THE full house 125 gr .357 load was by Federal. It was the only ammunition we shot and we shot a lot of it using S&W 681s. I expect it was much harder on the target than the guns, but the guns suffered with extensive use. I wouldn't shoot a lot (any?) of it out of a model 19. In fact, I'd suggest the milder 125 gr Remington Golden Saber round for defensive use or even the +P 125 gr .38 Spl JHP by either Remington THP or Federal Training and Protection.

I did some testing of various 158 gr LHP factory rounds. They were the energizer bunnies of handgun bullets (they kept on going, and going, and going). I was never able to recover one to check expansion. It apparently helps quite a bit if the bullet hits bone, which it might in defensive use (there are spaces between ribs, bone hit isn't certain). I personally am reluctant to suggest them as home defense rounds.