Snub nose revolvers - .357 vs 38 special

I had a 2 inch barrel Colt Lawman and it seldom left the house. Too heavy to carry regularly.

I have an old model Colt Cobra which is always with me. That is the alloy frame Detective model. Non +P 158 grain SWCJHP cartridges.

Now, if I ever am unfortunate enough to really need them, I will probably wish that .357 was in my hand. Compromises, compromises for practicality.

 

Lucky Gunner released a bunch of data on the .357 and .38 using ballistics gelatin. You might be surprised at the results.

 

I just got my first pair of suspenders......

 

I just recently purchased my first pair. It is a big change for me.... have not worn them yet to try out. I got them mostly for work in the summer when it's hot where I do a lot of bending and so forth. I'm not really heavy, but my waist line and butt seems to have gone somewhere else.

 

As someone who owns a 3" SP101 and a couple of other lighter weight 2" guns, I'm of the opinion there is a pretty big difference in felt recoil between the SP101 and the light weights. 27.2 oz versus 17.1 makes a real difference.

Personally despite owning a number of snubs, for defensive use I have come to GREATLY prefer a single stack 9x19 if I need something in that size range. Among the snubs I prefers the 357s for the versatility. I also would rather shoot 38 +p level loads out of the heavier gun.

 

Yep - no longer synchronized......

 

I appreciate what you're saying; however, one of the main reasons 'Why' students I've trained end up shooting as well as they do is because I teach them to work with rather than to fixate upon recoil. In this way I've been able to, either, negate or significantly reduce 'perceived recoil' for many of the people I've taught how to use a pistol. (Myself included!)

 

I'm not saying one can't shoot either one of them adequately well. I'm just saying that there is definitely a difference. What has been your experience either personal or amongst your students with the types of guns being discussed when doing drills on a shot timer. Maybe there is someone who can put down the same times and accuracy in challenging drills with an 11.2 ounce scandium .357 and a 3" SP101 shooting true magnum loads in each. Maybe you are that guy. I'm genuinely impressed if you can. I'd wager that most people simply can't though. I'm interested to hear what your experiences is in terms of the quantifiable difference is however.

 

A 357 Magnum revolver is by its: nature, firing characteristics, and double-action platform ALWAYS slower firing than a typical semi-auto. Even the highly tuned PPC revolvers I've used are, still, slower to fire and more difficult to tightly aim in 357 than they are in 38 Special.

This is NOT an 'apples for apples' comparison. Which, as I've indicated, is not to say that a shooter cannot learn to live well with a 357 Magnum revolver in his hand. It can be done!

The main reasons 'Why' I stopped carrying the several 357's Magnums I own is because the rate-of-fire, while still quite manageable, is definitely slower; and I wasn't comfortable with the thought of having to use the revolver platform in order to engage multiple targets, simultaneously.

One-on-one, even one-on-two, I think I could handle; and, I know plenty of other shooters who can say the same; but, rapid fire of repetitive shots won't be as quick; you're going to have to stop to reload more often; and a shooter has to do a lot of practice in order to keep his groups nice 'n tight and inside COM.

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me shooting 357 Magnum rounds in my all stainless S&W Pro Series 640 J-frame.

Note the recoil snap... Yes, I can shoot Magnum rounds through it, but I generally carry it with 38+P rounds.

Edmo

 

Yes, and never do like they do in the movies and fire a .357 from the inside of your overcoat pocket. (Not unless you want to go up like a Roman candle!) The round from a snubby will do much more harm than from a .38 Spc +P. It will penetrate car bodies, tires and if it connects with a human being, it can knock him on his ass. I have an SP-101 with a 2.5-inch barrel and I've never fired it. I replaced the factory grips with Pachmayr Compacs. Can someone tell me how good they'll work with this gun?



The Ruger SP-101 is a small gun, but the Pachmayr
Compacts (seen above) should make it easier to
shoot when loaded with hot magnum loads. The
3-inch Security-Six (inset) holds one additional
round. Both guns shown are 3-inchers. I'm willing
to take the extra weight for the additional round.
Would you?

 

My normal carry load in snub 357s (like my 640-1 or 2 1/2" M66) is the Golden Sabre 125 gr 357Magnum.

This is one of the reduced velocity loads and has noticeably less muzzle blast than the standard 125gr or 158 gr loads. FWIW, I prefer it (in steel frames) to 38+P's out of any alloy frame 2" 38Special.

In 38Special, the old 158gr LSWCHP still does fine, just like the newer designed 135gr +P loads. And the 38Wadcutter has no recoil & should shoot to aim; I've loaded these while recovering from hand or forearm owies.

I definitely prefer all steel frames for shooting.

And the right set of grips makes a huge difference in recoil & accuracy.

 

I am, but the 3" Speed Six is super hard to find. I've been looking for a second for a while now. Perfect concealed belt revolvers though. Mine will be better once my groups from Herrett's show up!

 

Usually .38 Special revolvers are little smaller and a little less money than .357 revolvers. So a bit more concealable and more budget focused. Both seem adequate for self defense if you use +P 38 ammo.

 

As much as I enjoy the SP-101 as they are, I'd like to see them with 4-inch barrels. While it's true that the .357 round is a powerhouse out of any revolver, it doesn't really begin to shine until it hits the 4-inch barrel length. Walking trails where bear and cougars are part of the wildlife, I'd like a gun with as much power as I could get. The difference between a 2.25-inch barrel and a 3-inch is negligible, but when it hits 4 inches, it gets more serious. A 4-incher (sans underlug) would be ideal.

 

I would choose a heavier, 6-shot gun for that. The only reason I like my 4" SP101 is because it carries 6 rounds of 32s from SWL up to 327 Fed Mag.

 

You mean this one? Granted you're still stuck with the underlug. Actually I think the .327 with the 4.2" barrel is probably a wicked woods gun. I bet you get 1600 fps out of it. Not so much for bears, but even the .357 is kind of marginal for that.

 

The lcr or lcrx are both good carry guns, handle recoil well and are not "overpriced" for what you are getting. I also like the taurus 617 not currently in production but might be found used

 

The Taurus® Mdl 617SS2 357 Magnum is still in production and is listed on both the Taurus® website ( http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=260&category=Revolver&toggle=&breadcrumbseries= ) and their 2017 catalog.

 

Do you know where to get one, I have call all the shops in my area and no one has it, not even the guys on the taurus site that are suppose to be dealers near me.

 

http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/

 

I know every one seems to knock Rossi but I purchased their .357 snub in stainless for my edc , and I am extremely pleased with it's performance . It's just heavy enough to know you have something , and light enough to carry ! It holds 6 fits a j frame holster and felt much better than all the others I handled as far as trigger pull , and quality of construction.
I put enough lead downrange to trust it , and for a snubby, with 38 +p and light .357's it is fairly accurate .