I've put thousands of rounds through small frame-short barrel 38 special/357 magnum revolvers over the years. I agree with most others here-for this type of gun a good plus P .38 Special round is the only way to go. The muzzle blast and flash from a 2-3 inch barreled .357 Magnum is impressive and potentially dangerous to the shooter in a confined space. Plus, the magnum loads are not the least bit pleasant to practice with. You want to turn off a new shooter-make them fire five 125 GR JHP Magnums from a snub nose, small frame revolver!