Is .357 Magnum Good for Home Defense? CCW?

[RaceM]

Nothing wrong with 38 for up close & personal. Firing anything indoors and unprotected (ears) over 22 cal is gonna suck. If there's more intruders than you have rounds then you're probably screwed. Only thing that'd cover all the bases is a suppressed 9 mil SMG. Otherwise, pick your weapon, train hard on it.

I pack a 6" GP100 all day, every day. You get used to the weight and miss it when it's not there. My HD load is a cylinder full of 38 wadcutters, 2 speedloaders with mixed 158 gr wadcutters & hollowpoints in 357. But that's only to buy me time to get at the 12 GA.

 

[jrdolall]

A 357 should be fine for HD. As good as any revolver I know of though I have never fired a 45 revolver. Remote controlled mini-guns with silencers mounted inside the entryways would be better. There are more powerful guns and guns with more rounds available so that is always a question. I have never fired a gun at a nighttime intruder(daytime either) but, if I do, I will not factor the decibels into my calculations nor will I put on earphones prior to engaging the BGs. If your eyes are adjusted to the dark then virtually any gun you fire is going to ruin your night vision unless you put on dark safety goggles when you put on the headphones. I have a Colt Trooper .357 for HD as well as a S&W 9mm and my wife has her new S&W 642 with laser grips. The Trooper was my father's and I have had it loaded in my BR for 30 years or so. If the BG/BGs get through that then we are just in a FUBAR, Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition

 

[340PD]

1. Noise
2. Flash
3. unnecessary recoil (tough followup shots)
4. over penetration
All add up to a no way for me and I have a half dozen of them.

 

[edwin41]

hello
i dont think a .357 magnum would be a good caliber for home defence.
a full power magnum will at such a short range shoot right through the
"bad guy " , and probably through many other things.
i believe that is what they call overpenetrating.

the good thing is that . 357 magnum revolvers can also be shot with .38 spec.
for indoor homedefence a .38 spec wadcutter would be a far better stopper.
loaded on the light side to ensure that most energie would be transferred
to the target.

just my way of thinking though , i am not an expert

 

[M-Cameron]

You know..... Everyone complains about the flash of the 357.....but honestly, I barely notice it when I'm shooting( and yes, I've done low light shooting)....it wasn't until I saw a video my buddy took that I actually saw how big it was.


From what I've been told is that the brain can mentally "flinch" so you aren't blinded by the light ( and no, this isn't a psychical flinch )


As for the sound...you're not going to have time to put hearing protection on, and any gun shot is going to cause damage....heck, most police officers who have had to use their weapons report not hearing much of a sound at all...it's just not where your focus is at


As for it's effectiveness, well .357 is considered to be a standard for self defense....It is more than effective as a HD/ SD round

 

[willypete]

Flash and penetration are both ammo subjective. Those of you who are worried about those two issues should read up on your ammo. There are several varieties of .357 Magnum ammo that are both flash-suppressed and designed to penetrate roughly 12-14" in humans.

Just because something has "Magnum" in the name does not mean it's Thor's Hammer, despite what the marketing types would have you believe.

 

[CSA 357]

i love the 357 magnum, but a 12 ga shotgun is what i use for a house gun, yea i know its long and bulky, but with 7 rnds of #4 buck it outguns any handgun!

 

[Doug S]

I would think that in a defensive situation, you aren't even going to notice the recoil, or noise. You'll have too much other stuff on your mind. As a point of reference, have you every shot a deer? In my experience, whenever I've shot a deer, the noise from the high powered rifle was only slightly noticable as a distant sound, and I notice no recoil. The only thing I'm not sure about is the flash. I've never shot one in the dark, and I don't know if it would have a real world effect on you vision if you needed a followup shot.

 

[pmeisel]

My Python was my go to for years. And it still is if I am worried about trouble. It's not too big or too heavy unless I am wearing shorts or a swimsuit , then I have to downsize some.

