[silent knight]

I hope this doesnt turn in to a caliber war but i'm curious to know which caliber you preffer and why for hd and carry. I'm looking to buy a 357 in the next few months but im kinda worried that it might be a bit too snappy for me, what do you think? I have a 40caliber that took months for me to get use to, i love it but it can be pretty snappy. At first i thought about a 45ACP for hd till one day i saw on a local news program a guy get shot 7 times with a 45 at close range and was still up and moving until the last shot to his head. This happened here in California between two Asian gangs, the incident was caught on camera at a local pool hall and was broadcast. If i ever get in to a SHTF scenario i want to be able to take down the perp with just a few shots.. i know that shot placement is the key but there still a posibilty for them to succeed in attacking you. I also have a shotty which is my first choice for hd but i keep that in my closet because of my kids. In other words i need to look in to other calibers and need your opinion b4 i venture out for a new gun to add to my collection. Most of the guns i own are 9mms. I am not saying tha a 9mm isnt capable, it is but i use those mainly for plinking.

Thanks.

[Lupinus]

a .357 will easily take care of what goes bump in the night. If you are worried about recoil you can use .38 specials and then work your way up, just make sure to clean well to avoid building up a carbon ring that could cause issues when you step up to .357

As for a .45 it is a time tested and proven SD round, and will do better then most handgun calibers, including your .40. Guns aren't a sure all quick kill, just doesn't happen that way reguardless of caliber. If shot in the heart a motivated person can still kick around for a few seconds or air time the brain has left. Just how it works. Personally I will take a .45 over just about anything.

[Jim K]

Those "shot x times and not fazed a bit" shootings have happened with just about every caliber in common use, so that should not be a real concern, mostly because you don't know what part of the body the bullets struck, or any other details.

Your choice of .357 is a good one, and one advantage is that (unlike an auto pistol) a revolver will work just fine with lighter than maximum loads. You can buy the .357, then shoot .38 Specials until you can work up to the full house .357. You can even fire .38 Special wad-cutter target ammo which has little more recoil or noise than a .22 LR.

Another point in favor of the .357 is that you can buy police surplus revolvers at quite reasonable prices, and the revolver is both simple to use and extremely reliable.

Jim

[Lupinus]

frankly a good modern semi-auto pistol is just as reliable IMO as a revolver.

[Jorg]

The "snappiness" has as much to do with gun itself as the caliber.

As far as stopping power, you can find anecdotes of "Person shot Y times with X caliber and not even slowed down" for just any caliber. For every 1 person who was shot with a .45 7 times and lived, there were probaby 1000 who were shot once or twice with a .45 and never moved again.

Edited to add: I really did click reply before Jim posted the same thing :) Stupid work messing with my gun board time.

[silent knight]

Would a 357Sig suffice or better go with the Magnum?

[Wiley]

In my view a cartrige that has been arround the longest would be prefferable. 357mag over 357sig.

I have a friend who realy likes 44mag and 41mag. The 44mag has the advantage that there are rifles chambered for it.

[Mooseman]

I carry a 357 but it's hard to go wrong with a 45 either. Shoot several kinds of both and choose the one that suits you best.

[goon]

Depends on what you want to do with it.
If you plan to use it for more than defense, a .357 magnum is better suited to hunting or outdoor use because it can work with a wider range of bullets. It can also be loaded down with .38 special for a new shooter or just to make shooting more fun.
If you want the .357 SIG, you may be able to switch the barrel on your .40 to make that happen, depending on what kind of .40 you have.
IIRC, the .357 SIG is basically a just .40 necked down to a .355 bullet.

[gulogulo1970]

The 357Sig pretty much duplicates the 125gr 357 Mag load but it can't pull off the heavier bullets that a 357Mag can. Can't shoot 38 specials either. The 357Mag revolver is maybe the most versatile handgun in existance, the 357Sig is a one trick pony.

