The new Model 360 is now shipping.
Smith & Wesson announced this week that it has started shipping its new wheel gun, the Model 360 revolver.
This J-Frame model is a lightweight five-round SA/DA snubbie chambered in .357 Magnum. Features include a scandium alloy frame, unfluted stainless steel cylinder, Flat Dark Earth combat grips, and Red Ramp front sights.
The MSRP on the Model 360 is $770. But street prices will likely be lower.
Specs
- SKU: 11749
- Model: Model 360 .357 Magnum/.38 S&W Special +P
- Caliber: .357 Magnum, .38 S&W SPECIAL +P
- Capacity: 5
- Barrel Length: 1.875″ / 4.8 cm
- Overall Length: 6.4″
- Front Sight: Red Ramp
- Rear Sight: Fixed Notch
- Action: Single/Double Action
- Grip: Synthetic
- Weight: 14.9 oz / 422.4g
- Cylinder Material: Stainless Steel with PVD Finish
- Barrel Material: Stainless Steel
- Frame Material: Scandium Alloy
- Purpose: Concealed Carry, Personal Protection
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Model 360 features Red Ramp front sights
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And an unfluted cylinder.
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Additional Features
- Corrosion resistant stainless steel unfluted cylinder with PVD finish
- Lightweight but strong, Scandium Alloy frame
- Flat Dark Earth, synthetic grips
“With the growing popularity of concealed carry firearms, Smith & Wesson has continued to innovate in the popular J-frame revolver category,” said Jan Mladek, General Manager for Smith & Wesson and M&P® Brands, in a press release.
“The Model 360, chambered in .357 Magnum and weighing only 14.9 ounces, is a powerful and easy-to-carry option for those looking for a new concealed carry sidearm,” he added.
***
Overall, the Model 360 is one smart looking package. My one complaint would be the aesthetics of the unfluted cylinder. I guess I’m a bit of a traditionalist in that I prefer the fluted look on a revolver (though I get the why sans flutes has an appeal for discreet carry). But hey, looks are really the last thing that matters in a concealed carry piece, right? What’s your impression of the Model 360?
Shop for a new Model 360 on GunsAmerica.
Visit the Smith & Wesson website to learn more about the Model 360.
All very interesting, but I carry a snubby and love it. My hand fits well around it and it does not feel like a block of wood that feels counter intuitive for my grip. For SD no guessing when pulled quickly for point and shoot. I will carry a J frame anyday for CC. Price well I think they mouch off their name. It should retail for about 550.00. I have used a SW snubby for target practice and find the sights poor / black sight with black bulls eye leaves you guessing. I manage even with the poor sights to hit the bullseye at 25 feet for each shot but after 25 shorts you begin to feel the pinching from the recoil. Mind you this is not a practice gun but a CC. I expect to only use it if my life is in danger. Which is the point for CC you are not out there hunting turkeys, you only shoot if your life is on the line. The SW is a smart choice for intuitive handling and fast reaction to a close situations. Simple to clean and never jams but that said it is only five shots. I carry one and love it, would purchase another but I feel it is over priced for little reinvention. I take a semi for practice but for CC it is a snubby, small, intuitive, simple gun no thinking or malfunctions. Just what I need under a high stress, life threatening close encounter.
I replied to a comment on this forum and it was not posted. I said nothing negative and I don’t understand why my statement wasn’t posted. Perhaps this forum is not worth the effort!
I retired after 40+ yrs of being a LEO. My last dozen or so years I carried a S&W 640 as strictly a back-up. Even as a command officer, my EDC and duty weapon was whatever was dictated by the department. I saw many changes over the years. The J frame was a last ditch. Now, I carry the 640 most often in my civilian life. I do NOT like the internal lock that S&W uses in attempt to be more politically correct. I have not and will not buy a Smith with a “Hillary Hole” as some of my associates call it. Even though supposedly full proof, I choose not to risk my life or that of another innocent person on even the slight chance a malfunction occurs if the weapon is dropped, used as an impact weapon or some other unanticipated event happens. I use defense designed .38 ammo. However, I like the .357 capability. The .357 would never be my 1st choice in a J frame, but someday and very unexpectedly, I may only have access to a box or a few rounds of .357. Stay Safe.
