Short Barrel 357 SD rounds

[Real Gun]

1. You statement made me get out my two LCR's and measure them. No, the frame window and cylinders between the .38 and .357 are identical.
2. You are only talking about 4 ounces difference.
3. The differences caused by chamber differences in accuracy at SD distances will never be a problem.

This is not necessarily about an LCR.

You misunderstand about the cylinder window point. Existing LCR's, a modern design is self justifying. They make it to fit and withstand the magnum. They might use different metal for a 38-only but the same pattern or mold as the 357. Older pre-magnum gun designs in 38 K-frame just shortened the throats to force in the 357 and came with the recommendation to shoot mostly 38 Special.

 

[Cheapshooter]

Ive never heard anyone assert such a thing.
Rather, its the simple fact that the vast VAST majority of current production revolvers can only be had in 357.

Wrong, and wrong.
As HighValleyRanch correctly stated, most every discussion here on TFL, and other forums contain comments about buying the 357 LCR for 38 Spcl use because the extra weight might help reduce felt recoil. Very common topic.
A quick look through S&W's catalog shows numerious 38 Special only J frame guns, and even the venerable K frame Model 10 still offered.
Similar offerings from Taurus, and in a .357 diameter bullet chambering, Charter Arms only offers 38 Spcl. Throw in EAA Windicator that offers both a 357 Magnum, and 38 Spcl. only, and Armscor with their 38 Spcl only revolvers, and there are quite a few 38 Spcl revolvers in the market. Far from a double vast majority.

 

[seeker_two]

The weight difference between an Airweight .38Spl revolver and a steel-frame .357Mag revolver is significant enough to reduce recoil when firing .38 Special......

 

[Nanuk]

-But 357 produces more ft/lbs so it simply MUST be better
-But 357 makes a huge boom so it simply MUST be better
-But 357 makes big 'stretch cavities' in YT videos so it MUST be better
-But 357 HP expands to 0.693729761592" so it MUST be better
-But the modern 357 I just bought cost $1.97 per round and came in a fancy box so it has to be better than your century old lowly 15 cent cartridge...the ammo company told me so.

Yes the debate will continue......for some

But the 357 magnum works more consistently.

http://www.luckygunner.com/357-mag-125-gr-sjhp-remington-htp-500-rounds

$.62 per round.

 

[seeker_two]

That round will get you killed on the street......if you're a mugger mugging someone carrying that......

 

[Mike1]

I shot two (2) 357 gold dot short bbl loads through my 340CT. One without a shooting glove, one with. Both to me had brutal recoil.

I tried the 38 spl gold dot load and for me it is controllable and accurate. That is what I've been carrying in the gun for years.

 

[rodfac]

I carry .38 Special +P, 125 gr JHP's in my Smith M60 .357 Magnum. I consider the gun, even with its 3" bbl., a close in defense gun, i.e. under 10 yds...and don't feel the need for full house 125 gr .357 JHP's. I've shot them, and found the recoil heavy but acceptable, and the muzzle flash is considerable (hell, you could incinerate the BG's if you miss!). Shooting DA, at speed, and from under 10 yds, I can keep all five shots in a coffee cup sized group. It's enough for my purposes.

As to the .38 +P's, water expansion tests that I've done show more than enough bullet expansion to satisfy my curiosity and they're a bit easier to handle for repeat shots vs. the .357, and every bit as accurate.

Here's a pic of some .38 Special bullets recovered after being shot into water (a swimming pool in fact), as well as the actual velocities over my chrono. The gun was a ~2" bbl'd. Smith M37 in .38 Special. Water is not the ideal medium but does give a repeatable resistance to bullets of different makes as well as a comparison of relative expansion. The first one on the left (also shot into the pool) is a handload, with a tailored powder charge to give it similar recoil feel to our CC loads, and is used for practice. Note the lack of any expansion, whatsoever. For the curious, I carry the Remington Golden Saber round, and suspect that it's giving me 1000 fps from my 3" Model 60.

The 2nd pic shows the M60 and its predecessor, a Smith M36, both with 3" bbls. The 3rd is my wife's S&W 637 Airweight, the gun that shot the bullets in pic one It's dressed in pretty boot grips...that are virtually useless in our hands for controlling the gun in recoil. Of the three grips depicted, the fugly rubber ones are the most comfortable with +P loads. But the wood ones fit me best.

HTH's Rod