Also, if you have a 40S&W there really isn't much difference in it and the 357Sig. In my opinon the 357Sig will probably end up like the 10mm. Loved by a few and not needed by most.

[gulogulo1970]

BTW, welcome to the forum it is a wealth of information.

[Fosbery]

Can't carry here obviously, but personally I don't like .357 as a handgun round. For me, the kick is just over the line so I have to work to fire the second shot. I'd personally go with .40 S&W or .45ACP, maybe 10mm Auto. If you're comfortable with .40 S&W, stick with it.

If someone survives 7 rounds of .45, then I douby 6 of .357 will do much better. Body armour perhaps?

[MrTuffPaws]

Welcome

I prefer 12ga for HD, but the two loaded handguns in my out are a 357 and a 9x18.

[steelhead]

It is unrealistic to think that ANY handgun (or rifle for that matter) caliber is going to work 100%. .357 is a good choice but so is the .40, 45 and the 9MM. Forget the "I know a WWII vet who said the .45 will stop a Tiger Tan......." and concentrate on finding something that is comfortable to shoot and shoot well.

Why not use your .40 if you are used to it? If the .40 is really too snappy - then maybe you should look into a 9MM loaded with Corbon DPX's or a .38 +P in a 4 inch steel revolver. My Taurus 627 is a 4 inch, 7 shot, .357. With the porting, 357's feel like 38's, and 38's feel like almost nothing. That would be great choice.

I personally find a .45ACP to more comfortable to shoot than a .40 and even a 9MM because of how it recoils. More of a steady push than a quick snap but then again recoil is all relative to the individual.

[MCgunner]

My personal preference, but I don't like .357 for any indoor and night time uses. Too much flash/bang. I'd stoke that gun with .38s. I keep a Taurus M85UL in the drawer by the bed and carry it now and then and when I'm carrying my 9mm Kel Tec (usually), I lay it by the bed at night. I have a 12 gauge in the corner if there's time to get to it, but I really like a small handgun in a tiny home like mine. Up close and personal, it's a lot harder to wrestle over and take away by an assailant. The 12 is for the unlikely scenario of an intruder happening on my locked bedroom door and banging on the door until he breaks in. If he gives me time to get the wife off the bed and I'm behind the bed with the 12, well, a load of 00 at that range is devastating. That's not a likely scenario, though, and I feel I could stop him with a handgun. I'm a decent handgun shooter, not a novice.

Just about any major caliber handgun will do, though. I have handguns in .45 colt and .45 ACP that offer a lot of power without the flash/bang of a .357 Mag. I'd rather have a revolver loaded for long period than an auto, though I don't think my Rugers would let me down. A little wipe down now and then or magazine rotation is not a tough thing to do, even stripping and cleaning now and then. I'd not feel goofy about keeping my .45 colt single action by the bed. It's a BIG caliber and it hits HARD. I don't really have an appropriate home defense load for it, but a 255 grain cast lead flat nose at 900 fps ain't nothing to sneeze at!

I don't think you can go wrong with a quality firearm in a service caliber, frankly. I don't keep a .380 handy, why, when I have 9mms to .45s I can keep by the bed? I think you can't go too wrong with just a plain old K frame .38 special loaded with 158 grain +P hollow points. My old Smith and Wesson M10 has done bedside duty in the past.

[Jorg]

In my view a cartrige that has been arround the longest would be prefferable. 357mag over 357sig.

Does that mean you prefer the .44 Special to the .44 Magnum?

[Taurus 66]

A .357 may be a bit too much for home protection, or to put it more accurately, inside home protection, for two reasons:

It's a magnum and will have over-penetration in most cases. Where homes are close together, a magnum is not the preferred choice. A bullet leaving your house could enter a neighbor's home and you are responsible for all your bullets from once it leaves the barrel until it stops.