All you cry baby’s. You complain your high power gun is to heavy yo carry. Then you complain your light weight carry gun does not have enough power. Be a man, this is the best type of light carry there is , period. Small, light, will go bang, ever single time, carry training is simple and straight forward, 3 load options in one, 38, 38+ and 357, easy to maintain, on and on. There is no positive list that is longer in any semi auto. Enough said. This is just my opinion with over 30 years police. Respectfully.
15 ounces, can you imagine the recoil and muzzle blast with a full house .357 125 grainer?
My wife last year bought a 442 2″ snubby that weighs 16 oz. With .38 Specials and 125 gr +P it’s difficult to control. Kicks like a mule. Haven’t tried it with standard loads yet.
This is a good carry gun. Frankly, since most J’s don’t get shot much, used ones that are near to unfired are readily available and S&W hasn’t come out with anything new here that even begins to compete with the used market.
I get the unfluted cylinder for a high power round like the .357, a little weight in the right place is worth it for the extra strength but the thinnest part of the cylinder is still the same as any other J frame.
As far as the mythical unbearable pain of firing a J frame in .357, take the old advice for the guy that complained to his doctor that “it hurts when I do this”: “Don’t do that”.
If you think that a .38 special is all you should ever fire from a J, then limit yourself to that caliber. Thats what I carry in my J and I don’t feel undergunned until the winter clothing comes out and bad guys are more likely to be wearing leather jackets and I am too so I can carry a bigger weapon more easily. T shirts and shorts? J frame all the way.
Nothing to see here people, move along, move along.
When you hear a 357mag round go off, if you are smart you don’t want to be around for the second. The sound of freedom is a great home defense.
I didnt understand the authors comment of “though I get the why sans flutes has an appeal for discreet carry”. What do flutes have to do with cc ? I assumed the cylinder was solid due to the gun being a 15 oz .357 mag.
1) S&W locks are a NON issue, leave it unlocked
2) ultra short grips are going to cause recoil problems, BUT, trhe “J mosels” aint for target shooting, would you rather havc a sore hand and be alive Or not.
3) I fully agree that the .357 is too much and the gun surely benifit from a rechambering to 9mm or 38 super with Moon clips for speed, lower recoil and a shorter cyl. A .32 H&R mag would also work nice for the Terrier class.
My 3 inch heavy barrel “J” has been my constant companion for forty years. with laser grips prints a two inch group WC ammo at 50 feet. A fine friend.
Hello Jim, I have read many accounts of the S&W locking system. Most of them are negative. I hate to omit S&W from my selection options. Please tell me what, or why the locking system is a non issue in your opinion.
Thanks,
Michael
I had an old variant of the J Frame in .38 Spl. Bought it off a retired FBI agent. He carried it for better part of a quarter century. Before he retired they switched over to hi-cap mag type weapons, not sure if it was Glock, I think he said he traded his wheelgun in for a SIG. Either event he never fired that weapon. He used another one, a Model 10 for range-time and qualifying. Bottom line is, I’ve had that gun for 30 years. Even in .38 Spl. its a tough cookie to control and will hurt after a couple of loads. Its great for conceal carry but there are plenty of 9’s and 40’s that conceal well and do less damage to your hand and wrist and you get more accuracy and distance. I have an old Taurus Millenium, the first edition that came out. Its a champ. Works great, very accurate, and though slightly bulkier, you can shoot that sucker all day. At 15 to 20 feet in a close-quarter combat situation, you’re better off with something you can control. That said it only takes 1 bullet, but if you can’t get that sucker on target, won’t help you on the second shot if you’re reeling from the recoil of the first one.
Why bother?? Much too much $$$ for an ugly unshootable clunker with that disgusting lock !!! DMD
I agree it is disgusting lock
I think it will be great to carry. My experience with the light weight handguns is they are a terror to shoot and also to hit anything smaller than a barn with. Great show piece . If you get one better hope that you don’t ever have to use it. You will find this out after your first visit to the range.Have fun.,
I love my Models 640 and 642 with .38s but certainly ain’t gonna shoot .357s in a small light-weight revolver. I wish S&W would bring back 6-shot K-frame snubbies. So, I’m looking for a Kimber6 but can’t seem to find any in stores.
I remember my first shot with a scandium 329PD. Broke the web of my right hand and spewed blood for an hour. I truly thought my hand/thumb was broken. Scandium’s are great for toting around but I avoid range time with them.
