.357 or .44 spl snub gun

[cnemeth]

Now that I live in a state with CCW (PA), I'm considering getting a snub gun. I'm considering Taurus or, maybe S&W, revolvers in .357 or .44 special. This would be the 7 and 5 shot models respectively. I'm interested in everyone's opinions in which would be the better choice. I know that each would have alot of recoil with full powered ammo, but which would have the greatest muzzle blast? If the gun ever has to fired in a car or inside a room, how loud would the blast be?

Thanks
Chris Nemeth

 

[BUTCH48]

Welcome to PA.

I just recently traded in a Taurus 85 SS for a Ruger SP101 in .357. The Ruger is without a doubt a stronger revolver. The Ruger is heavier but, far more accurate for me and of course it shoots .357. I would recommend either the Ruger SP101 or Taurus 605 (5 shot) 606 (6 shot) or 617 (7 shot). I would also sway you towards .357 and not .44 special. .357 mag is a better round.

Good Luck

 

[RWK]

I, too, strongly recommend Ruger's SP-101. An additional advantage not mention in the prior post is the wide variety of ammunition available for .357 magnums. Obviously, there is the full-range of very potent .357 mag rounds. In addition, however, there are hundreds of .38 Special loads; some are ideal for target practice and plinking, while others (Federal Nyclads both +P and standard pressure, for example) are suitable for personal defense.

 

[Jorah Lavin]

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[Edited by Jorah Lavin on 04-15-2001 at 12:16 PM]

 

[Jorah Lavin]

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[Edited by Jorah Lavin on 04-15-2001 at 12:17 PM]

 

[AR-10]

That kind of depends on how concealable you want it to be. If your looking at a seven shot .357 it's not going to be a pocket gun. Maybe you should look at a three inch barrel. Depending on how you carry it, a three inch barrel may have advantages over a two inch barrel.

As for noise, a .357 snubby is very loud. I don't have hard data to back this up, but my opinion is that a .44 special would not be quite as loud. I'm seriously thinking about looking for a two inch .44 special for that reason.

If you want a .357 in a smaller package you should look at a Colt magnum Carry (6 shot) or a used S&W Ladysmith (5 shot), or a used 640. I can carry a Ladysmith in an ankle rig or put it in my front pocket with no problem.

If you decide to go .38+P, the Taurus is as compact a package as any you will find.

If you want the most durable handgun, that would probably be the Ruger.

 

[glockten]

I've fired a .357 and a .44 Spl. indoors, and I can tell you that the report of the .357 is considerably greater than the .44. As for the difference in recoil, given guns of similar weight, I find the .44 Spl. more controllable.

These comparisons are based on using full-power .357 ammo.

 

[croyance]

Since my favorite semi-auto cartrige is the 45 ACP, I'd pick a .44 Special. It has less long range power than the .357 magnum, but I would be using it for self defence, not handgun hunting. Also, the .357 magnum is more suceptible to velocity drop from a short barrel. The .44 cuts bigger entrance wounds.

 

[Jim March]

.357!

With a .357, you get your choice of two more rounds than a similar size .44Spl, or a smaller overall gun if you go five-shot.

You get a more potent round if you want to deal with the recoil, or in .38+P you get something milder than a .44Spl in terms of recoil yet still quite effective. And you can get dirt-cheap low-recoil target fodder in .38Spl just about anywhere.

As to the "bigger hole" concept...what matters is the projectile width AFTER it expands! And that's a factor of bullet design and velocity.

Jim

 

[Bud Helms]

I agree with Jim March, UNLESS you are a reloader. I think of the .44 spl as a substitute for a revolver in .45 ACP or .45 Auto Rim.

 

[PreserveFreedom]

357! The versatility in ammo is reason enough.

 

[Grapeshot]

.44 Special!

"With a .357, you get your choice of two more rounds than a similar size .44Spl, or a smaller overall gun if you go five-shot."

Well, I'm thinking that the 7-shot .357 magnums are made in "N-Frame"-sized guns, and that's a lot of extra weight you won't want to carry around just for 2 extra rounds. By contrast, a .44 Spec. can be had in either Smith's "L-frame"-sized gun (smaller) or Taurus's "K Frame"-sized gun. If that doesn't suit you, get one of the Charter Arms Bulldogs for a really small ("J frame") snubby.


"As to the "bigger hole" concept...what matters is the projectile width AFTER it expands! And that's a factor of bullet design and velocity."

So I guess you'd better do some praying that those 'lil .38 cal. pills will expand, regardless of getting plugged up with leather or any other cover-type obstruction.

But If expanding bullets are your cup of tea, the .45 ACP Hydra Shok expands at low velocity, so in theory it should be possible to obtain a .44 HP design that will do the same (my vote goes for Gold Dots).

Of course, if it doesn't expand, it's still pretty substantial at .44 caliber.

One more important factor also is the relative loudness of the two rounds - both are L-O-U-D out of a snubby, but the .357 takes the unpleasantness to a whole new plateau of discomfort.

 

[Bulldog44]

I think each makes an excellent choice. I personally carry a .44 Special, but I would have no qualms whatsoever with a .357 either. However, I will admit that I would much prefer to fire a .44 Special indoors than the .357.

 

[lonegunman]

ok... here's my first post.... i couldnt resist.

