Which would you carry between a 357, 5 shot snubby, or a 9mm single stack 7 round pistol

Been debating a S&W 442 for around house carry and then began reading how .38 SPL +P was uncomfortable to shoot. If getting some 50 round sessions was uncomfortable in the 442, I'd likely not find this package workable for myself to become proficient. If +P .38 SPL from the 442 feels like a .357, that's not a direction I can see taking. Maybe the Shield or other sub compact 9mm, the HK P2000SK is what I'd really like. The 9mm Star Firestar has been great though recently it has had some extraction issues so I have relegated that as a range plinker with the hope of finding a replacement.

 

neither. .45, condition one

 

With the great improvement in 9mm Luger in the last few years, I'd pick a small 9mm auto with 7+1 on board vs a 5 round revolver.

Personally, I carry a 9mm Shield, with a S&W 340, loaded with 38 Spl, as a backup.

Mike

 

I have a airweight 642 pro, that has a moon clip. So I have a quicker reload than a speedloader option. I like it for pocket carry. I can point shoot it and hit the torso target regularly at 5 yards. I look at it as a belly/point shooter.
Just picked up a smoking deal on a Taurus 85 I want to use for a boat gun, as I go late and sometimes I'm all alone at the landing coming in after the bass quit biting.

Now I am becoming interested in a small 9 to carry for my trips to the metro hot zones.

 

I'd go with a stainless revolver for reliability and carry at a pool.

 

I carry Two J-Frames all day most every day. I tried a lot of semi-Autos over the years but always cam back to the Snubs. When I want a little bigger gun I add the 7-Shot Taurus. Most of the time it's Two off the J's.

 

Mine has probably the worst possible grips for it (from a comfort perspective). I have some compact Eagle Secret Service style boot grips (may actually be Eagle, they were a special edition of the 442 a few years ago that came from the factory like that). They look great. They conceal incredibly well. But for range time, there is little to grab onto. They do indeed feel very similar when shooting defensive +P to shooting .357mag out of a steel frame snub. You can get rubber, or more hand filling wood boot grips and be better off, or get "combat" style grips and be much better off. Still, it will never be comfortable at the range. I think 9mm is a much better choice in the small guns (at least if you don't go too light), though if you want a .38 snub, go steel. It is still easily pocketable (except in the thin cloth of a pair of dress pants) and much easier to handle with +P loads.

 

Have you tried old G26. The standard capacity is 10 cartridges and aftermarket Dead Ringer tritium iron sights are only $50. Standard reload is 17 cartridge magazine.

 

I have a G26 with 4 G26 Mags, 4 G19 Mags, and 4G17 Mags. I installed Tro Glow Night Sights. It's ok, I like my J Frames better.

 

I would carry the S&W Shield with Apex trigger and action enhancement kit + night sights. 8-9 rounds, shoots quite well, quick reload, thin all the way through no cylinder protruding, short grip

 

The 5 shot .357 snub.

Titanic stopping power, the .357 is the greatest manstopper yet ever invented. It is a one shot stopper on any human. The snub is also ungodly reliable and unfailing under all circumstances.

The 9mm single stack is a peashooter. Sorry, but even with modern JHP round, it still PALES in comparison to the .357 magnum. Also reliability is extremely poor and will fail you in the most important times thanks to Murphy.



Jk LOL, I'd pick a good single stack 9mm over a .357 snub every day of the week. Nearly the same ballistically, greater mag capacity, much faster reloading, often less recoil, thinner and easier to carry, the list goes on. Too many good single stack 9mms to even bother with a .357 magnum snub nose revolver.

 

Appreciate your perspective, that give-take process among these. 9mm for practice is reasonable, the 38 SPL is in that $.28-$.35/round pricing. Granted this isn't a plinking gun to run the round count up though. To remain proficient regular practice comes in so there is some cost factor among the various considerations.

 

My EDC is a 9mm Sig P938 Extreme with extended (7 rd) mag.

 

You'd actually consider carrying a sissy 9mm or a wussy 5-shot obsolete gun with that round thing in the middle?!?!? Oh my lord, the ice caps are going to melt! Don't you love your family?!?! Okay, I am just kidding.

Honestly, I think everyone has hit on the good advice of "Carry whichever you shoot best and are most comfortable with". I have carried both types. Heck, sometimes I still stick my Dad's old Model 37 Smith J-Frame in my pocket if I am running up to the local convenience store for a "Daddy, we're out of milk" trip. You really can't beat the 38, 9mm, 40, 45, 357 ammo available today in premium defensive loadings and the practical difference between them is negligible at best. We truly are living in the best of times for ammunition/gun combinations that were unheard of as recently as 20 years ago.

When I went to the academy WAY back in the late 80's our department was a revolver department. We were issued a K-Frame Smith Model 19, and tradition was that the family bought us a J-Frame snubby for graduation, so I am comfortable with the wheelgun. I still shoot them in IDPA BUG matches on occasion, though I also shoot my favorite 9mm compact, the Kahr CM9 too. I am a Glock man as I have carried one on and off duty for 25 year plus a couple now...but daggum if I don't really like the Kahr as a compact single stack, followed by the Shield, then the Glock 43. I know, blasphemy and heresy, but I think it just proves that it's all about what you function with best.

Be safe.

 

I would never rely upon the possibility of a "one shot stop".[/QUOTE]



Yea, i would hope nobody would. It appeared to be a joke.

 

I wouldn't bother with a snubbie .357 unless it were loaded with the old.38+p SWCHP FBI loads.

 

There are people who an shoot snub nose revolvers well. I read about them all the time on the internet, but have never seen one of these people in person. I am not one of these people. I find snub nose revolvers much more difficult to get hits with, especially follow up shots, and especially with 357 magnum.

Overall, of just about any gun you can name, I would rather have it than a snub nose revolver. I dislike them with a passion.

 

The one that I shoot the best with!

 

I wonder, how many people actually shoot a snub revolver better than a semi auto. A lot will depend on what the person normally shoots and the specific gun, but, I bet the vast majority will shoot the semi auto better

 

There are a lot of people who shoot snub nose revolvers well on the internet, but in close to 40 years of shooting, I have never met one of these people in the real world. I am sure they are there, and would love to meet some day.

 

I would take a 7 shot snub by 357, by taurus .

 

If you're ever in Wichita look me up, I'm a fair shot with a snub, although I shoot autos well too.

 

Snubbie. It's lighter and smaller than most single stacks. It is also as reliable as a hammer and well suited for pocket carry. BG380 makes for a good pocket carry too.
My theory is that any gun in your pocket is better than the double stack you left in the safe.