 

[CDR_Glock]

I have a Smith and Wesson 8 shot Model 627 4" for home plus a couple of 12 Ga. shotguns.

357 is highly effective but 12 Gauge 00 Buck is devastating.


Lifetime NRA Member

 

[mljdeckard]

It's perfect. Until you shoot it.

It may well be the loudest gun you will ever shoot. You get the noise from the cylinder gap as well as the muzzle, which is way to close to your ears. I suppose it's better to be alive and deaf than dead.

 

[Jeff F]

deleated

 

[Jeff F]

Unless you plan to shoot through barriers which is horrible idea or plan to use .38 or .38+P loads then NO. The 686 is pretty much a range toy might as well get N-framed .44Mag and use magnum or special loads as needed. The .45Auto revolver is horrible idea.

Why do you say a .45 acp revolver is horrible idea?

 

[4thHorseman]

Just a note about the comments about you will not notice the noise in a defensive situation. That may be true, you may not notice the noise, but that does not negate the damage to the inner ear from the noise.
JMHO

 

[rockhound758]

Para, I think there are big differences in using it in CCW and HD roles. I've got a 4-inch GP100 which I absolutely love, but I shudder at the thought of touching that thing off in the middle of the night when I've been awakened suddenly from a deep sleep. Granted, the XDM .40 (with Ranger 155 JHPs) that I keep for HD isn't a lot better, but as at least one poster mentioned, the muzzle flash and noise will be significant unless you're really careful with round selection. Regardless of whether you "notice" at the time or not you'll likely cause damage to your ears. It sounds like you want revolver vs. a semiauto, but what about just finding some really good rounds for your .38? As much as I hate to try and suggest a fellow gun guy NOT get a new gun have you thought about efficacious rounds for the .38 that would serve you in both roles?

 

[Doug S]

4thhorsemen,

Good point. Still, that would be true of any caliber, even the lowly 22lr. I'm just saying I wouldn't pick by defensive caliber based on how loud it is.

 

[Owen Sparks]

Most gun fights happen in low light conditions and a bright flash will distroy your night vision. I use a shotgun.

 

[Confederate]

The .357 is an outstanding travel gun as it can put holes in tires, cars and trucks. It can also put them in people, which is where you ultimately want them to go if you're being physically threatened. In the 30s when they were developed, highway patrolmen were mighty impressed when they saw that it could do all these things. Their .38s were loaded with mostly with heavy, round-nosed bullets that tended to deflect off of car bodies and glass at certain angles, and bounced off car and truck tires. But eventually when .38s were developed to puncture car doors and windows, the .357 evolved into a super man-stopper (especially with a 125gr or 140gr JHP). The problem was, the .357 tends to be awfully violent and loud. And while it's great at stuffing a body bag, it's not good for home self defense. On the road or travel rest stops, they're great. But at the ol' homestead, make mine a .38 Special or even a .22LR Ruger auto! When I see those Ruger autos rapid fired with pinpoint accuracy, I have no doubt but that it'll do the job.

There are many decent home defense calibers, but the .357 ain't one of them (unless you have Sasquatch roaming around your living room). That said, a good .357 4-inch or less in barrel length is a perfect self defense weapon. It shoots mild .38 rounds around the house and .357 piledrivers for camping, hiking and road travel.




A good light-weight .357 like the old Ruger Security-Six is the perfect
choice for both home defense and camping and hiking. Just change from
.38s to .357s and back again!

