Is it worth buying a .357 magnum snub nose if the main intent for the gun is to use .38 specials for personal / home defense?? I'd like to have the .357 as an option to shoot higher powered ammunition, but when I'm home I don't want to risk destroying my hearing (God forbid I ever have to use it in the house) or risk overpenetrating w/ the .357 magnum round. My main reason for asking this is because I've read that most revolvers designed for the .357 do not shoot the .38 as accurately (because the barrel and the cylinder were designed for the .357). If this is true, I think that I'd just be better of getting a .38 model and just deal w/ it. Thanks in advance. Oh yeah, I currently like the Ruger SP101, but any other suggestions are appreciated.
.38 or .357 snubbie?
- Thread starter meat
- Start date
If you'll be doing your shooting practive in the house I'de suggest wearing hearing protection. If you're only intent to shoot in your house is for an emergency situation then the loud noice for a split second won't matter too much. I'de rather be alive and hard of hearing than dead and hearing real good, but I once shot off a 12 guage in doors and my ears rung for about an hour but there is no permanent damage to them, I had a hearing test done and I hear just fine.
The longer cylinder of the .357 allows the bullet to travel that much longer before it gets stabilized. I doubt if you'll find any difference in accuracy in a snub nosed defense weapon.
How much do you intend to shoot this handgun? An SP101will "take a licken and keep on ticken" but an ulta light S&W or Taurus will wear more quickly.
mjby
How much do you intend to shoot this handgun? An SP101will "take a licken and keep on ticken" but an ulta light S&W or Taurus will wear more quickly.
mjby
i PLAN ON ADDING A 38 SPECIAL sp101
TO my battery for some of the same reasons you stated. Mainly becouse I don't plan to shoot magnums from the gun. also the 38 models being discontinued are actually CHEAPER to buy, nobody wants the lowly 38 when the "mighty" 357 is avaiable. shoot your 38 and don't worry about it.
TO my battery for some of the same reasons you stated. Mainly becouse I don't plan to shoot magnums from the gun. also the 38 models being discontinued are actually CHEAPER to buy, nobody wants the lowly 38 when the "mighty" 357 is avaiable. shoot your 38 and don't worry about it.
Eric Larsen
New member
Personally, Id get the 357 anyday over a .38 chambered gun. You have the choice of calibers to shoot and typically the 357 guns sell for much higher if you ever get tired of it. A local store had a .38 only SP101 LNIB...sweet gun. They had it for over a year and eventually sold it for around 240$....the same store cant keep 357 SP's in stock. This may be a rare case...but cant see why.
Shooting my SP at an indoor range with double hearing protection makes me think that if I actually had to shoot it in my house at night in my bedroom. There is NO WAY IN HELL its not going to have negative effects on my hearing.....PERIOD!
Just because your adrenaline is pumping in a defensive situation and you dont percieve the sound of the gun going off...has no bearing on if you suffer hearing loss.
I carry an SP everyday....and have a 9mm under my pillow.
Shoot well.
Shooting my SP at an indoor range with double hearing protection makes me think that if I actually had to shoot it in my house at night in my bedroom. There is NO WAY IN HELL its not going to have negative effects on my hearing.....PERIOD!
Just because your adrenaline is pumping in a defensive situation and you dont percieve the sound of the gun going off...has no bearing on if you suffer hearing loss.
I carry an SP everyday....and have a 9mm under my pillow.
Shoot well.
Time to play Devil's advocate!
I use a .38 special as a home defense gun. (Loaded with .38+p)
My reasoning is that:
It will be close range work. (I expect good shot placement.)
Want to reduce risk of overpenetration of .357
Like faster follow-up shots of the .38
Magnums may impair hearing at a very critical moment.
Magnums likely will produce LOTS more flash. (Bad at night)
I Practice with .38 loads and are more familiar with them.
In fact, I had been planning on getting a .357 to use in this situation... but then I thought "WHY"? If I never keep it with .357 rounds in it... it doesn't matter.
So you are saying.. "So what... I can still do what you are doing with a .357 and HAVE THE OPTION of the magnum. You are right. However, it seems to me that the .357s are a lot harder to clean when shooting .38s.
Bottom line is... I am satisfied with the .38 for home defense, BUT if I HAD to replace the gun... I'd probably go for the .357. (That way if I decide to go bear-hunting with it... yeah, I could use .357s!) If you already HAVE a .38 or can get one cheap compared to a .357 I wouldn't let that bother me.
Logistar
I use a .38 special as a home defense gun. (Loaded with .38+p)
My reasoning is that:
It will be close range work. (I expect good shot placement.)
Want to reduce risk of overpenetration of .357
Like faster follow-up shots of the .38
Magnums may impair hearing at a very critical moment.
Magnums likely will produce LOTS more flash. (Bad at night)
I Practice with .38 loads and are more familiar with them.
In fact, I had been planning on getting a .357 to use in this situation... but then I thought "WHY"? If I never keep it with .357 rounds in it... it doesn't matter.