The other is decibel levels. If you load .38 Specials only, then everything should be ok. Don't underestimate .38s for home defense. If you ever discharge a .357 inside, LOOK OUT! :what: The containment of all that sound will be loud enough to possibly cause permanent damage to your hearing ... in just one shot. Take it from someone who knows. Well actually I had on hearing protection and it still sounded like a damn cannon in comparison.

[Green Lantern]

I wanted a .40 Glock, but when asking around was talked into a nine due to the ammo cost. Cheaper ammo = more training (unless cash isn't an issue)

IMO: Shot placement > "magic" bullets.

EDIT (so my last two posts are about how I was swayed in gun choices by other people. Wishy washy? I prefer to think of it as just bein' a guy that took some good advice from sager minds! :D )

[Lupinus]

to me the .357 sig is a an answer in search of a problem. And over penitration is an issue, you have a bullet flying at very high velocity.

9mm is ok
40 S&W is good
45 is better

[22-rimfire]

I like the Glock 23 for general purposes. For me, it is a tad big for carry, but many do carry them. The 40 S&W is a great all around caliber. You will have to learn control and any snappiness.

Revolvers; My preferred carry revolver is a S&W 642/442 which is a 38spl. Small enough for discreet pocket carry and powerful enough for most things. But it will never be a 45 or a 357 in terms of power. Most 357 carry guns are a bit heavy or the recoil makes them very uncomfortable to shoot. The Ruger SP101 comes to mind as one of the more popular.

[Wiley]

Jorg Quote:
In my view a cartrige that has been arround the longest would be prefferable. 357mag over 357sig.


Does that mean you prefer the .44 Special to the .44 Magnum?

The question was 357sig vs. 357mag and in that case I 'think' the mag has been around longer than the sig. In other words the 357mag has had more time to prove itself, and for any flaws to be identified and noted. The point being that 357mag is a current cartridge, has been arround, and will be available for the forseeable future.

In answer to your direct question: If I wanted just old 44 calibre I'd go with 44 Russian, a predecesser of the 44spl. The 44 Russian went out in the 1890's but can be replecated by shortening the 44spl case.

So no, 44mag over 44spl. I will admit I am partial to 44wcf, tho' :)

[Cousin Mike]

I own guns for basically every caliber mentioned so far in this thread. That said, I think the .357 Magnum is a fine choice, if you already have some experience shooting handguns. As mentioned before, it also fires .38Spl, which IMO is just fine for SD and maybe a little more desireable for practice. I don't worry about overpenetration. It's just not a concern. The .357 magnum 125gr. JHP round is probably the most proven manstopper of all time. The .357Sig replicates it performance pretty closely. Either one is more than effective enough to stop most BG's in their tracks.

I do think that if I grabbed the .357 Mag or .357 Sig, I'd grab ear protection if I had time. Both are louder than .40S&W (.357 Mag is about as loud as it gets... .357Sig less so, but still really loud), and yes there's flash, but is it going to blind you? Umm, no. Make you deaf? Probably. I couldn't imagine firing a .357 Magnum indoors without ear protection, but hey... your ears or your life? We all have our priorities.

Recoil is subjective. .357 magnum definitely has more felt recoil than a .40S&W. That explosion coming out of the other end doesn't make it seem any lighter. FWIW, My 5'4 135lb. girlfriend can accurately shoot my .357 magnum with one hand. Firing a shotgun, or a .45 indoors multiple times is probably just as bad. On another note, .45 is just as effective of a round. I like shooting .357 magnum more than just about anything. I'm more accurate with .45ACP at the moment. My girlfriend swears by her 9mms, and the way she shoots them I'd be hard-pressed to disagree about how effective they can be in the right hands.

Which gun would I grab if something went bump in the night? Whichever 2 were closest. :D

There's a lot to consider before caliber, IMHO. As long as it's 9mm or larger, and quality ammo, I have faith it'll do what it needs to. The things you need to think about are what you need/want in a firearm.

Capacity, power, size, weight, reliability, function, carry vs. home defense, brand names, platforms, price, availability... There's a lot to consider. Rent a .357Magnum, and buy some .357 and .38Spl ammo. See if you like it. That will tell you a lot more than any of us and our opinions can. Good luck, whatever you choose.

