357 Magnum vs 45 ACP

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shoot a full house 357 at night at your pistol range (lights off) without ear muffs, and i guarantee you wont ever do it again!
Holy crap, I shot a .357 out of a 6" barrell without ear protection...never again, I was literally deaf for a whole day.
 
You Should Read It First

RAMPANT COLT,

It is interesting how you tell everyone else to read. You should try it yourself.

I do not have to quote you statistics, remember, you said you HAD ALL 3 BOOKS. They are in there.

Along with the .45ACP Hydro Shok article, MASHALL also noted that the original 9m.m. 147 grain load had 10 one shot stops in a row. He added that he did not know if that meant it was a great stopper or was an anomoly.
We now know that it was an anomoly because it was used for military type sentry removals and as predicted, it is a poor round on the street.
OH WAIT, MARTIN FACKLER SAID IT WOULD BE A GOOD ROUND. HOW COME IT DOES NOT WORK BETTER THAN THE +P+ 115 and 124 grain loads? PLEASE READ THAT ONE! What are the statistics in firearmstactical.com?
How does fmj stack up against Hydro Shok in firearmstactical?

Hey maybe they can shoot some more milk cartons. Is that the scientific method? If you missed that one, it was a test of two .38 Special rounds fired from a snub nosed revolver.

Also, MARSHALL pointed out that .45ACP 100% was not correct. It had occured and he commented on it, questioning whether it was also an anomoly.

I hope I do not offend any other poster on this thread. I simply felt that comment written in the same manner as your postings was in order for a reply.

Jim
 
OK, this is my standard answer.

I'll get my model 19 and my Norinco 1911a1, you go stand by the tree. :)

Seriously, the threads are just so pointless.

JTR
 
Depends

Which is best for personal defense? Which one packs the hardest punch? Are they pretty much equal when it comes to stopping power?

I have a 45 Auto and two 357s. I prefer the 2 inch 357 for CC.
I have a scope on the 8 inch Ruger for hunting. The 45 usually stays home unless I am going to shoot. But this is just me - this is a very personal thing, IMHO.

I prefer the Ruger SP 101 revolver for my personal defense because it is easy to carry and is adrenalin proof.

Which packs the hardest punch – I am including a graph that compares the highest energy rounds from Federal’s excellent 2007 Ammunition & Ballistics Catalog. At muzzle, the 357 generates 55% more energy than the highest energy Federal 45 Auto round. That is what I would call 'no where near equal' unless you are playing hand grenades or horseshoes!

Still the 45 is a great round and so is the 357 Mag. The best? Depends!:)

357over45.jpg
 
I can't say which is more effective against humans, but I can tell you which is more pleasant to shoot for long periods of time (from similar weight/size handguns).....

I'll take the .45ACP.
 
golden said:
Along with the .45ACP Hydro Shok article, MASHALL also noted that the original 9m.m. 147 grain load had 10 one shot stops in a row. He added that he did not know if that meant it was a great stopper or was an anomoly.
We now know that it was an anomoly because it was used for military type sentry removals and as predicted, it is a poor round on the street.
OH WAIT, MARTIN FACKLER SAID IT WOULD BE A GOOD ROUND. HOW COME IT DOES NOT WORK BETTER THAN THE +P+ 115 and 124 grain loads? PLEASE READ THAT ONE! What are the statistics in firearmstactical.com?
How does fmj stack up against Hydro Shok in firearmstactical?

Hey maybe they can shoot some more milk cartons. Is that the scientific method? If you missed that one, it was a test of two .38 Special rounds fired from a snub nosed revolver.
I can't believe i'm going to even dignify this post with an answer -- read more and post less, golden

ps - it's 9mm, NOT 9m.m
 
More powder, more velocity equals more whomp.

Energy = Mass x Velocity(squared)

I'd say the .357 Magnum has more power.

But is it better for defense ? ? ? ?

There are more intangible variables in the question of defense.
I have to say, I don't know ......

Which do YOU shoot best?

