Well I’ve had my new 351PD for about 3 weeks now and after a little apprehension at first I’m glad to say I’m pleased with it. I’m not sure what the trigger pull is on the double action mode but I know it’s as heavy as my PPK/S was stock. 300 rounds later and working on a proper grip/trigger finger placement groups are half of what they were the first time out. I changed the optic fiber sight to a XS Tritium Dot and added a Clipdraw to it. Found out you don’t mess with the springs on the S&W Rimfire revolvers as it is what it is as factory produced. I have been shooting CCI MaxiMags hollow points in it so far and saving the GoldDots for later when it’s approved for carry. Amazing little gun for 10.8 oz.
I purchased a 351c in as new condition thinking my wife might like it, as issued the trigger pull was prohibitive, talked with my gunsmith and he felt he could make a significant difference in the pull and keep it reliable. He was right, still not light but much smoother and enough lighter to make a difference.
Accurate but as you know very loud, this time of year I stick it in my back pocket when walking with two shotshells up first. Copperheads are very common in our area.
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They do grow on you . I’ve had mine for about a year now and Hornady critical defense shoots and ejects flawlessly with everything else hanging up making extraction hard . Haven’t seen gold dots around here to try .
The snub wmr is just beyond neat and I will admit that the Smith looks better (probably carries easier also) than my LCR, we just couldn't deal with the trigger.
I show the clip draw on my 351PD in my opening post and have come to the conclusion that this is not an idea setup for a exposed hammer revolver. Quite often the hammer snags on your clothing upon drawing because of the lack of a scabbard. I don’t think this would be such a problem if used on a 351C or guns of similar designs.
Quote: Accurate but as you know very loud, this time of year I stick it in my back pocket when walking with two shotshells up first. Copperheads are very common in our area.
I think a lot of Yankees forget about the wildlife found in NC,SC, FL, etc. when considering retirement moves. I'll pass on FL for sure.
Here in NYS, rattlesnakes,etc do exist upstate, but here on LI, snakes are almost never encountered, and none are dangerous. I live in a wooded area with nearby big parks. Decades since I've even seen a garter snake.
Gerald, Have you ever tested the pattern of a shot shell with that short barrel?
I recently got myself a 351PD. I installed lighter Wolff main and rebound springs and an extended firing pin with lighter return spring. Also polished up the action internals to smooth things up a bit and added a XS tritium front dot sight. Reliability has been good with the modifications and it makes for a great CCW. Sure, it lacks the punch of a 357mag, but I can fire all 7 rounds more accurately and faster than the 5 rounds of 357mag out of my 360PD.
I used a 9# main spring and 13# rebound spring, both from Wolff Springs. For the extended firing pin, I used an Apex Tactical firing pin (includes lighter return spring). Though it says not for rimfire use, it works fine. I'm guessing it isn't for rimfire use due to it being longer and will peen over the edges of the cylinder if dry fired. Also, I noticed the cutout for the retaining pin is longer than the rimfire model allowing for greater travel. I did have ignition issues using the lighter spring kit with the stock firing pin, so I figured I'd give the Apex pin a try, having had good results with it in my 360PD. The Apex J-frame carry spring kit is too light for rimfires and even with the extended pin, I got a few light strikes and didn't feel confident using it for CCW. So far, I've got 150 rounds through the gun with the Wolff springs and Apex pin and not a single light strike. I was firing CCI MaxiMags and Speer Gold Dot ammo. I recently bought a few boxes of Armscor .22wmr that I'll try out next time I go to the range.
Yeah, 357mag out of a 11oz. gun isn't fun. Even with a set of VZ Operator grips that offer a full hold on the gun, it hurts after a couple cylinders. I keep the 360PD loaded with .38spl HST +P. Still a nice bit of snap, but nowhere near that of 357mag. Multiple gel tests online suggest the 40gr. .22wmr Gold Dots will penetrate 12"+ and often expand out of a snubby. The .38+P HST usually expand and get about 12", but I still can't shoot it as well in a rapid fire setting as the 351PD.
Last edited by ghost chili; 09-08-2019 at 07:34 PM.
Ghost Chilli, thanks for your reply. I’m going to order up a Apex firing pin and give it a go. I have the Wilson Combat j frame spring kit and installed it but only retained reliability in the single action mode. In stock setup I have improved with practice but really would appreciate a lighter trigger pull.
I was just out at the range a couple days ago testing some HST loads for my 360PD. In short, the factory loads were a little weak so I pulled and spiced them up a tad just to see what I can get from the snubby barrel. I wasn't disappointed!
I also tested out the Armscor 22wmr ammo with my 351PD spring and pin set up and it worked beautifully. 100% reliability among 100 rounds of the Armscor ammo. Rim strikes look about the same as factory if perhaps a bit stronger.
One thing with the extended firing pin - do not ever dry fire the revolver. The extended pin will hit the rim recess in the cylinder and it will cause damage. I always save a handful of spent brass to use as snap caps and it works very well. The extended pin will mangle up the snap caps more than the factory pin. But, being a carry gun, I'll happily take that if it means improved reliability.
I got my extended firing pin and installed it along with the Wilson 13lb/8lb spring set. I loaded it with some spent MaxiMag cases and upon dry firing the wounds created to the cases were the same as the OEM setup. But the proof in the pudding (where did that saying come from anyway?) will be in the actual firing. I’m pumped to get it to the range and thanks for all the help and participation from those on this thread.
The proof is in the pudding, explanation found on line.
FRANK DEFORD: Maybe it still stings the purists that Richard's contrarian ways worked. The proof is in the pudding.
INSKEEP: The proof is in the pudding, he said. Tim Lowe wrote us all the way from Santiago de Cali, Colombia, and he writes the following: Frank, the proof is not in the pudding. It would be a messy, if not completely silly place to keep it. With that in mind, we called Ben Zimmer, language columnist at the Boston Globe.
BEN ZIMMER: Well, the proof is in the pudding is a new twist on a very old proverb. The original version is the proof of the pudding is in the eating. And what it meant was that you had to try out food in order to know whether it was good.
INSKEEP: Zimmer adds that the word pudding itself has changed. In Britain, dating back centuries, pudding meant more than a sweet dessert.
ZIMMER: Back then, pudding referred to a kind of sausage, filling the intestines of some animal with minced meat and other things - something you probably want to try out carefully since that kind of food could be rather treacherous.
@David Valdina:
Haha! Nice excerpt. From NPR, I'm guessing?
@rep1954:
You might get some light strikes with a 8# hammer spring in DA. I tested out my spring set-up at home with primed 22wmr cases loaded with a .22cal lead pellet. I had one light strike out of 7 rounds with the 13#/8# springs and the Apex firing pin. Moving to the 9# spring, no light strikes at all in 14 rounds. Wolff offers a 8.5# hammer spring. Not sure if 1/2# will make much of a difference, but that's an option if you like to experiment to find the lightest possible spring combo. Good luck and please do let us know how it goes next time you're at the range.
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