357 Magnum versus 38 Special

[minux]

Good morning, all.

Do you all think everyone should own a revolver or is a semi automatic best? Trying to think about family members who may have trouble loading a semi automatic magazine.

What is everyone's thoughts on using a 357 Magnum or 38 Special for Defense and Target Practice? Which one would be considered better and why? Is there a huge difference in ammunition costs between the 357 Magnum and 38 Special?

I know folks who were FED LEOs in the 70s all swear by the 357s, but is that due to what they knew or something else?

Thank you.

 

[teratos]

A defensive gun is always a trade off. It’s a compromise of size, weight, and stopping power. .38 SPL has a very long history. It’s a reasonable self-defense round. .357 has more stopping power. If you choose to use a revolver as a carry gun, a .38 is adequate. I would look for something in .357. You can shoot .38 SPL at the range. Use .357 for defense. .357 Is a bit more expensive.

In the home, I’d not recommend a revolver at home. A wise man once said, to paraphrase, the purpose of a pistol is to fight your way to a rifle. For HD, I’d go AR. Good hunting/HD ammo. Shotgun with buckshot/purpose built HD ammo is reasonable as well.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Some generalizations to consider, without trying to write volumes.

Without delving into one's possible physical limitations, I would suggest that a semi automatic can be a great tool for those dedicated enough to invest the time and the training to become proficient in its usage. Short of that investment, the inherent simplicity and reliability of a revolver can be arguably more advantageous for many individuals.

Remember that a revolver chambered in .357 Magnum can utilize .38 Special ammunition. The reverse is not true. That said, there can be reasons to purposely choose .38 Special chambering, and/or .38 Special ammunition.

 

[Tebonski]

For decades most cops carried a 5 shot .38 Special off duty.

Compact and reliable. Made for close and fast.

Reliable is the most important thing for a self defense gun.

Revolvers are more reliable than semi automatics.

You can take a Smith and Wesson .38 revolver load it with quality ammo, store it on top of you china cabinet and 50 years later it will still work.

 

[minux]

You all are awesome - so much to consider

 

[joppaj]

Any time we have this discussion, I always ask what the family member in question thinks. Do they even want a gun? Would they use one?

To answer your question, others have nailed it. Get the .357 revolver and much of your practice can be with .38 spl.

 

[[Kev308]]

If you can learn how to open a cylinder and load a revolver you can learn how to stuff a magazine into a pistol and rack the slide.

If you’re concerned about fumbling with a safety on a semi auto pistol, just get a striker fired 9mm like a Glock (that only has a trigger safety) and store it in a holster with the trigger covered. Then you and your family decide wether it is stored with a round chambered or not.

Like others have said, if you go the revolver route, get the 357 so you can shoot the 38spl too.

 

[Brychan]

Wow people here are really slacking on the advice. The correct answer is yes and yes. Both a revolver in .357 and a pistol, preferably 9mm or larger.

 

[jimbobborg]

A few years ago, I picked up about five revolvers in quick succession. The biggest problem with most of them was finding speed loaders. The second was acrually using speedloaders under stress. It is far easier to reload with a magazine, and you'll not need to with even 10-round mags versus a 5 to 6 round speedloader. Plus if you're carrying a revolver, keeping speedloaders on you is tougher than a flat magazine, and loading strips take too much time and require looking at the process to make sure the rounds are going into the cylinder. Not to mention how much wider a revolver is versus a semi-auto, which makes the harder to conceal. Even snubbies take up more room IWB, and since most of you don't use the stock grips, you have this huge lump you're trying to carry that's not easy to conceal. I would take a full size 1911 over a snubby revolver for concealed carry.

 

[rbird7282]

For decades most cops carried a 5 shot .38 Special off duty.

Compact and reliable. Made for close and fast.

Reliable is the most important thing for a self defense gun.

Revolvers are more reliable than semi automatics.

You can take a Smith and Wesson .38 revolver load it with quality ammo, store it on top of you china cabinet and 50 years later it will still work.

To be fair you could do the same thing with a quality semi automatic.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Trekker]

- On the subject of loading, semiautos are much easier and faster than revolvers. +1 to semiautos

- Semiautos near universally have higher round capacity. Observation of a shooting event like steel challenge, even as the shooter already mentally prepared themselves and clearly sees the targets, often sees shooters scrambling a reload. Semiautos need the reload less often (and the reload goes faster). +1 to semiautos

- Depending on the semiauto, some persons may have hand strength/grip issues with racking the slide. +1 to revolvers

- Under stress or with less experience with the firearm, the family member may forget to disengage the safety of a semiauto, or to rack the slide (firearm condition 3, magazine but empty chamber). Not issues with a revolver. +1 to revolvers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- If I am investigating a noise in the night, I would preferentially take the semiauto 9mm. I am practiced with it, and it has additional capability.

