.38 vs .357

[cidirkona]

I can't remember which is which... .38s fit in a .357 but .357s don't fit in a .38 - right?

What's the recoil difference between the .357 and the .38? Price difference (ammo or guns)?

Thanks
-Colin

 

[swallent]

Actually I'd be curious to know this as well...subscribing

 

[ponyexpress]

Right, the 38 fits in the .357 and not the other way around. Pricewise, the .38's run about $8 - $10 a box and the .357 run $12 - $20 a box.

 

[aug e. dog]

There's people way more knowledgeable than I on this topic, but I'll give my impressions:

First of all, you're right. 38's will fit a 357, but not vice versa.

The difference in recoil depends on the load of the round and on the particular revolver. From my experience with a S&W N-Frame (Models 27 &28), while there's a noticeable difference, the recoil of 357s still is pretty tame. With a S&W K-Frame (Models 13, 19, 65, 66), the difference is more noticeable, and the kick of the 357 is evident. However, I don't find it is at all unpleasant, and is certainly manageable.

I don't know about new guns, but it seems with used guns, 357's run about $50 more for similar condition revolvers. Ammo - you can find decent 38 Special ammo for about $6-7/box of 50 whereas 357 will be about $9-10/box of 50.

 

[Mike Irwin]

.38s feel like the kiss of a butterfly...

.357s will rip your arm CLEAN OFF!

 

[Z_Infidel]

As stated above, you can shoot .38 Special ammo in a .357 Magnum revolver. Many people choose a .357 gun for that reason. One (manageable) downside to this is that shooting .38s will cause some crud to build up in the front of the cylinders because of the shorter case. Don't let that keep you from shooting .38s in a .357 though, because it can be dealt with pretty easily with proper cleaning.

There are some .357 revolvers that might not hold up to shooting a lot of .357 rounds over the long term, and shooting more .38s in these guns might be a wiser choice. J and K frame Smith & Wessons are examples. However, there are also those who shoot magnums in K frame guns often with no ill effects. Still, the heavier L and N frame guns or a Ruger GP-100 might be a better choice for a lot of magnum shooting. The heavier frames will also make recoil less troublesome.

Another thing to consider is .38 Special +P ammo, which falls between .38 and .357 in power and which many people consider a very good choice for defensive ammo. Any .357 revolver can shoot the .38 +P as well as most modern .38 guns, but you should always make sure a .38 Special revolver is rated for +P ammo before shooting it -- many of the older guns are not.

Oh, and what Mr. Irwin said.

 

[Z_Infidel]

Actually, I never stated that .38 +P is mid-way between .38 and .357. I simply stated that it falls between them. The main reason I brought it up is the fact that some older .38 Special revolvers are not rated for +P and someone new to the caliber should at least know that, whether it is a big deal or not.

 

[Jim K]

The .38 Special +P is "hotter" than the standard .38 Special 158 grain bullet at 750 fps, but velocities of 950 or so don't make it a world beater. I routinely load hotter than that for defense loads in a .38 Chiefs Special.

The one to watch out for is the +P+, which is supposed to be restricted to police, but turns up from time to time. Often confused with +P, it really is a .357 in pressure and velocity. I think the velocity with a 125 grain bullet is around or just under 1200 fps, which is in .357 territory. It should not be fired in ANY .38 Special revolver, only in .357's.

(The +P+ is a politically correct round to counter charges that police are using "Magnums" that cause mushroom clouds and can kill at 50 miles. When the cops blow away some guy who richly deserved it, the PR guy can say that they are not using those evil Magnums, only the same old .38 Special.)

Jim

 

[4thHorseman]

"38s feel like the kiss of a butterfly...

.357s will rip your arm CLEAN OFF! "



Mike, you've still got it bud!!!

 

[Brian Williams]

I've heard that you have to shoot 357s with your eyes closed at night cause the muzzle flash will blind you. Not only will it ".357s will rip your arm CLEAN OFF!" it will spin the bad guy around like a top as it throws him across the room...............


Yep 38's in a 357
just remember that a 38 is shorter only 2 letters and a 357 is longer 3 letters.

I have shot some 38's in a little ittybitty gun and it felt worse than 357's in a long barreled mod 27.

Switch it around and I would not want to shoot the 357's in a little itty bitty J frame but 38's in a 27 are Butterfly kisses.

 

[Standing Wolf]

.357s will rip your arm CLEAN OFF!

I knew there had to be a reason my keyboarding skills aren't all they used to be.

 

[twoblink]

38Spl

vs.

357Mag

(Pics linked from www.reloadbench.com)

The .38Spls are mild out of my 2" snubbie, but the 357's

I will never buy a gun in .38Spl. Why? Because logistically, I can shoot 38's out of a 357 but not visa versa, so why not buy the 2 in 1? Also, Even though you aren't suppose to be able to shove a 357 into a 38, I'm always scared that someone will screw up and do that..

If you shoot 38's out of your 357's and then want to stepup to 357's, make sure you clean the cylinder. The extra crud will build up pressure to possibly dangerous levels if it's very dirty..

Most take an empty 357 shell, stick it in, rotate it a few times, and it will get most of the gap difference crud out..

 

[Majic]

Why buy a firearm dedicated to just one cartridge? It has the best ability to be accurate with that cartridge. Alot of .357s are not as accurate shooting .38 sp as their .38 sp chambered counterparts. You do get the versatility with a .357mag chambered handgun, but at a price.

 

[Jim March]

If you're on a budget, you can often find some REAL deals in 38Spl wheelguns.

The other reason to shop specifically for a 38: target-level accuracy. The enhancement won't be much, and in some 357s like the Python or a GP100 with an exceptional trigger it won't exist at all but in many other cases, a 38Spl target revolver will be more accurate than a 357 set up the same way.

You can find any number of retired 38Spl custom PPC guns floating around cheap. They shoot quite well indeed.

 

[Checkman]

I have a couple boxes of Winchester +P+ 38 110 grain SJHP. The rounds are hot and when I fire them in my Model 28 I really can't tell a difference between their recoil and the 125 grain .357 magnums I shoot. Defintely do not want to shoot those +P+ in a .38. Yikes. Somebody told me that the +P+ is basically the old 38/44 load.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Why buy a firearm dedicated to just one cartridge?"

Because it's a gun, and the more guns you have, the better!

Duh!

 

[roscoe]

Also, used .38 revolvers are a lot cheaper and more readily available. You can get a police trade-in model 10 for a bit over $100.

 

[Coronach]

I can't remember which is which... .38s fit in a .357 but .357s don't fit in a .38 - right?

Common question, already answered. I'll just add this: You pretty much cannot screw it up. the .357 magnum round is literally too long for the .38spl chamber. If you were to goof up accidentally, you would be unable to fire the round. This is by design.

Mike

 

[carpettbaggerr]

ommon question, already answered. I'll just add this: You pretty much cannot screw it up. the .357 magnum round is literally too long for the .38spl chamber. If you were to goof up accidentally, you would be unable to fire the round. This is by design.

True, if the guns are in spec. There was a thread on the Smith&Wesson Forum about guns chambered for specials which would chamber magnum rounds.

 

[Roadkill]

.357

A favorite shooter of mne is a Colt Trooper .357, I rarely shoot .357s but keep them loaded in the gun for home defense. I load 148g lrns with 5.7g of Unique in .38 for target practice and general use. The length of the .38 cartridge and the safety factor of the .357 capacity provide a lot of fun for the handloader.

rk