And welcome to THR!

Edited to add: My .357 Magnum is the Taurus 608... Holds 8 shots of .357 Magnum, built on a .44 Magnum frame with a ported barrel. Great gun for a newcomer to the .357 Magnum, IMO - definitely easier on the hands than some .357's, and .38 feels a lot like .22LR coming out of it. Weight has a little something to do with that... weighing in at 44 oz. unloaded, it's also great for bench pressing! :D

P.S. - Try your best to get that shotgun out of your closet and into something lock-able... Your kids will find it eventually.

[BlkHawk73]

Not really anything additional to add that hasn't been stated already. just wanted to say welcome to the forums. Shoot safe!

[pax]

I went with 9mm because it is the least-expensive of all the common defense rounds.

Less expensive = more rounds downrange in practice = better hits if I ever use it in real life.

Every study I've ever seen says that as long as the ammunition isn't ridiculously underpowered, shot placement matters far more than caliber.

pax

[Lupinus]

Shotplacment matters yes, but a SD situation lacks the ability to always get a great sight picture and shot. When you have to pull that trigger there is a good bet that things are going to go from alert to firing VERY fast and I personally want as large a margin of error as possible. I want to know he is going to go down if I hit him dead center of the heart or I am off by a few inches.

[MCgunner]

Shotplacment matters yes, but a SD situation lacks the ability to always get a great sight picture and shot. When you have to pull that trigger there is a good bet that things are going to go from alert to firing VERY fast and I personally want as large a margin of error as possible. I want to know he is going to go down if I hit him dead center of the heart or I am off by a few inches.

Then, you should be shooting a rifle or shotgun.

[Lupinus]

at the moment I have a 30-30 loaded with 170 grain silver tips ;)

[pax]

Lupinus ~

Sure, under stress your hits will deteriorate.

That's why if you're serious about carrying a gun to save your life, you need to practice a lot.

Which is why I like having a defense gun with ammunition I can afford.

pax

[.357 magnum]

I have to agree with the other guys. Although I am very experienced with the .357 the noise and possibly the flash can be a problem. The .357 revolver is an excellent stopper. I am older and ex-LE. I was an undercover detective for many years. I have found todays semi-autos are the way to go. They are reliable and accurate. I would go with the .40 sw. Shot placement and the type of ammunition used are the key. I would wager the guy hit 7 time with the .45 was hit with fmj ammo. For the .40 you want to use winchester 165 gr sxt-very accurate and will ALWAYS expand. The remington golden sabre is almost the same in the 165gr but costs more. Another good round is the federal 155 gr hydra-shok. I would go with the .40 over the .45 because its less recoil for better shot placement and more rounds. Before I get the rest of you guys going on a caliber war I love the .45 But you should take note the most popular caliber with LE is the .40-has a great street record! If you go with the .45 use the winchester 230gr sxt or federal 230 gr hydra-shok. Really if you shoot the BG 7 times with the ammo I have listed and he does not stop he is either wearing a vest or extremely jacked on drugs. Thats the beauty of a 15 round mag for a .40 and one in the chamber. If you need more than that you need the swat team.[actually I keep an extra mag loaded w/15 shots and the wife can shoot back up-pity the poor sob that might break into our casa even if it is more than one perp] Remember to practice the .40 is enjoyable to shoot. I have a german shepherd for a watchdog-[also have a lab but shes as dumb as a stone fence!] You might consider a german shepherd as a pet. Very good with children and excellent watch dogs. They are loyal as hell! Awesome dogs-- very intelligent.

The best to you and your family!

[lookin2carry]

I just got a sig p2009 and was wondering what kinda ammo i should use. I went to wally word and saw some 9mm Luger 115 grain...are these any good to use at the range. Also, my girl has glock, and well Mine is better right? Anyone can answer.

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