Firing a full house .357 in a scandium ‘J’ frame is roughly akin to holding the palm of your hand out and allowing someone to hit it as hard as they can with a 4 pound rubber mallet. Painful. Being chambered for .357 might be helpful only in that if nothing else is available, you still have that option. .38 +Ps will hurt plenty bad enough. I would suspect that this is why the cylinder remains unfluted to add an extra ounce or two. The grips are problematic. Color notwithstanding, they will print against your clothing when under a shirt or jacket. They are too long on the butt end and will hang out of the pocket when carried in that manner, even without an inside the pocket holster which NOBODY recommends. They made them purposely long to give the shooter a bit extra to hang on to. Believe me when I tell you that you’re gonna need it. The key safety is a non-issue. Turn it off & forget the damn thing. Having carried a 642 daily for every bit of 25 years now, I like ‘J’ framed revolvers very much, but this particular variant does not do much for me.
I wonder why we keep trying to make a hand cannons out of pea shooters. I have, S-W 342, 360, 317 and a Ruger LCR.
Love them all and they all have a a use. With 125 gr +P loads they are a lethal practical self defense out to ten yards or more. The 22 has eight CCI mag and will do what a 22 has to do. I do not shoot anything that causes me pain effectively, therefore it does not make any sense to attempt talking down a rattle snake. I suppose it makes sense to sell a gun that will sit in a drawer and not be used and never require warranty work. We can sacrifice for lightness but there is never a good trade for pain.
Should be a shrouded hammer.
Kudos to S&W for keeping the revolver flame burning. It is great to have another choice in a CC gun. It’s price is not out of line in today’s world, and its reduced weight will appeal to those adverse to lugging heavy metal out and about. The recoil of a .357 will always be an issue with such a lightweight revolver. But it is an acceptable trade-off for a reliable gun that is easy to conceal and comfortable to carry. Recoil will be the least of your concerns if you are forced to defend your life. At that point, you will be damn glad to have something at hand that bites as hard as it barks.
Been carrying a 360 past 6-7 years now. It’s not for shooting, it’s for carrying. If .357M bothers you, try .38+P. If that bothers you, get some .38Sp. Learning to cope with recoil is nothing more than a training issue.. I think the brown grips look like poo too. I use checkered walnut boot grips for better concealment. It’s not a range gun, you don’t need bulky grips. I recommend you replace the red ramp with a fiber optic, big dot or night sights, not that you’ll really use them with a less than 2″ barrel in an emergency. It’s not a range gun. It’s not for shooting, it’s for carrying. I train using a S&W 60 21/8 barrel, SS, weighing in around twice the weight of the new 360. its close enough to exact size and shape for basic training. I also force myself to put five to ten rounds through the carry gun at the range even though I hate to, just to refamiliarize myself with the recoil, should I ever need to shoot it anywhere besides the range. It’s going to be the best carry gun you ever owned, don’t let a few silly, easily resolved issues put you off the gun. Mine has the fluted cylinder, otherwise, it looks exactly the same.
Definitely my best carry piece… 360PD w/ bob’d hammer.. curved and polished trigger in a Galco ankle holster….
Cracks me up that it seems to near dbl-weight when I load it…
Agreed that ya have to run 10 or so rounds through it from time to time to keep “tuned”… and yes…OUCH!
thank you, Pete.
I agree.
I was beginning to get worried about this thread.!!
😀
My Wife packs a 340SC and it’s never had a .357 rnd through it. I started buying her 90 grn Hornady rounds for it and she’s very accurate with it and it’s a pleasure to shoot. It’s a great carry gun, I carried it for some time. I now carry a LCR in .38 and find it’s a little more forgiving to shoot. Put Tamer grips on both of them and that’s made them even better. Snubbies aren’t really purposed for gun fights but at normal distances they’re pretty cool. I also carry a 9mm Shield w/laser on occasions. It’s a little heavier and prints a little more but it’s deadly accurate!
That’s a lot of money for a five shot snubby, a lot of nice guns on the market for under $800!!!
Not bad, but I’d like to see a 3″ bbl as an option. I see the older S&W’s with a 3″ and am looking for one in Nov.’s budget. I really appreciate the longer sight track and with Texas open carry it allows my concealed being seen.
