have a bruise starting about 1.5" back from the thumb forefinger web on my hand from the hammer. OTOH, my original Blackhawk in .45LC is an absolute joy to shoot which is no surprise. Never had an issue with a Model 29 or a Redhawk though, the SB grip ergonomics are just overpowered in .44 mag. Would love an Eagle in .357 though, or a Coonan. It's got one of the best product names ever, Coonan the Barbarian -

Coonan-2.jpg
 
Lew Horton, it figures. They did come up with some oddballs. I've got a Lew Horton 686 2.5" from the mid 80s.
Yep, they had all the off-the -wall stuff. Back around 1990, I had a S&W Custom Shop "Shorty-Forty" from Horton....sold it to a friend of mine, I never liked it as much as I thought I would. Still have a couple of other 3rd-gen Smiths (3913, 4566) that I liked much better.

One of my favorite revolvers is this (N-frame) S&W 625 Model Of 1989, 6 rounds, 3-inch snubby chambered in .45 ACP. Great trigger, accurate as hell, reloads are slick and fast with full-moon clips. Everybody that I ever let fire this gun offered to buy it from me on the spot (!) Sorry folks, no deal ! :)

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Yep, they had all the off-the -wall stuff. Back around 1990, I had a S&W Custom Shop "Shorty-Forty" from Horton....sold it to a friend of mine, I never liked it as much as I thought I would. Still have a couple of other 3rd-gen Smiths (3913, 4566) that I liked much better.

One of my favorite revolvers is this (N-frame) S&W 625 Model Of 1989, 6 rounds, 3-inch snubby chambered in .45 ACP. Great trigger, accurate as hell, reloads are slick and fast with full-moon clips. Everybody that I ever let fire this gun offered to buy it from me on the spot (!) Sorry folks, no deal ! :)

View attachment 1018434

Nice! I have a 25-2 .45 ACP, presentation box, pinned barrel, PS/TT/TH, etc. Great shooter, zero recoil, makes me look good. Re: Lew Horton's, I visited their shop in the late 80s. The front of the store looked like a museum they had so many classic & antique firearms on display. A friend bought a Model 24 3" in .44 SPL from them, wish I'd bought one too instead of my 686 snub. Mine was exactly like this until I put a Hogue Monogrip on it -

13669202_5.jpg


Shout out, still looking for a Model 13 in MA, either barrel, either butt...
 
No matter how hard I hung onto my SB it always ended up in the 1:00 position after I fired. After 6 rounds I'd usually have a bruise starting about 1.5" back from the thumb forefinger web on my hand from the hammer. OTOH, my original Blackhawk in .45LC is an absolute joy to shoot which is no surprise. Never had an issue with a Model 29 or a Redhawk though, the SB grip ergonomics are just overpowered in .44 mag. Would love an Eagle in .357 though, or a Coonan. It's got one of the best product names ever, Coonan the Barbarian -

Coonan-2.jpg
I also like big-bore handguns, sometimes with hot loads (in .44 Mag, Hodgdon`s 110 loaded to max capacity is a real buffalo-stomper), and found that for me, the best solution was to shoot with bicycling gloves....fingerless, string-back, with leather-padded palms. They made a huge difference, especially when unloading a few cylinders of my "cut `n weld rounds" :)
 
Nice! I have a 25-2 .45 ACP, presentation box, pinned barrel, PS/TT/TH, etc. Great shooter, zero recoil, makes me look good. Re: Lew Horton's, I visited their shop in the late 80s. The front of the store looked like a museum they had so many classic & antique firearms on display. A friend bought a Model 24 3" in .44 SPL from them, wish I'd bought one too instead of my 686 snub. Mine was exactly like this until I put a Hogue Monogrip on it -

13669202_5.jpg


Shout out, still looking for a Model 13 in MA, either barrel, either butt...
Now, that is definitely sweet !
 
IMO, .357 is over-penetrating overkill for home protection unless you expect to have to shoot through both sides of a dumpster. Maybe OK if your nearest neighbor is half a mile away.

My primary HD weapon is my Remington 870 with a few loads of birdshot followed by a few loads of 00 buck. Last round is a 1 oz. deer slug.
 
I also like big-bore handguns, sometimes with hot loads (in .44 Mag, Hodgdon`s 110 loaded to max capacity is a real buffalo-stomper), and found that for me, the best solution was to shoot with bicycling gloves....fingerless, string-back, with leather-padded palms. They made a huge difference, especially when unloading a few cylinders of my "cut `n weld rounds" :)

I sometimes use weight lifting palm pad gloves, Fingerless. Depends how long at the range. Definitely helps
 
IMO, .357 is over-penetrating overkill for home protection unless you expect to have to shoot through both sides of a dumpster. Maybe OK if your nearest neighbor is half a mile away.

My primary HD weapon is my Remington 870 with a few loads of birdshot followed by a few loads of 00 buck. Last round is a 1 oz. deer slug.

