sub 3 inch barrel .357's

[glock_17_4U]

I want to know if u guys think a .357 with less than a 3 inch barrel is a waste,I ask because I read that the FBI did a study and found .357 couldn't achieve proper velocity(meaning .357 velocity) out of less than a 3 inch barrel.

 

[jfh]

I suspect that the study you cite is older--got a link?

Yes, it is harder to obtain ".357 velocity" out of short barrels. However, improvements to bullet design (beginning in the 90s) have also enabled satisfactory SD ammo performance at velocities well below the (fabled) .357 125-gr. full house loads.

The most popular example of the new designs is the Gold Dot Short Barrel 135-gr. loads in either 38+P or .357. That 135-gr JHP shouldn't be driven much over 1000 fps, else fragmentation occurs--and the .357 load just touches that area from a 3" barrel.

Personally, I carry lightweight revolvers--and I willingly give up the .357 sturm und drang of the traditional loads for lower recoil, less flash, and quicker recovery with more accuracy.

Jim H.

 

[Marvin KNox]

Check out:

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/38vs357snub.htm

and

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/can_less_be_more.htm

and perhaps

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Corbon 357 Magnum 125 gr DPX Ammo.htm

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

A .357 load will be slowed down from its full potential by a short barrel, but it will still hit with more authority than any .38 Special because it has greater power to start with. With some loads - especially some of the 125-grain JHPs - you will get considerable muzzle blast.

 

[BlindJustice]

I have a MOdel 60 S&W 3" Bbl. .357 Mag. and
as a carry SD/HD load I use .38 SPecial +P 125 gr.
SPeer Gold dots. Less muzzle flash, and more contrllable
than .357 Mag 125 gr. same Speer 125 gr.

I also looked at a link where some guys cut down a barrel
of a T/C Contender in 1" increments from 18" to 2" and
the .357 Mag with a snub 2" Barrel and 125 gr. bullets is
about the same velocity as a sub compact 9mm luger 124 gr.
and when you consider J-frames are 5 shoooters and many
sub-compact 9mm luger semi-autos are double stack
with 10 or more rds in the magazine. well, do the math....


Here's the link....

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/results.html


That said, there are some offerings by SPeer and
CorBon that come to mind which are designed for
short barreled platforms with very fast burring powder
and something in the powder to minimize muzzle flash.

Best,

Randall

 

[Walkalong]

Nope. I shot some 125's today that clocked an Avg 1290FPS from this one. That is not a max load either.

Flash and bang were not bad at all. (jfh could probably guess which powder )

 

[Shadan7]

Well, as others have said, the .357 shooting modern ammo is an impressive round out of even a short barrel, and I'd consider it more than adequate for self defense. But it's really a matter of what you shoot well - competency will trump power. I can shoot my 642 better than a similarly sized 9mm, so tend to carry that when I want a small gun.

That said, you'll usually find me with a larger gun in either .45 or .357 Sig.

Cheers!

7

 

[madcratebuilder]

The limitations of a short barrel can be overcome to a point with the proper powder and bullet choice.

 

[hoptob]

Buffalo Bore offers 357 mag load (19D) with 125 gr. JHP reaching 1470 fps in 3" bbl. No waste of caliber here!

Mike

 

[jfh]

3" barrel / 38S / 1290 fps 125grs--

"...jfh could probably guess which powder."​

Alright, I will bite: even though I have not done much 125-gr work. My first guess is True Blue--but I really want to say Power Pistol.

Jim H.

 

[Rexster]

Why does every errornet rumor sooner or later find itself being labeled an "FBI" study?

The .357 never loses its velocity edge over a .38 +P, regardless of the barrel length. It may well become too irritating to the shooter at some point, of course. Selection of optimium powders helps, too, of course.

It also helps to select the gun that fits the hand best. I have found that the SP101 handles recoil better for me than my larger and heavier 4" Speed Six, because the SP101 recoils into the center of my palm, and kicks upward relatively little, whereas the Speed Six recoils ino the web of my hand as it kicks upward.

My GP100s handle recoil well for me, too, but I have no desire to start sawing their barrels to experiment.

 

[Rexster]

FWIW, guys on other forums, who have choronographs, have indicated that 145-grain Silvertips lose proportionally less velocity than some other factory 125-grain and 158-grain loads, especially the 125s. I am not referring to the newer, milder stuff, but higher-pressure loads. This is older info, and I can't cite the source, but I remember confirming this by poring through old magazine articles.

That info, plus real-world use of Silvertips by Texas lawmen and Border Patrol guys, is why I still use Silvertips as an alternate load for some of my revolvers, when I don't want to use 125s or 180s for whatever reason.

 

[S&Wfan]

The truly classic S&W Model 19 has been carried, and loved, by several decades of law enforcement and civilian handgunners . . . and for good reasons:

Compact but accurate,
Great balance and "pointability,"
Excellent balance of "toteability" and sufficient weight too, and
Fine results!

Many a BG has taken a permanent dirt nap from a .357 Magnum bullet launched from one of these . . .

Heck, I generally carry .38 Special 158 gn. LSWC-HP +P in mine. It does quite well too historically!

 

[2ndamd]

My 2.25" SP101s shoot Federal's 125 grn load for an avg of about 1230 fps. I tested this a few years ago with a buddy who had a chrono.