Time to tap your collective wisdom.

Need some advice for a self defense load. I live in a neighborhood here in Honolulu where there's plenty of kids and old folks crammed together. All the houses are wood and have single wall construction.

I currently use a .38 special (4" M15) with a +P (158 gn Federal hollow point) load for self defense around the house which I keep by the bed stand. Was thinking of switching over to a larger caliber handgun as a potential man-stopper without going the magnum route. Obviously I don't want to put my neighbors in jeopardy. (I realize that .44 specials and 45 ACPs can easily go through walls too but they don't have the added velocity of a magnum, +P or 9 mm round).

In addition to the M15 I have a 9mm (CZ P01), a .45 (a Sig 220) and a 4" M 624 available for potential self defense "duty".

I prefer a revolver over the semi for this particular scenario so I'm seriously looking at the 624 to replace the M15.

I picked up a some 240 gn Winchester .44 cowboy load rounds, figuring that they would still have more stopping power than the .38 +P.

Does this make sense or am better off with a hotter "self defense" load?

mahalo

Higher velocity light bullets often expand rapidly and penetrate LESS than heavy bullets traveling slower. Bullet construction is also vital, and heavy cast bullets are known to penetrate well.

Sorry, don't see the logic in your statements.
The important thing is to hit your target and be aware of what lies beyond. Any bullet that will penetrate a man will go right through your walls. Even the lowly .22 LR will penetrate six 1" pine boards.

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Science plus Art

If you want to use the .44, get some Gold Dots. The .38, with modern quality bullet designs, is doing more damage than LRN bullets out of a .44 special.

+1.

I'd go with the 200gr. Speer Gold Dots. They're accurate and easy to control out of my 4" 29-2.

Sounds like you'd want a very soft, lead HP or the Gold Dot. The 200 grain GD will do almost 900 fps out of a 4" gun. The GD is easy to control. I see Buffalo Bore Ammo is putting out a 44 Special self defense load --- if you don't mind spending about $2.00 per round.

Federal also has a LSWC-HP load for the .44 Special, similar to their .38 Special "FBI" load.

I wouldn't normally recommend aluminum Blazer for self defense but it's much cheaper than the 20 round nickel cases GD. I don't buy 20 round boxes of handgun ammo, it's a ripoff. I've used the .357 Sig aluminum cased stuff and it worked fine. I figure the Sig round is a worst case scenario. The aluminum case should be fine for a low pressure revolver.

Thanks for the info. I had no idea that the higher velocity SD rounds actually penetrate less. Will order up the proper ammo.

My cowboy loads are 200 grain leads at 850 fps. basically a 45acp hardball load. I would not want to get shot by one. It would leave a mark!

My .44 is loaded with "cowboy" loads.....
Accurate, easy to shoot, and reliable....

I carry my 3" 629 with Speer gold DotSB 200 gr. 44 Mag at just under 1000fps. (983}

The GD SB 44 specials come out at 759 fps and recoil less than a 38 spl in my opinion.

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Shoot fast & live long
Warren

I carry a .44 spl every day with frangeble self defence ammo made by A-Merc. They go out real fast, and separate into about 6 pieces when they hit. Back ground hits are supposed to be a very small possibility with them. As to your concern for your neighbors, it's too late, they are already at risk with +P .38 SPL's if I understand your situation correctly. The first "air marshall's" used Charter Arms Bull Dog 44's with ammo that was capable of putting a high-jacker out of commission without penetrating the plane's skin. I would do a little web research to see what kind of load they were using. Your concern is a valid one, in my view, and one that should be considdered by everyone. Ballistics is a tricky deal, and sometimes big and slow can just keep going, and fast and light can disintergrate, or vice versa. Allan Jones, the ballistics guy for American Handgunner would be someone I would ask. I hope you never have to use what you learn. Flapjack.

Another vote for the Speer Gold Dots. I sometimes carry a Rossi 3-inch 44 Special, and the 200-grain load chugs out at about 760 fps, shoots VERY accurately out of every gun (rifle AND pistol) I ever tried them in, and they open on contact with any liquid-based medium.



If you decide to stick with the 38, the Short Barrel Gold Dot load is also a favorite with many folks, and the load I chose for work. If you look around, you can find them in 50-round boxes. I bought a case. They're THAT good.

Silvertip ammo from Olin/Winchester is also good stuff. These are the 44 Specials.

Mahalo nui loa (thanks very much) for all the advice. Will have to special order the A-Merc or GD rounds from one of the local shops. Oahu has a comparatively small population and I doubt they stock it here.

The consensus seems to be that a .44 Special round is a more effective stopper and potentially less intrusive to the neighbors than a +P from my .38.

Attached Images

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I have speers 200 gn gold dots in my 624 by my night stand. Very accurate and mild recoil. If you have the means, try to do some independent penetration tests to see what you come up with.

i don't see how going to a more powerful cartridge will help the neighbors. either way if you miss, somebody gets hurt.

Glasser or some other frangabile rd.

Appreciate the continued comments.

Glaser makes a formidable self defense round. It's a small charge of shot in a metal cup designed to expand and break up on impact, transferring energy into the target vs. passing through it.

Glaser excels in transferring money from your bank account to theirs.

High velocity self defense handgun rounds do not expand and penetrate less in building materials. They require (As mentioned above) a liquid based medium (people are mostly liquid) to expand properly. They will deform when striking 2 x 4's, sheetrock, etc, but not expand. When you reach rifle velocities in the .223 range you have a very light bullet going very fast. This causes it to break up. This is where the high velocity SD argument makes sense.