I’ve always been a fan of the .357 Mag. cartridge. The first firearm I ever bought was a Ruger Security-Six in .357 Mag., a well-used and much-loved revolver from the tail end of the days when most police officers carried six-shooters. It’s probably genetic; my dad was a Massachusetts State Police officer, and he carried a Smith & Wesson .357 Mag. in his daily duties. In addition to its law-enforcement heritage, the .357 Mag. round is versatile, as are the handguns in which it is chambered. Of course, revolvers chambered in .357 Mag. can also safely fire .38 Spl., which means these guns are capable of firing anything from light .38 Spl. wadcutters to flame-throwing magnum rounds. Since the revolver is manually operated, there’s no problem with feeding, so a variety of projectiles are available as well, including shotshells and less-conventional projectiles that could possibly cause a semi-automatic to jam.
So, whenever there’s a new .357 Mag. handgun on the market, I take notice. Kimber’s K6s in 2016, Colt’s re-launch of the Python in 2020; yeah, those got my attention. And so it is with the new SAR .357 Magnum SR revolver from SAR USA, imported from Sarsilmaz of Turkey. Let’s address that right off the bat; yes, these are Turkish revolvers. We’ve reviewed a number of Turkish firearms, from the excellent Canik semi-automatic line to the EAA Churchill shotguns that won our Golden Bullseye Award for Shotgun of the Year in 2022. These firearms are well-made, affordable and have performed admirably in our testing. Yes, there’s something a little off about one of the most American of icons—the .357 Mag. revolver—coming from a country that’s not the U.S., but then again, plenty of excellent M1911s come from outside our borders, too. If John Moses Browning’s greatest creation, the gun that “Won Two World Wars™” can be made outside of the U.S., then so can the .357 Mag. revolver.
With the SAR .357 Magnum SR revolver (for the name, we’ve opted to use the model designation listed on the SAR USA website rather than the name stamped on the revolver in Turkey), you get a full-featured wheelgun at a substantial discount—it’s several hundred dollars less expensive than its competitors. While price should never be the only factor in a firearm decision, it is a factor, and in today’s economy, it’s a more significant factor than it might have been five or six years ago. You’re certainly not missing out on features, though: The SAR .357 Magnum SR offers an adjustable rear sight, a ramp-style replaceable front sight, an ejector shroud that runs the full length of the barrel, molded synthetic grips and a smooth (if heavy) double-action/single-action trigger. The revolver features all-steel construction for a solid feel in the hand, and there’s a transfer bar that prevents the hammer from hitting the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled as a safety measure against inadvertent firing if dropped.
So, we have a revolver that’s well-built, engineered with safety in mind and affordable. What else does it have going for it, you might ask? Well, there are two different barrel-length choices available, either 4 or 6 inches, and you can order the SAR .357 Magnum SR with either a black finish or the stainless shown in this review. The black model is less expensive than the stainless finish for an even greater value, for what it’s worth.
I’m not going to get into the whole “revolver vs. semi-automatic” debate here, figuring that if you’re reading this review, you’re interested in revolvers and understand their place in the defensive hierarchy. I’d wager the shooter looking for a 4-inch .357 Mag. revolver has weighed everything carefully and has made their decision based on their specific circumstances. Or, maybe they just really dig wheelguns, and this is a way to get into the wheelieboi game at a discount.
In any case, the SAR .357 Magnum SR checks all the boxes you might want: tough, safe, accurate and affordable. It’s hard to gauge the accessory market, which can be troublesome; I have several holsters for the 4-inch Smith & Wesson L-frame revolver and those fit the SAR, as do grips made for the Smith & Wesson K- and L-frame, round-butt revolver. Obviously, all speedstrips will work in this wheelgun. As for speedloaders, six-round devices like the HKS designed for the K- and L-frame Smiths will also work.
On the range, there were no surprises; I chose two .357 Mag. options and one .38 Spl. for the official velocity and accuracy testing. No problems were encountered with either caliber, and accuracy, as you can see in the results, was decent considering the heavy trigger. Yes, I did shoot the SAR in single-action for accuracy testing—all 8 pounds, 11 ounces of it. Overall, slightly more than 200 rounds were expended with no failures of any kind. As with most .357 Mag. revolvers, I’d expect a steady diet of .38 Spl. will need some scrubbing of the cylinders; that’s simply a function of the shorter cases leading to more fouling. It’s completely independent of the revolver make or model; it’s just a fact. While I didn’t shoot enough .38 Spl. to notice, toward the end of range time, cartridges did require a little more persuasion to load and unload. Again, not a fault of the revolver, just a fact of extended testing.
Whether it’s for personal protection or just to have a 4-inch-barrel .357 Mag. revolver in your armory, SAR USA’s .357 Magnum SR is an affordable entry that’s not short on extras.