- If I was equipping a family member, it would be a semiauto for those who can properly handle it, or a revolver for those who need simplicity

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

When restricted to revolvers when I was a LEO...I always was comfortable with .38 Specials. I've plenty of respect for the .357 but being realistic for most defensive uses two quick on target hits with a .38 Special are usually better than a loud, bright miss with a .357 that you have to bring down out of recoil or drop when you suddenly have to hold your ears...particular indoors.

 

[lazarus]

If the magazines are loaded ahead of time, it is a lot faster and easier to swap a magazine into a gun than use a speed loader or hand load a revolver. With a magazine loader for a pistol magazine, most semi-auto pistol magazines can be loaded very easily. At least partially if not fully.

A 9mm has much punch than a 38spc and similar recoil for the same gun weight. And it is a lot cheaper to get ammo for.

357 is nice, but the recoil is substantially more than either. Realistic performance isn’t all that much better. For hunting, sure. Shot for shot a 125gr JHP or SJHP at 1400fps from a 4” revolver is a lot superior to a 115gr at 1150fps or a 124 at 1050. But a lot more recoil. For 6 rounds from my nice heavy 8” 27-2 with full power 125s I can easily put 12+ of 9mm about as accurately down range with my Glock 17. Which weighs less. A shorter barrel revolver would be worse for that.

The 357 isn’t bad for recoil unless you are recoil sensitive or have physical limitations unless you are using a real lightweight framed revolver. But it has serious durm and strang in comparison. I don’t want to shoot any rounds without ear pro. But a few 38spc or 9mm is going to hurt my ears outdoor and leave thing ringing indoors. The same of full power 357 is likely to leave you temporarily deaf shooting it indoor.

You’d have less concussion touching off a 12ga indoor than a .357 from a revolver. Especially a shorter barrel revolver.

 

[trickg]

Good morning, all.

Do you all think everyone should own a revolver or is a semi automatic best? Trying to think about family members who may have trouble loading a semi automatic magazine.

What is everyone's thoughts on using a 357 Magnum or 38 Special for Defense and Target Practice? Which one would be considered better and why? Is there a huge difference in ammunition costs between the 357 Magnum and 38 Special?

I know folks who were FED LEOs in the 70s all swear by the 357s, but is that due to what they knew or something else?

Thank you.

IMO there's a lot to be liked about the simplicity of a double action revolver in 357 magnum, depending on which one you have. You can shoot light 38s for almost no recoil, or you can go heavy with hot 357s for a whole other experience.

As for defense, it's great provided you don't think you need more rounds than the cylinder holds - reloads can be problematic, even with a speed loader on a smaller pistol.

Another plus is that unlike semi-autos which can malfunction, or may not have one in the chamber, a revolver takes all of that out of the equation - just pull the trigger and it goes bang, and baring some serious mechanical issues, it's always going to work.

It really boils down to you, what you think you'll prefer, and how you want to use it. In my case I use semi-autos for defensive purposes, but I do like a nice 357 revolver.

 

[emerald]

Based on how you frame this, I'm assuming the family members have little to no handgun experience. From that angle, I would lean towards .38 special over .357 magnum. A .357 can be a handful to control if you're not experienced. As others have pointed out, a wheel gun is very reliable and easy to operate. You can just pick it up and start shooting. You don't have to worry about racking the slide, having a round chambered properly etc. For a bedside defense type of gun, I think a revolver is a good choice. For a little extra punch, look at .38 special +P loads. I actually keep two guns by my bedside. A CZ 75B - a sweet DA/SA 9mm, and a classic S&W Model 10 with +P loads. Of note, I wouldn't go shooting a ton of +P out of a model 10, but for the purposes of a 2nd choice in a worst case scenario, I think it will be fine.

 

[trickg]

Based on how you frame this, I'm assuming the family members have little to no handgun experience. From that angle, I would lean towards .38 special over .357 magnum. A .357 can be a handful to control if you're not experienced. As others have pointed out, a wheel gun is very reliable and easy to operate. You can just pick it up and start shooting. You don't have to worry about racking the slide, having a round chambered properly etc. For a bedside defense type of gun, I think a revolver is a good choice. For a little extra punch, look at .38 special +P loads. I actually keep two guns by my bedside. A CZ 75B - a sweet DA/SA 9mm, and a classic S&W Model 10 with +P loads. Of note, I wouldn't go shooting a ton of +P out of a model 10, but for the purposes of a 2nd choice in a worst case scenario, I think it will be fine.