Dave
 
I love these caliber wars. I got my flame suit on and a can of gasoline on my hand to keep the fire going. So let me begin by saying that imho both calibers are past their prime and a bit obsolete. I prefer the universal 9mm over any other hand gun caliber but that's subject matter for a different thread.

Everyone knows deep inside that the .357 is better man-stopper, but let's assume for the sake of this topic that both calibers are equal. The .45 has the following advantages over the .357:

Cheaper ammo
Faster follow-up shots
More bullets in the clip
Faster reload
Less noise and muzzle flash

If you are expecting the end of the world with wild hogs running rampant through the streets, then a .357 may be justified but a rifle would be much better.

On a related note, a gun alone does not make for a complete defense system. A combination of a good alarm, lighting, solid door and dead bolts, and constant personal awareness when away from home go a lot farther in keeping you safe than any hand cannon. If the gun is the founding rock of your home/personal defense, then I say your defense is flawed and bound to fail. Allowing an attack onto oneself or property, even if the attack is fended off, is already a defeat since a weakness in one's person was exploited. So the best advise is to avert the attack and if it's unavoidable use a gun. The caliber is the most irrelevant piece of the puzzle.
 
After reading everyone's post from last year just want to ask if you all feel the same. We can now get a S&W in 8 shots so does Taurus. I have a both a 1911 in 45 ACP. and a 7 shot .357 Magnum. If I were woken from a dead sleep I would go for the Revolver, why you ask? Its a double action ready to go at a moments notice, I don't keep my 1911 in condition 1 when its not on my body, so I would think reaction time would be cut down with the Revolver, but don't know not an expert. New powders have I would think eliminate the problem of the flash at night, the only problem I think you still have with the .357 is over pentration, might go with a .38+p for the revolver, better yet would opt for my Ruger Vaqero in 45 Colt but that would just add to a whole new aurgument,
 
I don't want to be shot with anything.

.45 vs .357?

The best would be the one I have quicker access.

One is in my drawer at work, the other one is on my waist.
 
Whenever I read one of these versus threads, I always ask myself which one would I rather be shot with IF I had to be shot with one. In the case, I choose the 45. .357 is a nasty nasty round.
 
Wow, I read five pages to see who would ressucitate a long dead thread. Seems like every time, it's a first time poster.

As I suspected, this was once again the case.

Never quite understood it, but it happens so often that it's not a coincidence. I think this is the third such thread that I've noted and commented on this week, and it's only Tuesday.

Is it that hard to have an original thought?

Anyway, if anyone still cares....
I own, carry and shoot both. I prefer the .45acp, but am quite content with a .357 Mag. There was a time when I owned more .357s than any other caliber. These days most of my revolvers are chambered in calibers that "start with a .4", as are nearly all of my semiautos. I only own three .357s these days, but I carried my S&W M-66 this weekend. However, this week my companion has been an M25-2 3" revolver in .45acp.
 
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You took the two BEST calibers in two different formats, and are trying to compare them. Apples & Mangos. If you prefer revolvers, shoot the 357 magnum. If you prefer semi-auto, go with the 45acp. Other factors:

1) There is no such thing as "Stopping Power" with a hand gun. Especially among calibers. A 22LR between the eyes will probably "STOP" the person on contact.
2) The objective to shooting someone, is to STOP them from harming you. That doesn't mean the person being shot has to die; just simply STOP harming you.
3) The larger the caliber, the bigger the hole going in. Thereby the POTENTIAL for more tissue damage and blood loss.
4) What the bullet does once it being entering a person, will determine if "ADDITIONAL" damage can be achieved. I.e. if the bullet EXPANDS, as in a Hollow Point, then you have a larger object internally, causing more damage.
5) A 357 at max expansion, can not be larger than a 45 at max expansion. It's not physically possible, assuming both bullets expand as intended. Therefor, the 45 will have a larger area to cause potentially more damage.
6) The area whereby the 357 magnum become more effective over a 45acp, is the one area that most people DON'T want to happen. Because of it's velocity, a 357 can penetrate more than the 45acp. To the point where it's possible to exit the body. At which point, you have the "Effect" of 2 bullet holes and twice the potential for blood loss; reduction in blood pressure; and thus loss of consciousness. But you also risk the possibility of accidental contact with another person once the bullet exits.
7) If not using full load 357 magnum ammo, and instead are using less velocity, 38spl or 38spl+P; which many people do; then the argument is totally moot, because then you aren't actually shooting a 357 magnum anyway.
 
A while ago I read up about a lot of shootouts on Wikipedia like the North Hollywood Shootout. I know it's not the same as home defense but I noticed a few things. The number of bullets shot was high. There were lots of mentions of reloading, running out of bullets, and people getting shot when out of ammo, reloading or when their guns jammed. That would point to an semiautomatic. The other thing was that the guys with the rifles were in a stronger position. So maybe the saying about a handgun being what you use to get to your rifle has some truth to it. The last thing that surprised me was the way fluke shots helped, like that guy in the Hollywood shootout who got shot in the thumb.
 
Dude the threads over a year old.
It appears that he was wondering if they had changed their mind after a year. Some people do.
Wow, I read five pages to see who would ressucitate a long dead thread. Seems like every time, it's a first time poster.

As I suspected, this was once again the case
And he states that he is aware that the thread is a year old. Did you remember to say Hello or did you just go into bashing mode for brining up the dead thread?

As a shooting community we should be willing to answer all questions no matter how many times it has been asked. We should be happy that we have a new shooter and not a gungrabber.

Welcome to THR
 
And he states that he is aware that the thread is a year old. Did you remember to say Hello or did you just go into bashing mode for brining up the dead thread?

As a shooting community we should be willing to answer all questions no matter how many times it has been asked. We should be happy that we have a new shooter and not a gungrabber.

Welcome to THR

My thoughts exactly.

WELCOME TO THE FORUM...........
 
I'd say that a .357 magnum revolver is a more versatile weapon, however more versatile doesn't always equal 'more effective'.

The .357 magnum in my experience shoots flatter, and I would say is more effective at longer ranges than a .45 Auto, as long as you're using lighter bullets (under 200 grains in both weapons). With heavier bullets, they even out a bit, and I would venture to say most people would use heavy bullets as defensive rounds.

The part where the .357 revolver gains versatility is that you can carry lighter, higher velocity rounds on your person, and load those rounds into the cylinder if they're needed. You can change the kind of ammunition in a .45 by changing the magazine and racking the slide, but as I said, lighter .45 ACP loads generally don't have as much reach as the lighter .357 Magnum (barring some inventive handloading of course. :D).

The odds of this being a factor in any situation where you may have to use the weapon to defend your life? Absolutely miniscule. I personally carry a .45 because I like carrying my weapons in condition 1. I think the .45 is much more than adequate in dealing with any threat I have any likelyhood of encountering.
 
Oldy by goody

Given a choice of a .357 magnum revolver or .45ACP semi-auto, it would come down to the choice of which gun and which ammo and what I intend to use it for.

For concealed carry, a 5 shot RUGER or 3 inch barreled .357 K-frame is a good carry. I would load it with 110 grain JHP and be happy.

I have not found the mini-1911 models to be 100% reliable and would stick with the revolver. The COMMANDER size guns work fine and SIG 220 is great, but both are bulky for concealment.
This would not be a problem in a colder climate, but I live in Florida.


For a house gun or maybe a car gun, I would prefer the .45ACP is a steel framed pistol loaded with HYDRO-SHOK. If I had only ball ammo, I might go with the above revolver or something larger like the S&W L-frame with a 4 inch.
I used a 4 inch S&W 681 with a Magna-ported barrel and have total confidence in it.

For hunting, a six inch L-frame hands down. I already this baby with Magna-ports and a slick action. I would used either the 158 grain or 180 grain ammo. Neither expands all that much, but should penetrate deeply, even on deer or hogs.


My preferred choice in defense guns would be a plastic or aluminum framed 9m.m. with +P 115 or 124 grain JHP followed by a .40 S&W caliber if I expected to be out in the field where a long shot might have to be made.

I would use a .41 or .44 magnum for hunting given a choice.

Jim
 
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