I have always preferred buying the .357 and shooting mostly .38's out of it. Besides the flexibility of the power range, I am a reloader and, while I've never done it after 15 years reloading, I think that a 357 may hold together if I ever accidentally double charge a 38 load, while the 38 will probably not.
I am also aware of the comments that 357's may not fit into the cylinder after shooting tons of 38. But I keep my guns clean and shiny after each trip to the range, so that has never been a problem.
The question is: will a 38, shot from a 357, be less accurate that the same 38 shot from a 38? I have heard that the short (0.10") jump that a 38 must make, can cause a bit of wobble that effects accuracy. True? If so, how much?
I'm not an olympic shooter, or even the best among the guys at the range. But, if I'm giving up accuracy for the power flexibility, I'd like to know about it, and if possible, quantify it.
Thanks in advance for the input.