Why would you point them to a 38 when they could get a 357 and shoot either 38 (training) or 357 (defense) out of the same pistol? That offers the best of everything from 38 special light loads all the way up to stout 357 mag loads, provided the pistol is rated for heavy 357 loads.

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

I like revolvers and self-loaders...all have their place. Revolvers have proven themselves since the 19th Century...self-loaders have proven themselves as well but really had to wait for smokeless powder to operate reliably.

For most of my years as a LEO I was restore to revolvers...never felt underarmed. When transitioning to a pistol...it was a boat anchor in my estimation...a DOA atrocity even if well made. I preferred my previous revolver. If allowed to carry what I wanted I would have chosen something different...but I didn't have that option outside of off-duty.

There are good revolvers and bad...there are good pistols and bad.

 

[emerald]

Why would you point them to a 38 when they could get a 357 and shoot either 38 (training) or 357 (defense) out of the same pistol? That offers the best of everything from 38 special light loads all the way up to stout 357 mag loads, provided the pistol is rated for heavy 357 loads.

Yes, they could go either way with a .357, and there's a lot to be said for that. On the flip side, based on how the OP has framed this, I don't have a great sense that the person(s) in question are going off to the range and doing a bunch of practice, so just trying to get all options out there for them to consider. It sounds like they may have hand strength issues. We really need more information. The end user really needs to go shoot both. I'd really suggest they go to a range that rents guns and try all of them. .357, .38 +P and normal .38 loads and see what they are comfortable with and are able to control best. Well placed shots in a lighter round are going to be more effective than something they can't control in a panic situation.

Edit:
And I'll agree, buy a .357 and have the option to work their way up to that if they so desire makes sense.

 

[linkstate]

Speaking as a revolver fan and one who learned on them, some random thoughts and opinions.

As joppaj said, does your family member even want a gun let alone shoot one?

Is this for home defense or carry?

If home defense, a 4 inch medium sized all steel .357 is ideal. Stainless if it will be primarily sitting in a drawer for years.

.357 is considerably louder and more jarring than .38 specials especially indoors. It takes some getting used to.

Don’t get your family member a cute lightweight jframe and tell them to have at it…

People sometimes think a revolver is better than a semi because of strength or mobility issues racking a slide. They forget that a double action revolver had a relatively heavy trigger pull. So it depends on the source of the strength or mobility concern.

Having more guns (options) is better than having less guns.

 

[alucard0822]

Good morning, all.

Do you all think everyone should own a revolver or is a semi automatic best? Trying to think about family members who may have trouble loading a semi automatic magazine.

What is everyone's thoughts on using a 357 Magnum or 38 Special for Defense and Target Practice? Which one would be considered better and why? Is there a huge difference in ammunition costs between the 357 Magnum and 38 Special?

I know folks who were FED LEOs in the 70s all swear by the 357s, but is that due to what they knew or something else?

Thank you.

I don't have opinion that I think they should be mandatory, I'm not a politician. I do own both, compete with both, and have carried both, for me modern double stack semi-autos are better for personal defense. Loading mags is made easy with a maglula, my kids can load mags with one, so pretty much anyone tat can pull a trigger can load a mag. Racking a slide can be tough for some, but some things like locking it open, inserting a mag, then dropping the slide can help. Holding the slide, then pushing the grip forward also can help.

357 mag is powerful, but it can have absurd flash/blast, and recoil can be obnoxious in smaller revolvers. Carry 38+p for defense, the best loads are sufficient. Even so there are benefits being you can fire either in a 357, the long extractor and short case makes reloading a 357 firing 38s easier than 38s in a 38 or 357 in a 357. 357 can cost double or more compared to 38.

in the 70s, 357 revolvers were pretty much the standard, we have better stuff now, and better tactics. IMO revolvers and shotguns require more work and skill to run competently than semi-auto pistols and carbines. For some reason people love to recommend them for new shooters, but heavy recoil, low capacity, expensive ammo, and complex reloading techniques all have to be considered. A semi-auto carbine IMO is the ideal defensive firearm, easy to load, shoot, light recoil, lots of capacity, common and inexpensive ammo. If you need concealment, or a smaller weapon, then double stack semi-auto pistols basically have all the same advantages vs revolvers.