Others have mentioned that the 357 is more versatile than 44 spec and this is true in general, but out of a snub gun I am not sure how important that is anyway.

357 out of a snub gun is going to lose a lot of velocity, and expansion is going to be uncertain.

For all practical purposes, I dont think its going to make a big difference which of these two calibers you choose. Personally, I like big bullets, and if the guns are comparable sized, probably would go with the 44.

 

[BAD_KARMA]

.357 is a no brainer. the ballistics are WAY above the 44 sp. If the recoil is too much you can always go to 38+p ammo. Look at the ballistics for the 44 sp. very unimpressive.

If you want a bigbore carry gun Taurus makes a 41 mag and 45 colt 5 shot. Both of these make the .44 a poor choice.

I really like the 7 shot .357 in total titanium. My buddy just picked up one and after we give it a work out I will probably get one myself. They are super light, but ported to help tame recoil. Very loud though.

 

[Grapeshot]

45 Colt ....

Only problem with going there is you're stuck with 1) no other guns but the Taurus, and 2) the stupid mandatory porting, which is just that much louder and bleeds off even more velocity from the already slow bullet.

 

[slab jockey]

I would opt for the 44. The 357 from a short tube would suffer from a loss of velocity which is required for reliable expansion. Use a 44 with hardcast semi-wad
cutter round. Don't be concerned about the lack of a few rounds which can be gained with the 357. Too much emphasis is placed on the "tool" used for self-defense.

 

[GregJ]

MY $.02 WORTH

HAVING CARRIED CONCEALED FOR THE LAST 27+ YEARS, ONE OF MY FIRST CONCERNS IS NOT WHAT ROUND WILL DO THE JOB BUT, WHETHER I WILL BE PACKING WHEN I NEED IT. SIZE AND WEIGHT OF THE WEAPON IS IMPORTANT IN DETERMINING WHETHER IT IS IN YOUR BELT OR GOT LEFT BEHIND AT HOME BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THE INCONVENIENCE OF PACKING THE WEIGHT.

THE DEBATE OVER LIGHT BULLETS GOING FAST VS. HEAVY ONES MOVING SLOW HAS BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH FOR YEARS. MY OPINION IS THAT A FAST ROUND GOING THROUGH THE TARGET AND NOT TRANSFERRING IT'S ENERGY TO THE TARGET ISN'T AS DESIRABLE AS A LARGE SLOW ROUND PASSING ON ALL OF IT'S ENERGY TO THE TARGET.

I HAVE SEEN THE EFFECTS OF A MULTITUDE OF CALIBERS AND BULLET CONFIGURATIONS OVER THE LAST 27 YEARS. I HAVE BEEN AMAZED AT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HIT WITH AND KEPT GOING VS. WHAT WILL PUT THEM DOWN. LETS NOT GET SQUIMISH HERE, IF YOUR TALKING SNUB NOSE AND CONCEALED CARRY YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SELF DEFENSE AGAINST ANIMALS AND OTHER HUMANS. THE IDEA IS TO WIN.

IF THE ONLY TWO OPTIONS I HAVE HERE IS .357/38 VS 44SP I WILL GO WITH THE 44SP WITH A GOOD BULLET THAT EXPANDS. START WITH A GOLD DOT.

NEXT DECISION IS THE SIZE/WEIGHT OF THE GUN. THIS WILL OBVIOUSLY AFFECT THE NUMBER OF ROUNDS AVAILABLE. I AM COMFORTABLE WITH 5 ROUNDS IF THE WEIGHT BENEFITS MEANS I WILL HAVE THE GUN WITH ME WHEN NEEDED. I WOULD GO WITH S&W 296 TITANIUM 5 SHOT L FRAME WEIGHING IN AT 19 OUNCES. ITS HAMMERLESS SO IT DOESN'T HANG UP ON YOUR CLOTHES WHEN YOU PULL IT.FIXED SITES ARE ALRIGHT SINCE THIS IS A BELLY GUN FOR USE INSIDE 7 YARDS.

FIND A USED ONE SO SMITH DOESN'T PROFIT FROM IT. THEN FIND A SET OF GRIPS THAT FIT YOU, TRY BOOT GRIPS. NOW PRACTICE!

WE TRANSITIONED OVER THE YEARS FROM 38 TO 38+P TO 357 TO 9mm TO 40S&W. THE 40S&W REALLY DOES THE JOB.

SORRY FOR ALL CAPS. I'M NOT SHOUTING, JUST LAZY.

GCH

 

[Glamdring]

The 44 would be my choice. In a 4" or bigger gun the 357/125 load probably would cause bigger wound than a 44 but IMHO the 357/125 load is not any fun to shoot. I would rather shoot 44 mag 300 grain federal castcores thru my 4" 629 than 357/125 because then at least I know I am getting something worthwhile for all the blast and recoil.

Another idea, get a box of 357/125 JHP's and a box of CCI's 44 Special 200 grain GDHP [it is a Blazer load in the aluminum case]. Take one of the 357 rounds and put the bullet into the hollow point of the 44.

 

[Tamara]

I'm kinda partial to...

...snubbies in .44 Spl, myself. Not that I have anything against .357 Mag, as either caliber will work well for defense, but the .44 will do it without deafening me to the point that I can't hear the lovely, delicate bits in the middle of Beethoven's 9th.