? S&W M60 357 Magnum -15 ?

S

Sir William

New member
Does anyone have one of these? I took a good look at one today. The lock is a non-issue. The action felt as good as most S&Ws Js. Do these really stand up to 357 Magnums? Do heavy (180 gr) 357 Magnums have troubles lighting off? I have had problems with snubs and unburned powder/less than perfect accuracy because of the snub barrel. Experiences/opinions desired. Asking price was less than $490.00, MSRP is $600.00 the last I checked.
 
M60-15

I have a M60-10 in 357mag. The gun has shot very well for about 500rds. Half 38 +p and half 357mag 158gr JHP. The gun looks and is as good as when it was new. It had a problem with the mags sticking in the cylinder when it was new. So I sent it off to the factory and they reamed and polished them at no charge and it has been fine.The best load I have found is the 110gr 357mag. It is controlable and not to hard on the gun. Best and good luck.
 
They'll shoot themselves loose faster than a K-frame, but in a J Magnum, it's kind of a self-limiting problem, unless you have hands of steel. :o

Don't 180 .357's have a slightly greater OAL? Are they short enough to fit in a J Magnum? (Not that I'd shoot one in a J Magnum on a bet... :eek: )
 
I have a S&W 60-15!

It's a great gun. (There's no problem with 180-grainers or even 200-grainers in the cylinder.)

I carry Federal's 130-gr Personal Defense Hydra-Shok .357 load, which is reasonably quick out of a shorter barrel. For hiking, I carry Buffalo Bore's .357 158-gr JHC, which they say (and folks online concur) gives 1398 fps out of the 60-15's 3" tube.

Surprisingly, recoil isn't horrifying. The oversized "crescent-moon" grips really work for me. Plus, I used to own a 21-ounce Taurus .41 magnum, so . . . it's all relative.

I don't shoot the 60-15 a lot, but I'm impressed with all the slick little touches on it. The trigger face is smooth, and the trigger pull is smoother. The metalwork is outstanding. The sights are wonderful (once again, thank you TERRY MURBACH for lighting a fire under S&W to make 3" adjustable-sighted J-frames), and the gun points perfectly.

Anyway, you'll do well with the 60-15, if that's what you wind up with.
 
I have a 60-14 2" and a 19-3 2.5". I have to say that both are great guns. However, The 60 is significantly ( 20%) heavier ( and a bit longer) than my older model 36's. To be honest, It's not a large step up to carry the 19 over the newer improved J framed 60 IMHO.

p.s. $490 seems a bit high for a new 60. I bought mine for $450 OTD and still see them advertized at that price. A nice used m19 in 2.5" should cost $100-$200 less than that in my experience. Enjoy whatever you buy!
 
I liked the M60-15. I have a M30 in 32 S&W Long. I really like it. 180 gr 357 Magnums are my preferred load. I too noted the M60-15 is a larger J frame. I felt that if I want a compact J in a 32 H&R Magnum I would buy the 431. It isn't giving me more than my old M30 though. The M19-3 will give me a great concealable magnum, adjustable sights, a larger weight and balance for recoil and I like my M65-3 357 Magnum. The M60-15 is nice. A nickel M19-3 is just what I decided I like better.
 
I recently bought a S&W 60-10 with the 3" full lug barrel. Which I guess is the same as your 60-15 except for the internal lock. I shoot mostly 147gr Hydra Shok .38 +P+ Specials thru it for training and self-defense, but I've tested alot of different .357 Mag loads in it, just for "fun"! Some are quite stout, recoil wise, but none are unmanageable.

My problem is, that any load (.38 or .357) above 150gr of bullet weight, "key-holes" pretty badly! My targets are full of oval, rather than round holes, even at 7 yards? I wanted to carry this handgun as an occasional trail companion with my Marlin 1894C carbine, (which absolutely loves .357 Win. 180gr Partition Golds), but this little J-Frame throws them almost sideways?

Any suggestions?

PS - the cylinder gap on my gun measures .011 with a feeler guage, is this within spec?
 
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