.357 vs .38

[AFJailor]

Sorry for creating yet again another post :(

My brother wants a revolver for his CHL and asked me my opinon, he then asked me what caliber etc. He brought up something that i couldnt answer: If you can shoot a .38 out of a .357, why even bother getting a weapon that can only fire .38's?

I wasnt really sure what to tell him because i shoot .38's out of my gp100 all the time and dont notice any loss of accuracy or anything. So what is the drawback of shooting .38's from a .357, anyone know?

[AEA]

My thought would be that the weight of the gun would be heavier for a .357/.38 pistol. At least my SP-101 .357 Snubbie was a lot heavier than my Colt Detective Special in .38.

Also, there are people (like females) that know they do not want to shoot .357 so why pay the premium for one?

[Moonpie]

38's are built lightweight compared to the .357.

There are no problems with firing .38's in a .357.

With good quality modern ammo a +P .38 is a fine defensive round.
The .357 is overkill really.

[razoraggie]

AEA hit the nail on the head.

Basically it's a weight and recoil issue. Nothing that I have ever come across states it is "bad" to fire .38spl from your .357. It's actually conveinent if you ask me. My wife carries a .38 snubby and has fired .357 nad does not like the flash or the recoil. I personally like the .357 mag and also carry .357 sig.

A little off from your question, but encourage your friend to take his class with a semi-auto for the mere sake of being able to choose later on down the road. No sense in being limited in what you can carry.

[frankie_the_yankee]

Some people maintain that 38's shot in a 357 are less accurate because when the bullet leaves the case is travels through a little more "freebore" in the cylinder before engaging the forcing cone. I have no idea if this is true or not, nor if true, how significant it is. But from my own experience with both 38 cal. guns and 357 cal. guns, the effect seems to be quite small.

I hold an expert rating in NRA bullseye, and I am no where near a good enough shot to discerne any difference.

One "advantage" of a 357 cal. gun is that you can be sure it will last almost forever shooting the much lighter 38 spl. loads.

[pastor1]

I agree with the above comment. It also causes a residue build-up low in the cylinder (if not cleaned often) that can make it harder to chamber .357 rounds. Were I to buy one of those titanium revolvers that weigh only 12 oz., I would only fire .38 ammo in it however. I heard of a PO that broke a bone in his hand while firing several boxes of full power .357 loads in one. I've also heard of the safety on the S&W titatnium revolvers breaking during the use of .357 loads, rendering the weapon useless.

[JLaw]

I agree with the above comment. It also causes a residue build-up low in the cylinder (if not cleaned often) that can make it harder to chamber .357 rounds.

pastor1 beat me to this one. Not a drawback per say, just takes a little extra time cleaning up the cylinder.

In my opinion all the factors have been stated above. I think the .38 Spl still has a very dominant role in the snub market, because it is more controlable to shoot than light weight .357's and it's an easily maintainable weapon. While .38 Spl may not make much sense to some in larger weapons like a S&W K frame, I think that's where the .38 Spl shines. But that's only my opinion, not based on any fact.

And with the ammo available today, you will be well armed carrying a .38 Spl firearm with +P loads. (I do most all of the time.)

But hey, if he wants a .357 Mag, he will enjoy that as much as well.

JLaw

[AFJailor]

wow, thanks for all the info guys i really appreciate it.

[lrb111]

additionally, he can practice with .38, but pack full house .357 for carry. That's very common.

[HankB]

My thought would be that the weight of the gun would be heavier for a .357/.38 pistol. At least my SP-101 .357 Snubbie was a lot heavier than my Colt Detective Special in .38.

I think my 340Sc .357 is lighter than your Colt DS. (Five instead of six shots, though.)

I see little reason to buy a .38 when a .357 is available in the same package. If nothing else, you can shoot a lot - and I mean a LOT - of "+P" .38 specials out of the .357 without any fear of it shooting loose.

And . . . you still have the option of shooting .357s.

[Greybeard]

I've got the S&W 340PD (.357) and really like the "options" with it. But, typically it's carried with two or three .38+Ps keyed up first, then .357s. At last gun show these "ultra light" 12 to 13 ounce .357's were going for around $700.

For many people, however, I suggest looking hard at the 15 ounce 442 or 642. They are "only" 38+P rated - but around $100 per ounce less expensive (new)

[Nazrat]

I carry my S&W 642 in my front pocket. It is lighter and easier to carry in a pocket than any other weapon that I have found. It is my always carry gun. The weight and concealability of it are outstanding.

.38 special may be a dead end weapon for some but for many of us .38 special is all that is required for a BUG.

[rkhal]

The .357 is overkill really.

No, 38+p is still not as powerful as 357 mag.

[Doug.38PR]

.357 magnum guns are typically heavier, bulkier and have adjustable sights (not all) that can get knocked out of alignment. They handle better with larger grips due to the recoil, but the tradeoff of that is that you just added a lot more weight and bulk to your gun.

.38 Spl have less recoil, less weight, less bulk and can do just fine with standard grips. If you want to have hot loads, the .38 Spl. can still handle some pretty serious stuff (Buffalo Bore .38Spl+P for example) that are basically low end Magnums.

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Humb ... pecial.htm

interesting article