Description
The Smith Wesson PC 640 357 Magnum is the Performance Center take on the all-steel hammerless J-frame, chambered in 357 Magnum rather than 38 Special. Where most small carry revolvers use a lightweight alloy frame, this one is stainless throughout, which is exactly what lets it handle magnum ammunition as a routine rather than an occasional event.
Smith Wesson PC 640 357 Magnum Steel Where It Matters
Stainless steel construction is the headline. It is rated for continuous use with magnum cartridges, which is a meaningful distinction: many small 357 revolvers are technically chambered for the cartridge but unpleasant enough to shoot that owners load them with 38 Special and leave it there. The Smith Wesson PC 640 357 Magnum is built to actually be shot with the ammunition it is chambered for.
The trade is weight. A steel J-frame is noticeably heavier on a belt than an alloy Airweight, and after a full day you will know it. That weight is precisely what makes magnum recoil manageable, so the two facts are inseparable rather than in conflict.
It is also hammerless with an enclosed hammer, so nothing protrudes to catch on a pocket lining, a coat hem or the inside of a bag. It is double action only, which removes an entire category of handling error under stress: every trigger press is the same.
The Performance Center Work
Enhanced double action springs give a lighter, smoother pull. On a double action only revolver the trigger is the whole shooting experience, and a stock J-frame trigger is heavy enough that many shooters unconsciously drag their shots low and left. A tuned action removes much of that, and it is the single most valuable upgrade a small revolver can receive.
Sights are dovetail mounted tritium front and rear night sights. That is unusual on a J-frame, where the front sight is often a fixed ramp milled into the barrel and the rear is a groove in the topstrap. Dovetailed sights mean you can replace or adjust them, and tritium means they work in the dark, which is when most defensive encounters happen.
The 2.125 inch barrel is fluted stainless with a Black Cerakote finish over it, matching the frame. This revolver ships with no internal lock, and the cylinder is cut for full moon clips.
Carrying and Shooting the Smith Wesson PC 640 357 Magnum
Pocket carry works with this revolver but demands a proper pocket holster. A holster keeps it oriented consistently, covers the trigger, and breaks up the outline so it reads as a wallet rather than a gun. Because this is a steel gun rather than an alloy one, a sturdy belt and an inside the waistband holster is often the more comfortable choice for all-day carry.
On the range, expect to work. The double action pull is smooth after the Performance Center tune but it is still long, and the short sight radius magnifies every error. Dry fire is the most valuable practice available and it costs nothing. Fifty presses a day for a month will change what this revolver can do in your hands.
Reloading is the other skill worth building. Moon clips are considerably faster than speed strips and only slightly bulkier, and they are the reason a moon clip cut cylinder is worth having. Practise the motion deliberately, because it rewards a consistent grip and a positive push.
Maintenance Notes
Revolvers are mechanically simple but not maintenance free. Keep the cylinder face and the forcing cone clean, since carbon build-up there can eventually bind the cylinder. Check that the ejector rod stays tight, as it can back out under recoil and lock the cylinder closed at exactly the wrong moment.
Magnum ammunition fouls a revolver considerably more than 38 Special does, and the ring of carbon that builds up at the front of the chambers is what eventually prevents longer 357 cases from seating. If you practise with 38 Special and carry 357, scrub the chambers properly rather than assuming a quick pass is enough.
Cerakote is hard wearing but it is a coating rather than a property of the steel, and it will eventually show wear at the high points and holster contact areas. That is cosmetic rather than functional, and the stainless underneath is corrosion resistant in its own right.
Smith Wesson PC 640 357 Magnum Specifications
- Manufacturer part number: 14448
- UPC: 022188901559
- Caliber: 357 Magnum, also fires 38 Special
- Barrel: 2.125 inches, fluted stainless with Black Cerakote finish
- Frame: stainless steel with Black Cerakote finish
- Action: double action only, Performance Center tuned with enhanced springs
- Hammer: enclosed
- Sights: dovetail mounted tritium front and rear night sights
- Cylinder: cut for full moon clips
- Internal lock: none
Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson PC 640 357 Magnum
The ability to chamber 38 Special in a 357 Magnum revolver is one of the platform great advantages. Cheap, mild 38 Special for practice and full-power 357 when it matters, from the same gun, with no adjustment required.
Full-power 357 Magnum from a two inch barrel is loud, bright and sharp. It is genuinely effective, and it is also unpleasant enough that you should confirm you can shoot it accurately rather than assuming you can. Many owners carry a heavy 38 Special +P instead, which is a defensible choice.
Moon clips speed up reloads enormously, turning five separate cartridges into one unit that loads and ejects together. They are consumable: a bent clip will bind the cylinder, so buy them in quantity and check them regularly.
Who Should Buy It
The Smith Wesson PC 640 357 Magnum suits shooters who want a small revolver they can actually shoot well with serious ammunition: experienced carriers, backup gun users, and anyone who values night sights and a tuned trigger on a pocket-size defensive gun.
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