Guns & Outdoors Forum

Having a great relationship with a LGS is a double edge sword. You can find cool things, but you have to find the cash to do so… Zee started the wheels turning with his 396. Then my buddy at the LGS called with the news that the shop got allocated one from Lipseys. I told them I would come in and look at it. It was, and is, awesome. Zoe’s post about his night guard basically said all there is to say about the gun… I’m buying this one! I can’t wait! Oh did I say the the serial number is awesome?

I am SOOOO digging the comeback this ballistic twin of my pal, the .455 Webley, is making. The Old Guys knew what was up!

Soooo. . .we've got two of these showing up on the forum. . .a moon-clippy 625. . .and vintage N-frame .357's starting to whisper to me again.

This can't end well.

Bigslug wrote: ↑Sun Jul 26, 2026 3:14 am I am SOOOO digging the comeback this ballistic twin of my pal, the .455 Webley, is making. The Old Guys knew what was up!

Soooo. . .we've got two of these showing up on the forum. . .a moon-clippy 625. . .and vintage N-frame .357's starting to whisper to me again.

This can't end well.

Well if it makes you feel better these are the only 2 smiths I own…. Well the wife has a 642. I’ve never really been a smith but I’m thrilled to have these ones

It really is a well thought out pair.
Size and weight to be practical. Caliber to be useful.
Not bulking up on the size to push it out of daily carry. Not pushing up on cartridge to make it impractical.
It just works. Great size. Great weight. Great cartridge.
It just scratches every itch.

Sights, perfect. Weight, perfect. Sized for a field gun, perfect. Cartridges for a field gun, perfect.
Man to beast, it will do daily work. There are always abstracts for bigger or smaller, but I feel well heeled carrying it at the ranch every day as I have been.
Snaked, game, threats. And I don’t have to compromise in any direction.

Zee wrote: ↑Sun Jul 26, 2026 4:46 am It really is a well thought out pair.
Size and weight to be practical. Caliber to be useful.
Not bulking up on the size to push it out of daily carry. Not pushing up on cartridge to make it impractical.
It just works. Great size. Great weight. Great cartridge.
It just scratches every itch.

Sights, perfect. Weight, perfect. Sized for a field gun, perfect. Cartridges for a field gun, perfect.
Man to beast, it will do daily work. There are always abstracts for bigger or smaller, but I feel well heeled carrying it at the ranch every day as I have been.
Snaked, game, threats. And I don’t have to compromise in any direction.

Couldn’t have said it better!

I wanted a GP in .44 Spl. But, I didn’t carry my .357 GP at the ranch because the bulk and weight just made it cumbersome for athletic ranch work. I knew it was there and it bugged me.
One inch less length and many less ounces, and voila!! The Smith does the same performance and doesn’t hinder me in ranching. Dream come true.
Granted, the price was more and the durability has yet to be determined. But, I carry the Smith and wouldn’t carry the Ruger. So, you be the judge.

Also, I always felt capable for snakes and threats with my CA .357 Mag. But, barrel length and cartridge left me wanting for game. I don’t feel that way now.

On top of that…….im just giddy to finally enable Elk for once in my frigging life!!!

Zee wrote: ↑Sun Jul 26, 2026 4:56 am On top of that…….im just giddy to finally enable Elk for once in my frigging life!!!

Enable you did!!!

In a big way. I’m finding ounces make a huge difference at 9500 feet…..

Congratulations buddy.
Nice gun in a clambering your fond of.
Back in the grip market you go...

Not a Smith guy....I could change that

So, hear me out for a second boys. . .

The 250 grain Keith 429421 semi wadcutter is famous as an excellent design compromise between lethality and long range capability. That bullet penetrates a lot - probably more than is needed for most applications.

Matt's Bullets has this 250 grain wadcutter: https://www.mattsbullets.com/250-Grain- ... p_182.html This is going to trade in the Keith's ability to fly across multiple football fields (not needed for a gun like this 396) to give you more in the blunt force/ragged, leaky hole department, and still have plenty of sectional density to penetrate well on your "lower 48" class critters - even at comfy-recoil Special speeds.

For a semi-comparative analysis:
Those are true replicas of the .455 Webley MKIV hollow base wadcutter - about 225 grains loaded to 710 fps. My milk jug test with the Fairburn formula plus some computer number crunching model work from one of the faithful over at Castboolits both agree that's good for 18" in FBI Jell-O - absolutely perfect for threats on two legs. The Matt's bullet will give you more weight and a tad less frontal area to slow it down - more penetration at same speed. If you roll that out at 750 - 800 fps (or just quit when your recoil tolerance says to), I doubt you'll find better for an all-purpose ranch gun.

The only conceivable negative I can think of for this is wadcutters can be a little slow to get in the gun on a rushed reload. Aside from that, I think it checks all the boxes.

I might have to track down it's .357 cousin...

shotgunshooter3 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 26, 2026 4:12 pm I might have to track down it's .357 cousin...

What i am desiring lately myself
3" .357. Sp101 maybe, but like that mo betta

3" guns are pretty dang nice.
When this showed up
I told my Sil buy it !!!!

Well imagine that the leather I have works!

That is beautiful!

Freezer wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2026 2:50 pm That is beautiful!

It’s not one of mine it’s an El Paso saddlery with border tooling.

Elk Creek wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2026 4:50 pm

Freezer wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2026 2:50 pm That is beautiful!

It’s not one of mine it’s an El Paso saddlery with border tooling.

It really looks good with that gun

Looks like the gun is wearing a bikini.

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2026 12:16 am Looks like the gun is wearing a bikini.

That's a speedo not a bikini

Man you guys need to get out more, that is a nice holster….not a bathing suit.

Elk Creek wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2026 2:31 am Man you guys need to get out more, that is a nice holster….not a bathing suit.

At least it doesn’t have any freaking laser beams…

It’s like a barrel condom! About all it covers!!
My fear, that it will be too heavy and lean the gun out because half the gun sticks out above the holster and belt loop. And, that as a field holster, all kinds of dust and debris would get in the gun………because half the gun sticks out above the holster.

But hey! It’s pretty tooling! Just not much of a holster in my opinion.

Ain’t mine, though. You do you and smile, Big Dog.

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2026 3:06 am It’s like a barrel condom! About all it covers!!
My fear, that it will be too heavy and lean the gun out because half the gun sticks out above the holster and belt loop. And, that as a field holster, all kinds of dust and debris would get in the gun………because half the gun sticks out above the holster.

But hey! It’s pretty tooling! Just not much of a holster in my opinion.

Ain’t mine, though. You do you and smile, Big Dog.

I suspect his field work is a little different from your's. That will be the sexiest thing on his body I'm glad to say. The mere thought of him or you in a speedo conjures demon pictures in my mind! NO!

Freezer wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2026 12:30 pm

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2026 3:06 am It’s like a barrel condom! About all it covers!!
My fear, that it will be too heavy and lean the gun out because half the gun sticks out above the holster and belt loop. And, that as a field holster, all kinds of dust and debris would get in the gun………because half the gun sticks out above the holster.

But hey! It’s pretty tooling! Just not much of a holster in my opinion.

Ain’t mine, though. You do you and smile, Big Dog.

I suspect his field work is a little different from your's. That will be the sexiest thing on his body I'm glad to say. The mere thought of him or you in a speedo conjures demon pictures in my mind! NO!

Maybe they used the rest for the cowboy hat in the outfit.
Conjure that