So you are saying.. "So what... I can still do what you are doing with a .357 and HAVE THE OPTION of the magnum. You are right. However, it seems to me that the .357s are a lot harder to clean when shooting .38s.
Bottom line is... I am satisfied with the .38 for home defense, BUT if I HAD to replace the gun... I'd probably go for the .357. (That way if I decide to go bear-hunting with it... yeah, I could use .357s!) If you already HAVE a .38 or can get one cheap compared to a .357 I wouldn't let that bother me.
Logistar
Unless you plan on pocket carry, I generally recommend that you buy the .357 Magnum over the .38 Special. You may plan on using .38Spls right now but you might change your mind later. Alos, as others have pointed out a .357 will last much longer than a .38 Spl, not that most people shoot snubbies enough to waer them out.
But in the end, either will work. It really depends upon which you find first that fits you.
But in the end, either will work. It really depends upon which you find first that fits you.
Maybe I should have been clearer, sorry. What it boils down to is are .38 specials accurate out of a .357 barrel? I have read that they simply are not as accurate as they would be if fired out of a barrel made for .38's. From what I understand, the .357 barrel does not have as tight a seal around the .38 so the bullet is not as stabalized and doesn't reach it's true ballistic performance. And from some gun shop talk that I've overheard, the .38's tend to shoot lower (like 1 - 3 inches lower) than where the sights are lined up. Anyone have some info on this?
With 40 years of shooting experience, I would recommend you buy a [if you can find it] a 3 inch barrel .357 magnun. Doing so will give you +P+ velocities.
Take the published ammo, find out what barrel length the used and subtract 30 to 33 feet per second for each inch you do not have on your gun.
Take the published ammo, find out what barrel length the used and subtract 30 to 33 feet per second for each inch you do not have on your gun.
Brian Williams
New member
I recently touched of a handload of 16.5 grs of 2400 pushing a 125gr Hornady xtp in my living room. Asking those who happend to be there when I had my ND and nobody had any bad ringing in their ears. It only lasted for a minute for me. The room is 15' wide x 22' long and 10' high
I shot some of these same loads later at dusk and the fire ball was about 18" in dia.
I shot some of these same loads later at dusk and the fire ball was about 18" in dia.
Is it worth buying a .357...
Meat: you said you would like to have the 357 as an option, so go with it or you will regret it later. One side note the 357 will be slightly heavier so better to control. 2" barrels produce quite a blast. I have a 357 and shoot mostly 38 +p+ but almost always crack off at least 6 357s and really I can't tell that theres any difference other than the 357 shoots flatter. There is a big difference in ammo tho. Buy a lot of different ammo till you find what your gun likes best. I have found in both of my revolvers that they would shoot handloads a lot better than anything I was buying. But I expermented with a lot of different powders. Final note I couldn't shoot my little 2" ss rossi with enough accuracy to have told any difference anyway.
Meat: you said you would like to have the 357 as an option, so go with it or you will regret it later. One side note the 357 will be slightly heavier so better to control. 2" barrels produce quite a blast. I have a 357 and shoot mostly 38 +p+ but almost always crack off at least 6 357s and really I can't tell that theres any difference other than the 357 shoots flatter. There is a big difference in ammo tho. Buy a lot of different ammo till you find what your gun likes best. I have found in both of my revolvers that they would shoot handloads a lot better than anything I was buying. But I expermented with a lot of different powders. Final note I couldn't shoot my little 2" ss rossi with enough accuracy to have told any difference anyway.
As someone who makes a point of mentioning that .38s shoot better in a .38, I will also say that I was not talking about a J-frame, but K and up. The barrel length is such a limiting factor in a snub that the accuracy difference just isn't going to show up much (if at all). In a 4" barrel, the lighter .38 Special loads seem to shoot better in a .38 than a .357. Jacketed bullets do not show as much disparity as lead. Neither do +P loads.
Personally, I would get a .38 that is +P capable. I wouldn't advise anyone else on this topic. There are too many subjective issues at stake, which others have covered already in this thread.
Personally, I would get a .38 that is +P capable. I wouldn't advise anyone else on this topic. There are too many subjective issues at stake, which others have covered already in this thread.
Brad Johnson
New member
Okay, let's rehash this for about the thousandth time....
38 v 357 - The .357 has more punch and, as a result, more recoil and more muzzle flash. The .38 has less punch, but also a corresponding reduction in recoil and muzzle flash. Either will wreck the BG's day given even remotely decent shot placement with ammo designed for personal defense.
Are .38's accurate in a .357? What little degredation there is in inherent accuracy is much less than the usual amount of shooter induced error. Unless you are an extremely good shot, or are shooting from a machine rest, you should see little - if any - difference in accuracy. Before the screaming starts I will state that I am NOT talking about shifts in point of impact which will inevitably occur as a result of ballistic differences between the two catridges. My concern is whether the gun will group well with either load (and most will). As long as a gun will group reliably, point of impact issues can be resolved with sight adjustment or shooting style corrections.