I concur…..nothing less than a 3″ bbl if you want to hit anything more than six feet away. Even a 3″ bbl takes a bit of retraining for those of us used to mil issue weapons
1 have a 1957 s/w 27 3 inch. Still in the original box and wrapped in wax paper. Fired only 20 rounds, now that’s a gun”
Okay, Smith & Wesson, how about making a version of this in .327 Federal Magnum? Performance of the .327 Fed Mag is very comparable to the .357 in a 2″ barrel and, although recoil of the .327 is pretty stout, it’s still a lot less than the .357 in a light weight revolver. Add in the bonus of having 6 shots instead of 5 and I believe the .327 is a better choice than the .357 for deep concealment revolvers in every way.
But then, why bother S&W? Ruger beat you to this market almost two years ago when they introduced their LCR in .327 Federal Magnum.
No need to go to the 327 mag! Try using 80 grain Barnes X bullets! They’re meant for a 380 ACP but they’re the RIGHT diameter and made of solid copper! They retain all their original weight and don’t fall apart! Recoil is dropped significantly! If you don’t hand load , then get a Lee Loader die for $30 and mallet and your in business! I have the S&W 340 SC which is a scandium frame and a titanium cylinder and is the lightest of all weighting just under 12 oz.! Don’t change the gun, just change the bullet!
Funny how S&W keeps putting those ridiculous locks on their guns that no one uses, yet they never show photos from that side because someone there must realize how ugly they are. When they didn’t put them on the 442, those guns they sold really well without the locks. The grips remind me of the pellet guns of the 70’s. I’ll stick with the older Smiths of yesterday.
lawyer locks for calif. stupid would never buy any smith with one
Lets see what other prettier, more durable, longer barrel and holds more bullets can I buy with $770 dollars.
Sorry, while I agree with some of your comments, and I’m not an S&W fan, if you’re implying that S&W doesn’t make durable revolvers you’re just plain wrong.
I’ve sold, shot, and worked on many guns, and S&W revolvers are well made and very durable.
Saw a stainless model 60 for $620 the other day.. that’s a lot of extra $$$ for a rubber grip and orange site.
Personally I don’t see the value in a 2″ .357 mag. Lots of energy lost for appreciably more recoil than 38 SPCL defensive loads . I’ll stick with my 442 and Speer Gold Dots. Glad to see more wheel guns coming to the party though.
I’ve had one of these for years there a fine concealed carry with a flat galco or S&W belt loop holster or just carry in your pocket with a lanyard on it.
I personally use a 38 + P golden sabre bullet
These are a quality light weight Revolver
Agreed……
I just have to laugh at the few fellas who have their pantie all wadded up over the internal action lock trying to “discredit” this fine revolver…..
good lord…….
I do not like the lock because I never intend to use it. I’m always afraid somehow somebody would lock it and lose the key, which is highly unlikely to be honest.
I have a 6″ 617 10 round .22 LR with the lock and have had it more than ten years. The lock is unnoticeable and it has a beautiful smooth DA and a fabulous single action, very crisp at about three pounds. It is easily as good as my ancient 6″ K38 Heavy Masterpiece .38 Special target revolver. I don’t see the lock as anything beyond unnecessary.
I like these scandium j frames, yet except for one or two for the experience of it would not use .357’s in them. I find my old 37 and 60 to be controllable with .38 Special and some big strong guys have told me the .357 scared them because of almost uncontrollable recoil. On the other hand, at night, the bad guys will think you have unleashed a nuclear flame thrower on them with the muzzle flash and deafening report.
I wonder if they put the barrel on straight on this model. Showing only the right side means it has that idiot lock. No thanks! I will buy a nice Kimber K6 instead. The company posing as s&w can keep their wind up revolvers.
LOL…that’s pretty funny….John
For $400.00 more you can have that “idiot lock” on the right side of the “Wind Up” Kimber K6….
😉
I hate those grips. Ugly as a mud fence. An easy change though.
My impression is that it’s gonna hurt to pull the trigger on full house .357 magnum loads. 14.9 oz. Ouch. Practice with carry ammo may teach you a nice flinch…
Yes Sir!!! ouch….
My piece is one of the first 360’s….. 360PD, apparently now I am into it for way more then I will ever get back…
Put a box 357mag through it when I first got it… has the smaller rubber grip (in black) and the palm had the hurt put on it for sure!!!!!
Experienced shooters do not flinch……. much… 😉