There's some a-holes pulling invasion's within 10 miles wearing Kevlar. Two citizens shot and killed. One perpetrator ran out of luck a few days ago, Try to carjack and get into the house of a CCP holder. The bad guy was killed. Headshot, After being hit in chest, Wearing the vest. Knocked him down, But not out.
 
IMO, .357 is over-penetrating overkill for home protection unless you expect to have to shoot through both sides of a dumpster. Maybe OK if your nearest neighbor is half a mile away.

My primary HD weapon is my Remington 870 with a few loads of birdshot followed by a few loads of 00 buck. Last round is a 1 oz. deer slug.

If you are going for increasing levels of ouch, why not start with rubber buck or ball first?

As an aside, the 125 gr. JHP doesn't do much but expend energy in the target. If you miss, different story but any round will be a problem then.
 
I have the 44 and 50 DE. The 44 is easier to shoot. But the the 50 is not bad either. For my 357 autoloaders, I have 2 coonans,
 
I also have a (single-action) Ruger Bisley, in .44 Mag....very comfortable to shoot, due to the 7 1/2 inch barrell, and the shape of the grips, which allow the gun to rotate back & up under recoil, rather than transferring all that load to the wrist. Accurate, too....
 
If you are going for increasing levels of ouch, why not start with rubber buck or ball first?

As an aside, the 125 gr. JHP doesn't do much but expend energy in the target. If you miss, different story but any round will be a problem then.
Don't think I've ever seen the stuff around here.
 
After about a dozen trigger pulls, I'm done.
You don't know how refreshing it is to hear a fully-grown man admit this "out loud." Even with the best "strong hand," quite a few of the upper caliber handguns between say... .40 S&W - .45 ACP will exhibit a substantial degree of muzzle flip upon the pull of the trigger. I alternate between two models of America's "ugly" gun for concealed carry and/or home defense - a Glock 19 Gen 4 in 9mm and a Glock 41 Gen 4 in .45 ACP. During sporadic range visits, one can't help but notice the hyper-macho types that walk in like wannabe Clint Eastwoods while bragging about how they'll group every shot within the span of an inch. As the paper target advances, and one's ego declines in proportion to their hand, wrist, and forearm strength, and the dispersal of the hit pattern looks like swiss cheese around center mass, folks slowly but surely begin to pack up as they realize full-metal-jacket/jacketed hollow-point rounds cost more than a penny-a-piece and the actors in Hollywood make the impropable seem so real. I'm nowhere near "weak" and will be the first to admit that slinging a few hundred 147 grain 9mm Hornady XTP or 230 grain .45 ACP Federal HST Personal Defense rounds down range can become physically taxing. Unless one is an LEO, avid hunter, or in a similar career/hobby that warrants shooting very frequently, I think quite a few guys underestimate the physicality involved in shooting. And when I say "shooting", I mean doing so with the intent of placing a shot within a reasonable degree of accuracy, not merely pulling the trigger and sending ammunition in some random direction.

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You don't know how refreshing it is to hear a fully-grown man admit this "out loud." Even with the best "strong hand," quite a few of the upper caliber handguns between say... .40 S&W - .45 ACP will exhibit a substantial degree of muzzle flip upon the pull of the trigger. I alternate between two models of America's "ugly" gun for concealed carry and/or home defense - a Glock 19 Gen 4 in 9mm and a Glock 41 Gen 4 in .45 ACP. During sporadic range visits, one can't help but notice the hyper-macho types that walk in like wannabe Clint Eastwoods while bragging about how they'll group every shot within the span of an inch. As the paper target advances, and one's ego declines in proportion to their hand, wrist, and forearm strength, and the dispersal of the hit pattern looks like swiss cheese around center mass, folks slowly but surely begin to pack up as they realize full-metal jacket hollow points cost more than a penny-a-piece and the actors in Hollywood make the impropable seem so real. I'm nowhere near "weak" and will be the first to admit that slinging few hundred 147 grain 9mm Hornady XTP or 230 grain .45 ACP Federal HST Personal Defense rounds down range can become physically taxing. Unless one is an LEO, avid hunter, or in a similar career/hobby that warrants shooting very frequently, I think quite a few guys underestimate the physicality involved in shooting. And when I say shooting, I mean doing so with the intent of placing a shot within a reasonable degree of accuracy, not merely pulling the trigger and sending ammunition in some random direction.

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Glocks are forgiving pistols in the bigger calibers, especially with the Gen 4 springs. Even then, my limit with the 23 or 30 is maybe 200 rounds a trip, with 150 being closer to the right number.

I can't even imagine trying to IWB a 41... the 19 and 30 are pretty easy, but once I get to the 17 I'll need a cover garment to do anything more than stand around.
 
