Shrouded hammer .357s: Do I really only have two choices?

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fallingrock71

New member
While waiting on the NICS for a shotgun purchase today, I made the mistake of handling a Smith 638. I REALLY liked it in ever way except for the fact that it wasn't a .357. I'm not knocking the .38 +P by any means, I just want a .357 with the shrouded hammer. I didn't check Taurus/Rossi, but are my options for a NEW gun really just the Smith 649 or the Charter Mag Pug On Duty?

I'd really appreciate any input on what is out there and your experiences with them.

Thanks!
 
I have a Taurus 651 that has worked out fine for me.

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If all you want it for is the security of not having a hammer spur that can catch on something, the spur can be removed from any double-action by a gunsmith. On the other hand, if you just like the looks of a shrouded hammer (who would admit to that?), then you have to go with what is available.
 
I have a hammerless Chiappa Rhino. I wish I'd got it with the hammer simply because the 2" barrel version uses the hammer as the rear sight...so I don't have a rear sight. This hasn't worked a out as well as I thought it would and I'd prefer a rear sight.
 
I know you said shrouded hammer, but he S&W 640 has an enclosed hammer and I actually think it looks a whole lot better than the 649. I used to have an older 640 in .38 special, awesome gun.

By the way, the grip's they show on the S&W website are 3 finger grips, which I think negate the point of carrying a gun the size of a J frame. I would switch them out to a shorter 2 finger grip if you go that route.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I should have been a little more specific regarding my desire for the shrouded hammer. I could careless about the looks. In fact I think the shrouded hammer models look a little goofy. I do want it to be snag free of course, but I really want to have the ability to fire single action at the range. Yeah, yeah I know I'm not gonna get tight little groups at 25 yards with a snubbie. It sure is fun tryin' though! Hey, I'm weird like that.

I must admit that after thinking on it during a slow day work it is making a little less sense to me. That gun sure felt good though! I may just have to try some good DAO guns and rethink it a bit.

I do appreciate your input and by all means keep it coming.
 
I do want it to be snag free of course, but I really want to have the ability to fire single action at the range.
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Not as crazy as you think. Lemme tell you a story.

Many years ago when my oldest son was a teen, we lived in the country and had our own casual range in a back pasture. One afternoon I came home and heard a boom of a big revolver in the back pasture. A quick check with my wife, she told me oldest son had the .44 magnum in the back pasture. At the time I was in a plainclothes assignment and carried a Smith model 60, the original stainless steel revolver. I walked out back to see what elder son was doing, and he had set up some soup cans on hay bales and was shooting at them with the .44 at about 50 yards. I walked up to him, took out that little Model 60, thumb-cocked the hammer, and peeled one of those cans off the hay bale.

Elder son looked at me. "I bet you can't do that again."

"I don't HAVE to do that again." I patted him on the shoulder. "Keep practicing, son."

Just because a revolver has a 2" barrel, doesn't mean you can't hit with it. Could I have hit another can with it? I doubt it, but my son will never know.
 
I'd love to have a 649. They're beauties. I like that little extra barrel length they have. Myself, I'd probably load it with 38+P's anyway. The advantage I see is that extra 1/4" of barrel length, and the shrouded barrel, giving it a little front weight heft.
 
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Bianchi hammer shroud grip

If you like a bit larger revolver Bianchi made a hammer shroud finger groove grip some years back. I have one for a rb k frame & it works pretty well. No thumb break holster will work with it though.
 
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