 

[thefamcnaj]

I my honest opinion the .357 is a no go on home defense as well a carry.
I had a ruger sp101 2 inch bbl and it was a fine revolver. After a few range outings with it, I was turned off to the caliber.
1) I couldn't hit anything with it.
2) I live in a sub division where I can reach out and touch my neighbor, and I have 2 kids in my home. So over penetration was a big concern for me. That is not a round I'd want to miss with because I"m responsible for any and everything that bullet may hit once I've fired it.
3) Fast follow up shots were out of the question. Just wasn't happening for me.
4) I'm not a camping or hunting type of person, which is where that caliber would be most needed.
5) Lastly I feel like if I shot the sp101:groggy, at night, indoors, with that muzzle flash that after the first shot I'd be so dissoriented that I'd no longer be able to defend my home.
Just my own conclusion, for what does and does not work for me after having had a .357

 

[JShirley]

A lot of people, many of them forum members here, misunderstand the velocity/expansion relationship. This is a shame, because there are numerous, repeatable tests out there, but I guess it's easier to just spout misinformation than take a few minutes to do some research, or test it yourself. Here is what Hornady has to say about this relationship. They've been making bullets for over 60 years, so they actually do know what they're talking about.

In general, high velocity + light weight expanding rounds equals less penetration. The .357 with 110-grain hollow-points will be one of the least penetrating but effective handgun rounds you can find. Further, a 4" barrel L frame will have the weight to control recoil, and allow rapid accurate follow-up shots.

If you have a high-speed rifle cartridge loaded with expanding, lightweight rounds, it will be the most effective firearm at immediately stopping a lethal (human) threat with the least chance of overpenetration. Further, lightweight, high-speed expanding bullets will be much more likely to break up in case of missing the target- again, making their use less of a liability than traditional heavy, slow handgun rounds. (Use ear pro, though!)

By contrast, relatively heavy, slow handgun rounds like 9x19mm and .45 ACP will be much more likely to overpenetrate your attacker or penetrate very far through building structures in case of a miss. This phenomenon is one of the major reasons most well-funded SWAT teams have gone to 5.56x45mm carbines instead of the movie-cool submachine gun.

John

 

[USSR]

...I do not load my revolvers with .357 Magnum ammo for HD. In the house the revolvers are loaded with the FBI Load. (158gr LSWC/HP .38 Special +P)

+1. Simply no need for .357 Magnum ammo for HD or SD purposes. I cast my own HP bullets and load them to .38 Spl +P pressure levels. The nice thing about casting your own hollowpoints is, you can play with the amount of expansion and penetration you will get at a particular velocity level by varying the alloy you use.

Don

 

[Paladin7]

I really like the 357 and have quite a few 357 revolvers, but would not recommend using 357 defensive loads for HD. If your preference is for a revolver, I think you would be better off with 38 spl LSWCHP +P or a 45 or 44 special.

The main problems I see are...

1. Noise in an enclosed space (i.e. your bedroom, etc.)

357magnum defensive loads touched off in an enclosed space when you are not wearing hearing protection can and will do a lot of damage to your hearing.

2. Muzzle Flash

In a defensive scenario in low light, this is an issue for target acquisition. I'm told there are better load choices today that limit flash, so if this is your intent, you need to choose your load wisely, but remember point 1.

3. Over penetration

This is a real problem. 357 defensive loads are a proven man stopper. But what happens when you miss and they hit drywall, etc.? It's a good idea to test your load against the typical barriers you find in your home to see what happens. You are personally responsible for every bullet you fire.

Those are my thoughts, ymmv...

 

[JShirley]

This is a real problem. 357 defensive loads are a proven man stopper. But what happens when you miss and they hit drywall, etc.?

See my post barely above yours. Lightweight, high-speed expanding rounds are less of a hazard than slower, heavier ones: the 158-grain .38 Special will penetrate more than a quality .357 110-grain round. Some defensive gurus think the .357/110 load doesn't penetrate enough.

 

[dprice3844444]

good 357 135 gr speer will change his socks.when it hits the fan,you will not notice the flash.you want the intrusion to stop NOW.center mass shots are preferred.the flash is so quick,your eyes will not react to the light from the flash because you are on an adrenaline rush.

 

[Paladin7]

JShirley, exactly my point... testing your ammunition is key.