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.357 or .38+P in small revolvers
11 years ago
With the recent trend of small conceal carry revolvers hitting the market, such as the Ruger LCR and Smith and Wesson J frame revolvers, there comes a slight issue in ammunition and caliber choice.
Ok, I really can't continue without explaining this: for those who do not know, .38 special will fit and fire in .357 magnum chambered firearms, but not vice versa. The reason is because both are actually .357 in diameter (.38 special was called 38 because it was thought to sound bigger and better). .357 mag was actually created from .38 special, but it is a much higher pressure round and has a longer case length than .38.
Anyways, most of these small revolvers come in .38 special and .357 magnum. Most modern .38s can safely shoot .38 +P ammo. +P ammo is a special type of ammo that is loaded hotter and produces better ballistics than standard ammo, however it creates much higher pressures than normal ammo and cannot be used in some guns (mostly older ones).
So here is what I am getting to: these small revolvers typically have small barrels, maybe 3 inches at most. .357 mag reaches peak performance with a 6 inch barrel, anything below affects performance almost drastically. .38 special does fine in these guns, with less noise and recoil than the .357. Of course, .357 does give a little better performance, even out of these little barrels. But, that's where .38 +P comes into play. With .38 +P you can get almost the same performance from a .38 in this size as a .357 in this size or maybe a little bigger.
Personally, I think that the best option for small revolvers is .38 special with +P ammuniton. I think .357 mag in such a small gun isn't really accomplishing much other than a huge fireball and a hurting on your wallet. But I don't dislike .357, hell no, it's my favorite pistol caliber. I just think that a .357 shouldn't be used in small guns, it greatly degrades the power and performance of the awesome round, while .38 can fill the role very nicely.
So what do yall think?
Do you think .38 is better or .357 mag in small revolvers?
Ok, I really can't continue without explaining this: for those who do not know, .38 special will fit and fire in .357 magnum chambered firearms, but not vice versa. The reason is because both are actually .357 in diameter (.38 special was called 38 because it was thought to sound bigger and better). .357 mag was actually created from .38 special, but it is a much higher pressure round and has a longer case length than .38.
Anyways, most of these small revolvers come in .38 special and .357 magnum. Most modern .38s can safely shoot .38 +P ammo. +P ammo is a special type of ammo that is loaded hotter and produces better ballistics than standard ammo, however it creates much higher pressures than normal ammo and cannot be used in some guns (mostly older ones).
So here is what I am getting to: these small revolvers typically have small barrels, maybe 3 inches at most. .357 mag reaches peak performance with a 6 inch barrel, anything below affects performance almost drastically. .38 special does fine in these guns, with less noise and recoil than the .357. Of course, .357 does give a little better performance, even out of these little barrels. But, that's where .38 +P comes into play. With .38 +P you can get almost the same performance from a .38 in this size as a .357 in this size or maybe a little bigger.
Personally, I think that the best option for small revolvers is .38 special with +P ammuniton. I think .357 mag in such a small gun isn't really accomplishing much other than a huge fireball and a hurting on your wallet. But I don't dislike .357, hell no, it's my favorite pistol caliber. I just think that a .357 shouldn't be used in small guns, it greatly degrades the power and performance of the awesome round, while .38 can fill the role very nicely.
So what do yall think?
Do you think .38 is better or .357 mag in small revolvers?
If you want to shoot both, then by all means, get the .357 model.
But for those who prefer to keep it simple and not spend on extra, the .38 suits them fine.
Just remember to clean any fouling from the forcing cone after shooting!
Some big rounds don't work well in small packages.
.357 may be fun at the range or doing some fun shooting (if you afford to feed it to your gun), but in a SD scenario, I feel the same.
Honestly have yet to lay eyes on a gun chambered for it
Well, we all are still learning. I learn something new everyday.
And I agree with you about carrying a magnum in the field...my "standard" field carry is my 6" S&W 28 with full power loads.
I recommend revolvers for folks who are unfamiliar with firearms, have small hands, or have trouble manipulating the controls on a semi auto.
I've got an equal mix of revolvers and semi's, and while I do carry a semi auto more often, I prefer to shoot (and shoot better) with a revolver.
but when I CCW, I load it with Factory .357 personal protection rounds.
for a smaller gun, I Always advocate getting it in .357 if available, and then loading it with .38+p's because ammo is less expensive and more readily available
switching to reloading .357 requires a couple minutes to reset the dies 1/10th of an inch higher in the press, and there are people making adapters for just such a purpose (really they are just 7/8th's diameter washers 1/10th of an inch thick).
so, I am in favor of .38+p out of a .357 small revolver
I like 38 special in a small gun. I've owned some 357 snub revolvers too. I personally prefer the 38.
Factory loaded ammo is designed to get optimal velocity out of a longer barrel with 357. But if you handload, you can use faster burning powders to make use or shorter barrels. I've found that factory 357 makes a lot of noise, flash, and recoil out of a 2" barrel, where a 38 is more controllable and easier to shoot, and IMHO, thats more important than another 200fps in speed to me.
I'd never feel under-armed with a quality 38 loaded with reputable hollow point ammo. I had one as my carry gun for years, before I stepped up to a semi-auto 9mm. I still think that the 38 is easier to shoot and better all around than the 9, but I like having 11 shots vs. 5.
Full power 357 is too much even for me in compact wheel guns, and I grew up firing 44 mags.
I think Critical Defense is the best defense cartridge out there.
I also like the Federal Hyra Shok. Haven't used Speer Gold Dot, but it seemsto be good.