Will shooting ruin your hearing? YES!!! Anyone who tells you different needs a lesson on the effects of extreme sound pressure levels on human auditory physiology (and probably a couple of hearing aids). Even .22 pistols generate sound pressure levels high enough to cause immediate and permanent damage. You may not notice it at first, but it's there, and it will never get any better. For those of you who still argue that shooting is not harmful to your hearing, you have my deepest sympathy on your hearing loss (whether you will admit it or not).
However....
If the situation occurs that you are forced to use your gun defensively, don't waste precious time trying to find your ear plugs! A few db of hearing loss is much more desireable than being dead. Groping around to find hearing protection in a defensive situation is just giving the BG that much more opportunity to KILL YOU. I will repeat that in case you didn't catch on the first time .. don't screw around with incidentals when your life is on the line unless you enjoy being DEAD. Focus on the primary objective - saving your life - and don't worry about ANYTHING else until the threat is no longer present.
There is also the tactical aspect of supressed hearing. If the BG can hear you, but you can't hear the BG, that's most definitely not a good thing.
You want every tactical advantage you can get. Engaging in a behaviour that, from a tactical aspect, has several inherently self-limiting factors is just not a good thing to do when your life is on the line.
Now back to your question - .38 or .357. If you want the absolute smallest, lightest snubby revolver you can get, go with one of the extreme lightweight .38's stoked with some premium self-defense fodder (Cor-Bon, Gold Dot, Golden Sabre, etc). If you are buying a snubby that has a particular model available in both .38 or .357, then the .357 becomes the no-brainer choice. The gun looks, weighs, carries and shoots the same, so why not give yourself the option of being able to use either caliber.
Brad
38 v 357 - The .357 has more punch and, as a result, more recoil and more muzzle flash. The .38 has less punch, but also a corresponding reduction in recoil and muzzle flash. Either will wreck the BG's day given even remotely decent shot placement with ammo designed for personal defense.
Are .38's accurate in a .357? What little degredation there is in inherent accuracy is much less than the usual amount of shooter induced error. Unless you are an extremely good shot, or are shooting from a machine rest, you should see little - if any - difference in accuracy. Before the screaming starts I will state that I am NOT talking about shifts in point of impact which will inevitably occur as a result of ballistic differences between the two catridges. My concern is whether the gun will group well with either load (and most will). As long as a gun will group reliably, point of impact issues can be resolved with sight adjustment or shooting style corrections.
Will shooting ruin your hearing? YES!!! Anyone who tells you different needs a lesson on the effects of extreme sound pressure levels on human auditory physiology (and probably a couple of hearing aids). Even .22 pistols generate sound pressure levels high enough to cause immediate and permanent damage. You may not notice it at first, but it's there, and it will never get any better. For those of you who still argue that shooting is not harmful to your hearing, you have my deepest sympathy on your hearing loss (whether you will admit it or not).
However....
If the situation occurs that you are forced to use your gun defensively, don't waste precious time trying to find your ear plugs! A few db of hearing loss is much more desireable than being dead. Groping around to find hearing protection in a defensive situation is just giving the BG that much more opportunity to KILL YOU. I will repeat that in case you didn't catch on the first time .. don't screw around with incidentals when your life is on the line unless you enjoy being DEAD. Focus on the primary objective - saving your life - and don't worry about ANYTHING else until the threat is no longer present.
There is also the tactical aspect of supressed hearing. If the BG can hear you, but you can't hear the BG, that's most definitely not a good thing.
You want every tactical advantage you can get. Engaging in a behaviour that, from a tactical aspect, has several inherently self-limiting factors is just not a good thing to do when your life is on the line.
Now back to your question - .38 or .357. If you want the absolute smallest, lightest snubby revolver you can get, go with one of the extreme lightweight .38's stoked with some premium self-defense fodder (Cor-Bon, Gold Dot, Golden Sabre, etc). If you are buying a snubby that has a particular model available in both .38 or .357, then the .357 becomes the no-brainer choice. The gun looks, weighs, carries and shoots the same, so why not give yourself the option of being able to use either caliber.
Brad
In my 3" SP101 I have not seen any difference in accuracy between .38 special and .357 magnum. Either caliber is going to be LOUD in a room or in a hall. I believe someone published decibel levels of various calibers awhile back. All of them are above the damage level. As Mr. Johnson said don't worry about it until the threat is over.
Let me apologize to everyone. I would normally use the search function to look this up, but since the server is having problems, I figured that I'd ask. I wasn't trying to start any flame wars or ask stupid questions. I just remember reading a thread here about the performance of .38's out of .357 magnum barrels and couldn't quite remember what was said. I'm just planning on buying a small revolver soon (before the new Maryland gun laws come into being), and I wanted to make sure that I make the wisest choice based on my intent. I just want a small revolver that I will primarilly use for home defense. I plan to use .38 +P ammo as my primary round so that I don't have to worry about overpenetration issues. If a .38 performs just as well ballistically and accurately out of a .357 barrel, then that's what I want. If it doesn't, then I guess it's a .38 for me. Thanks to all who have responded so far.