While not ideal, how well suited as a home defense round if used in a 2" M36?
I ask because I have a few boxes I bought for range use and it is very hard to find more well touted man stoppers these days. I am recoil/flash sensitive and was also considering 148gr HBWCs. Input appreciated. thanks in advance!

Not much recoil. It will make a .357 hole wherever you hit him. Enough of those holes in the right spot will end the disagreement. Should penetrate well enough. Probably not the best but I wouldn’t want to be shot with them! Good luck. Hugh


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If those 2 were the choice, I would use the HBWC's.

If you have to use it to save your life, they will work fine.
Keep in mind that the penetration is 21” plus.
Remember that shot placement is number one. Even the best self defense
load is not effective in stopping a lethal threat if it isn’t placed in the right area.

Be SAFE and Shoot Often!

I'd pick 148 grain wadcutter ammo over the FMJ ball stuff.

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I carry wadcutters in my S&W Model 38 Airweight and have obviously chosen them over FMJ.

I have a couple of boxes of those. Tested them in a couple of my 60's, and my M&P38 and GP100. All hit close to aim, the light guns higher, the heavy guns closer. It's good target ammo, but probably not good defensive ammo, unless you hit right where you aim.

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I'm going to join the chorus and suggest the 148gr WC, too. Low recoil, more likely to cut a full-caliber wound channel than FMJ, and penetrates adequately while mitigating the risk for overpenetration.

No matter what ammunition you select for use in a 2" barreled revolver you cannot expect to achieve the ballistic performance that could be provided by a 4" or longer barrel. Short version, no matter what bullet you use terminal performance (expansion, penetration) is "iffy" at best.

I agree with those who recommend the 148 WC as a better choice than the 130-FMJ-FP in .38 Special. Another good possibility is standard velocity 158-SWC, and those are much easier to load into the chambers, especially in a stressful situation. Any of these are inexpensive enough to allow regular practice with the same ammunition you intend to use for defense, which is a plus factor.

Again its shot placement. For in Home Use lower power rounds your shooting 10 yds or less. If you shoot someone at Great distance or their in retreat you'll be the 1 in jail... Know of several cases here in NC.

Both will cut .357 holes in whatever you hit with it. Will they overpenetrate? Perhaps. If those were my only option, I would use whichever is the heavier load to get as much impact damage as possible.

BTW, if you're talking about the HCWC bullets loaded backwards to be cavity forward, back in the '80s when this became a big thing, it was found that this setup us generally pretty inaccurate. The bullets don't stabilize properly.

Some good suggestions have been made, but to be clear, to my understanding she is NOT talking about a Typical FMJ round nose bullet. She is talking about a truncated cone/flat top FMJ like the 130gr Train and Defend round Winchester makes. This ammo is like a semi-wad cuter but not made of lead.
I would think you would get better penetration through clothing than a full wad cuter design especially in a non +P round.
Just Sayin

Be SAFE and Shoot Often!

Doesn't matter. Practically no difference between a round FMJ or a jacketed truncated cone. The truncated cone may have a flat face, but the edges are rounded. Flesh is elastic, so it's going to stretch before the bullet penetrates, leaving a sub-caliber hole that may end up sealing itself. Such rounds are not as likely to cut blood vessels unless it hits square on or the bullet gets deformed, and FMJ rounds are less likely to become deformed than softer lead bullets. FMJ rounds are also more likely to overpenetrate and exit. While some may say that means more places to bleed out, because of the elastic nature of flesh we end up with a sub-caliber wound channel that may seal itself up and actually produce less wounding than a HP or WC load of similar energy. This is aside from the potential risk to bystanders from overpenetration. Impacting bone may cause additional wounding, but FMJ rounds are also more likely to glance off bone unless it's a centered, direct hit.

The full wadcutter profile has a broader meplat with sharp shoulders, so it's more likely to cut a caliber-size wound channel, as well as being more likely to cut blood vessels. Being softer lead, it's also more likely to deform, increasing the surface area of contact. While SWC have a similar shape to jacketed truncated cone bullets, they have a sharp shoulder at the base and are made from more easily deformed lead.

From what I've seen, WC target loads will pass the FBI penetration protocols in gel with less risk of overpenetration while FMJ loads will typically overpenetrate. While I don't think gel results are the ultimate measure of terminal ballistics, I think it is informative with regard to a round's potential effectiveness.

Of course, a good HP load is the best option, but if I had to choose between a 130gr FMJFP or a 148gr WC, I'm going with the WC.

IMO the WC bullet is a better choice. The flat meplate will do more tissue damage and trauma in turn possibility stopping the attack sooner. I carry a LSWC in my M36 and feel it will do the job well if needed.

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