Is a 357 mag snub worth it?

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If the BG is running away like a squirrel, you aren't allowed to shoot him in the back, and if he's 100yds away, you also probably couldn't justify the shot in any but the most contrived scenario.
Unless, of course, he was going to get his rifle, or tactically re-postioning himself to continue his attack.;)

I agree, long shots with handguns are probably not legitimately part of self-defense training.

But fast, accurate shooting, including drawing from concealment at close range are -- and you should consider a 90% degradation in performance when the chips are down. If you routinely draw and put 5 full-charge .357s in the kill zone in 2 seconds or less, consider you will be doing well to put one in the torso in a real fight. And that is why practice is essential -- the standard achieved in training has to be much higher than the minimum acceptable in a real fight.
 
it's more powerful beyond a doubt.

I think follow-up shots are more important, and I can do those faster with a .38.

Out of a full size revolver, .357 no question.
 
I think the answer to the original question is yes. I dont have any problem getting off a quick accurate follow up shot, so I will take the extra energy anytime.
 
I, too, have a Colt Magnum Carry .357 two-inch. Having tried other handles on it, the original Hogue rubbers are by far the best when it comes to performance.
In response to the velocity question, I recall my Speer 158gr Gold Dots departing at just about 1100fps from the MC. That's a lot.
I once challenged a serious Glock 17-shooting cohort to an impromptu IDPA match that we arranged to be six-shot neutral. (Twelve- or six-shot setups, mostly, so that the number of reloads was equal.) Since it was IDPA, I shot +P .38s, 158s at 820. Hey, it's a game.
Astonishingly, I actually beat him by a small margin, which made it my best day ever with a snub.
I actually did a no movement five-yard "Bill Drill" (still hate that name) out of the holster, 2.61 seconds, down one (point, in the IDPA parlance).
Way the best snub-shooting I'll ever, ever do.
I'm pretty crazy about snubs. I have a lot, mostly Colts. I shoot them a lot, and practice pretty hard. I have an older Detective Special that truly deserves the description "awesome". Fifty-yard ringers are not safe when it's around.
BUT!
I've never bothered carrying the Magnum Carry (when I'm in carry-legal places, of course). The flash and blast are indeed incredible. The joke about knocking the bad guy senseless has a bit of truth to it.
Here's what I know, by actually testing myself:
If I do a six-shot IDPA-style scenario or drill with both the MC and a Kahr MK40, I will do far better with the Kahr. Not so much faster, as my time will be only moderately better. But the hits will be much better.
Hits count. Plus, the Kahr's a .40 cal, and I do prefer bigger bullets as having a better chance of getting somewhere and doing something.
Yeah, I know this is the Revolver Forum. And really, more than half of my short guns are sixguns. I shoot them a real lot, including in competition (USPSA, IPDA, steel). Competition isn't a fight, but it's stressful and so offers a taste of pressure-testing.
I can't touch my 1911 scores with any sixgun, and I can't touch my Kahr scores with my Magnum Carry.
Believe me, it hurts to type that. Bad.
Bill (Not the drill)
 
Taurus 605

I have a Taurus 605 with a 3" barrel and factory Hogue grips. It shoots fine and the recoil is moderate.

I think people make a mistake wanting the lightweight .357s. The all steel 605 is a very comfortable weight for carrying and shooting. I think the 3" helps the velocity somewhat and probably reduces the recoil a bit too.

Normally I carry a .45 but in summer when I want something light and more easily concealed, the 605 gets the nod.

My wife has a Ladysmith .38 special with wood grips. It has more felt recoil than the Taurus with the rubber grips.

Ken
 
I have a Smith 640-1. Carrying an airweight in .357 is an act of masochism. I have carried mine since about 1996. The recoil is pretty punishing. I've used a variety of grips, but I always resort to the smallest one, which has been the Hogue two finger grip. I'm willing to compromise to keep the size down. What I do have to keep in mind though is when I shoot it, after the first round, the gun shifts back in my hand, pointing the muzzle up, and subsequent shots require me to point the muzzle further down, because I don't have that pinky wrapped around the bottom, as I would on a three finger grip.

I'm accurate enough with it. I practice with it. And my favorite round is the 145 grain Winchester Silvertip.
 
I am sure good 38spl +p round is plenty sufficient for most sd scenarios.

But to answer you original question "Is a 357 mag snub worth it?" - Hell, yes! The buck, the roar and the fireball of 5 full house 357 magnums fired rapidly from 640 or sp101 will get bg's full attention in a hurry. :eek:

MikeR
 
ammo performance in 2 inch barrels

Funny someone should ask about this....quite a while back (March 28, 2006 to be exact) The Geek With a .45 and I got into a discussion over 38 Special velocities, specifically Speer Short Barrel 38 Special loads, and I did some testing with both 38 Special and 357 magnum loads in various revolvers If anyone's interested, here's the link to the results:

http://geekwitha45.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_archive.html#114360002005993547
 
In a pocket gun, get a .38 and save some money. Lots of good .38 out there and it's plenty effective as a CCW. I have an SP101, but I find myself carrying a M85UL Taurus most of the time. I have plenty of confidence that the .38 is enough. It shoots straight, the main thing, and I have confidence in its penetration with 158 HP +Ps. .357, for me, is just too much in a 12 ounce gun.
 
If you are buying a new gun, the price is the same for a .38 or a .357. Might as well get the .357 and give yourself more options and a higher resale price if you eventually want to sell it.

I agree that 12 ounce gun is too light for serious ammo. I'd much rather have another 8-10 ounces.

Ken
 
I also have the 605 Tarus. Excellent ccw. I placed a set of Crimson Trace laser grips on it. Very effective cc platform. I perfer to run 125grain bullets through it.

.357 snubby worth it? In my book it is.

Peace
ST~
 
Depends on how much pain you like. I have shoot full load 357s out of an SP101, and it was painful. I would hate to think what a 13oz gun would fell like.

It really boils down to this: If you can reliably hit your target in a vital area with whatever you are shooting, then you have a good CCW gun. If you can't, it doesn't matter what you are shooting.
 
Pain is relative, and it can depend on how a gun fits the hand. I have skinny hands. I would rather fire a 180-grain Federal Castcore .357 from an SP101 than a standard velocity .38 from an Airlite Ti J-frame. The J concentrates recoil in the base joint of my thumb; the SP101 does not. The J leaves an injury that last several weeks; the SP101 only causes minor discomfort at the moment of shooting, then everything is OK. The only cure for the J-frame is a huge rubber grip that covers the backstrap, but then I have a huge snubby that sticks to my clothes, making it difficult to conceal. I sold the Airlite, though I kept my Airweight. Obviously, your results may vary. One factor: hold the snubby HIGH on the backstrap. Most people who try my revolvers hold too low on the grip, which increases muzzle flip, and therefore hurts more.
 
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