You don't know how refreshing it is to hear a fully-grown man admit this "out loud." Even with the best "strong hand," quite a few of the upper caliber handguns between say... .40 S&W - .45 ACP will exhibit a substantial degree of muzzle flip upon the pull of the trigger. I alternate between two models of America's "ugly" gun for concealed carry and/or home defense - a Glock 19 Gen 4 in 9mm and a Glock 41 Gen 4 in .45 ACP. During sporadic range visits, one can't help but notice the hyper-macho types that walk in like wannabe Clint Eastwoods while bragging about how they'll group every shot within the span of an inch. As the paper target advances, and one's ego declines in proportion to their hand, wrist, and forearm strength, and the dispersal of the hit pattern looks like swiss cheese around center mass, folks slowly but surely begin to pack up as they realize full-metal-jacket/jacketed hollow-point rounds cost more than a penny-a-piece and the actors in Hollywood make the impropable seem so real. I'm nowhere near "weak" and will be the first to admit that slinging a few hundred 147 grain 9mm Hornady XTP or 230 grain .45 ACP Federal HST Personal Defense rounds down range can become physically taxing. Unless one is an LEO, avid hunter, or in a similar career/hobby that warrants shooting very frequently, I think quite a few guys underestimate the physicality involved in shooting. And when I say "shooting", I mean doing so with the intent of placing a shot within a reasonable degree of accuracy, not merely pulling the trigger and sending ammunition in some random direction.

View attachment 1020176

Agree, When at the range, It's about getting on target, Friends with the larger caliber guns do well, But get fatigued. The 357 just came into play as a need for home defense, Due to a rash of robbery's in my area. The bad guys are using big caliber pistols, And felt the need to be able to match the situation. Plus, Their using vests as was shown during a shooting, Were the homeowner won.
 
Agree, When at the range, It's about getting on target, Friends with the larger caliber guns do well, But get fatigued. The 357 just came into play as a need for home defense, Due to a rash of robbery's in my area. The bad guys are using big caliber pistols, And felt the need to be able to match the situation. Plus, Their using vests as was shown during a shooting, Were the homeowner won.

"Watch your front sight, and hurry up slowly"
(Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC, founder of Gunsite)
 
I've had SEVERAL of these loudenboomers,including a Nifty Fifty that I'd ordered out special. It sprouted arms & legs one day & ran off, likely w/ my mom's housekeeper... I have a 44 currently, which makes 3 or 4 of THEM I've had. Everything I know about guns tells me that these damthings CAN'T work, & yet, they DO. Very admirably, as a matter of fact. The day I got my 50, me & a buddy took it down to his family farm, & ventilated a Pizza box There were several horses standing around, HOPING we'd give 'em a few apples,or sweet feed....4 or 5 rapid fire shots from the DE,& they were scrambling for the Tall Timbers... We'd "Broken in" an FAL clone down there, & the family of Kallikacks who lived next to John's farm.-And who likely broke into the house down there were showing their displeasure by making rather snide comments about us & our "Hi-Paired Rifle". John emptied a clip or 2 of .308 rather quickly,& they STFU. Most people DON'T wanna get TOO smart w/a couple of guys who are wielding a "Hi-Paired" (Read-POWERED) rifle... We broke in another gun of mine down there-a Fed Ord M-14 clone. Hit the very 1st thing I aimed at w/it. That ALWAYS kinda "Makes Yr Day" when that happens.. And, NO, it wasn't a "Gimme" shot-We were standing on this ridge which was roughly 100 yards across the valley, where we had a couple of gallon milk jugs set up. John & I have spent a good deal of time down there over the years.. Made life rather difficult for a number of milk jugs, pizza boxes, what have you...The place is about 15 minutes away from the middle of town, no trouble atall to grab a Shootin' Iron or 2, & have a nice afternoon...
 
Most people DON'T wanna get TOO smart w/a couple of guys who are wielding a "Hi-Paired" (Read-POWERED) rifle...

Is that the kind that uses automatic bullets?

As an aside, I have a gun that shouldn't work too. A pipsqueak relative to the preceding, .38 SPL wadcutter -

400px-Smith-and-Wesson-Model-52-2-A6486.jpg
 
IMO, .357 is over-penetrating overkill for home protection unless you expect to have to shoot through both sides of a dumpster. Maybe OK if your nearest neighbor is half a mile away.

My primary HD weapon is my Remington 870 with a few loads of birdshot followed by a few loads of 00 buck. Last round is a 1 oz. deer slug.

That's some real forethought, rnorton!

There's some a-holes pulling invasion's within 10 miles wearing Kevlar. Two citizens shot and killed. One perpetrator ran out of luck a few days ago, Try to carjack and get into the house of a CCP holder. The bad guy was killed. Headshot, After being hit in chest, Wearing the vest. Knocked him down, But not out.

Which is why I sleep with my Model 13 Smith & Wesson .357 revolver close by. Stopping power, to me, is like displacement, in other words, no replacement.
 
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