Hi,
After many years in a case, I shot my dad's 357 magnum. It's nickel with pearl grips . My dad was a part-time deputy sheriff in the late 60's _ 70's. This was his carry guns on weekends.

My wife (mostly) wanted to shoot the 357 & see how it compared to her S&W 9mm. I replaced the pearl grips with Houge's & bought a box of 38 special. We fired 18 rounds this week. The gun ran sweet since it was in VG condition which brings me to the "ammo" question.
For SD ammo for the wife, should I load it with 38 Spec HP or 357? My wife had no issue with the 38 Spec ammo. So...?

Thanks
Doug

It's a common question. If indoor SD use is possible most tend to use .38 Special +P; the blast and flash from a full .357 will be disorienting (not that .38 will be whisper quiet) and will make follow up shots difficult. Others will have different opinions, I'm sure. Good luck in your decision and stay safe out there!

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I keep a model 19 by my bed for "things that go bump in the night", and I keep it stoked with full house 357 magnum ammo (Hornady Critical Defense 125gr). Why? Because, according to a lot of research and statistics (for what they're worth) the 357 Magnum 125gr load is one of, if not the absolute best, fight stopping rounds.

Is muzzle blast an issue indoors/in the dark? Absolutely. However, modern ammo has been developed with powders designed specifically to minimize this issue. And, while not yet perfect, the research and development has gone a long way. Ammo today is 10 times better than ammo available 20ish years ago.

I have had the opportunity, on many occasions, to shoot both 357 mag and 38 special +P ammo in a dark "shoot house". Both flash, both are loud, the 357 obviously more. But, I believe that I can handle the hotter round if I would ever have to. In my personal opinion, the trade off of blast versus stopping power is worth it TO ME. You must make that decision for yourself, based on your level of experience, comfort and confidence in the ammo.

Having said all of that, I would not feel undergunned AT ALL with a good 38 +P load. Bullet technology has made significant advances in the last couple of decades, making velocity less important than it once was.

TRE

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Fine guns and fine smokes.

I'm a fan of fast follow ups. Since you have adjustable sights try the Speer should dot short barrel 38 or even short barrel 357 135 grains both very mild loads. Speer is best you can get. The old standby158 grain lead semi wadcutter hollowpoint. Is well proven too

My husband set up my L-frames for HD/SD with Federal C357B 125gr HP. These are a little stout, but accurate in the L's. Winchester .357 110gr is much milder.

Buffalo Bore has a good .38SP reputation.

But my first choice now is a full sized 9mm and 12ga.

Due to the flat machined on the bottom of the barrel on the K frame revolvers it's best to avoid shooting full power 357 Magnums, especially full power 357 Magnums featuring a bullet lighter than 140 grains. The problem is that there is a history of the forcing cones cracking on model 19's and model 66's in the middle of that flat. While these failures are that common they have proven common enough to cause concern about any revolver that would be difficult to replace, such as a family heirloom.

So, the advice given about using Speer's excellent 38 +P Short Barrel Gold Dot load is spot on perfect. The power produced by this ammunition is reduced a lot when compared to full house 357 Magnums making it very comfortable to shoot in a model 19 and perfectly safe for a K frame 357 Magnum's forcing cone.

PS; One of my favorite handguns for just plain shooting is my 2 1/2 inch model 19 and being a reloader allows me to load up 357 Magnum Lite's for this revolver. Take a 158 grain Hornady XTP and load it to just 900 fps. with Accurate #5 and you have a load with a bit more "pop" than a 38 +P but still very pleasant to shoot and startlingly accurate even at 50 yards.

Thanks guys on all your great input. I have already ordered Hornady 357 - 158gr XTP. But may opt for the Speers 38 +P Short Barrel Gold Dot. I'm a little leary now of the full 357 Mag load.
Regards,
Doug

If you and your wife haven't experienced the full glory of 357 magnum, I think you should. Those 158 g. XTP s will be in the ballpark. It won't hurt your M 19, or you (much). Then you can make your decision about what works for you. Me ... I'm all about the 38 +P Speer Gold Dots and save the big bang stuff for L/N frames. Have fun!

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Some collect art; I shoot it!