My experience, never shot anyone, but practiced a lot. 110 grain JHP 357 Magnum ammo is usually not as hot as the full power 125 grain ammo. I have carried and fired a lot of both the 110 and 125 grain loads in a S&W Model 640-1 ( 2-1/8" ), a S&W Model 19 ( 4" ), and a Dan Wesson Model 15-2 ( 4" heavy ventilated shroud ). The 110 grain ammo was a little easier to control, but still produced a lot of blast and flash. Not as much as the full power 125 grain ammo, but it is still very noticeable.

Now that I am older and becoming a little less tolerant of harsh recoil, I looked for something a little more pleasant to shoot. I settled on the Speer 135 grain Gold Dot 38 Special +P Short Barrel ammo. I know the 357 Short Barrel version produces even more velocity, somewhere around 200 fps more, and would probably be the best choice for a 4 inch revolver, but I have a hard time finding it. The +P 38 Special produces far less flash and blast than any of the 110 or full power 125 grain magnum loads, but you can tell by the recoil that it is definitely +P.

The Speer 135 grain Gold Dot 38 Special Short Barrel +P was the last duty ammo used by the NYPD before they eliminated revolvers from their approved carry list. This ammo earned a good reputation with the NYPD.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA