What's the recommended protection ammo in a 1 7/8 barrel 12 oz gun? I'm not concerned with recoil, but will the charge in a .357 burn in this short barrel, excessive flash? Would 38 special +P be a better alternative?
What's the recommended protection ammo in a 1 7/8 barrel 12 oz gun? I'm not concerned with recoil, but will the charge in a .357 burn in this short barrel, excessive flash? Would 38 special +P be a better alternative?
I would use a 38 Spl +P.
The best loads in this category are the
Remington 158 gr lead hollowpoint or
Speer 135 gr Gold Dot-Short Barrel.
Avoid any 110 gr load like the plague as they
do not penetrate well even from a 4".
The 110 load in a 38 +P+ failed the Border Patrol miserably on penetration from full size guns. The 110 would be going even slower from a snub. The Remington load I mentioned is legendary and even though it is old tech it is still better than all the new fad plastic capped bullets like the Hornady.
Corbon's .38 +P 110 gr. DPX and JHP will penetrate fine. I use Speer 135 gr. Short Barrel .357 Gold Dots in my 360 PD. That cartridge is perfect in scandium snubs if you can tolerate the recoil. They kick more than .38 +Ps and much less than full power .357s. I have tested the two Corbon loads and Speer SB +P and .357 in Perma-Gel from a 1 7/8" barrel. The only one that failed to expand through heavy cloth was Speer SB .38 +P.