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.
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.
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.