Pocket flamethrower. Fistful of thunder. These are just two of the terms I’ve heard for small-framed .357 Magnum revolvers. Without a doubt, full-bore .357 Magnum loads are impressive in terms of recoil, noise and terminal effectiveness. Their muzzle flash can be equally impressive.
Some people have told me that they don’t like small guns because they are too weak; they are not powerful enough for real self-defense in the face of a real threat. This is not true, and as evidence, I give you this month’s review. This is the S&W 640. It is a small gun chambered for the .357 Magnum.
Welcome to another Wheel Gun Wednesday! I’ve devoted a lot of time in this series to covering mid-size S&W revolvers and Ruger’s small-frame snub nose offerings, but I haven’t forgotten about the most popular concealed carry revolvers of all time: the Smith & Wesson J-frames.