Revolver calibers for self defense??

[KalamazooKid]

340 PD (J frame) in my pocket and an 8 shot 327 NG on the night stand. Both full of Hornady 38's.


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[dave1918a2]

432PD in My pocket and Colt 1911 by the bed and BHP on the coffee table.

 

[Road Rat]

Is it me or does the Colt Agent look almost exactly like the new Charter Arms Undercover?

Here you go:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2oRoGUxdcc[/ame]

 

[Roberto Renauld]

To my knowledger revolver calibers for self defense are .357Magnum in 21/2" or longer up to 4" barrels, .38 Special in 4" barrel, and .38 Special in 2" snubbies.
The .357 Magnum with 125gr JHP ammo is the "king" for self defense, but not in all situations!!, no good for indoor shooting situations, to loud and a "flamethrower"in 21/2 to 4" barrels,in other scenarios (outdoor) you must practice a lot at the range to master this caliber, but it is really good up to 50yds!!
The .38 Special in a 4" barrel with the so called "FBI load" 158gr LSWC HP is very, very adequate for indoor and outdoor shooting.(a very good choice for home defense)
The .38 Special in snubbies 2" with 110JHP/125JHP/135JHP are very good self defense guns, but also you must practice a lot at the range to master this small guns and ammo.
Roberto

 

[A10]

Welcome to the Forum! As you have no doubt noted, opinions are like elbows, most everyone has two. I completely agree with those who have said to shoot a variety of guns and choose the one (or more) that you like. Any caliber can work for self defence, even a .22 provided you can consistently hit your point of aim. Certain calibers have proven track records (.357 mag, .45 ACP, 9mm, just to name a few), but caliber doesnt matter if a person can't hit their target with it. As an example, there is NO WAY that I would carry .357 loads in an airweight revolver. The recoil is too painful for me and follow up shots would be nowhere near on target.

Have fun finding the right gun for you!

 

[Archie]

Gun that last longest are those - presuming regular and proper cleaning, maintenance, and so on - are those firing light to medium pressure cartridges. In my mind, to balance the determination, one also seeks an arm with a cartridge that strikes a serious blow.

Consequently, I favor cartridges such as .45 ACP or .44 Special, perhaps .38 Special with a proper load.

Typically, this requires a larger handgun. Not always a long barreled mechanism, but "goodly" proportioned about the frame and cylinder in a revolver.

As mentioned, some are handier for one use, others are handier for other uses. The carrier much sort that out for one's self. If the carrier is large, small, stout, fat, skeletal; those are considerations one must adjust for one's self.

Choice of clothing as well. A man who habitually wears a three piece suit has more options than a woman who wears a bikini and shower shoes normally.

I'm now old and retired. It has been mentioned in casual conversation I am quite unique. (A mixed blessing.) I do know everyone has to sort out their own decisions, eventually.

But that is life, is it not?

 

[Texas Star]

Just a couple of points:

One, the Maori were not the people we fought in the Philippines. Those were the Moros, a Muslim group of Filipinos. The Maori live in New Zealand!

Next, I don't think Teddy Roosevelt favored the .38 Long Colt round. He just wanted a revolver that had belonged to an officer on the sunken USS Maine, for revenge reasons and political value. If you look at what he wore in the West, it was .44 or .45 Colt SAA's.

I'm still puzzled by his choosing .32 revolvers for the NYCPD. But I think they wore their guns concealed then, and it was the 1890's. That Colt .32 was one of the most modern DA guns then. Had the Colt Police Police Positive Special (.38 Special) been available then, I think it'd have been his choice, or the S&W M&P. But those were about a decade in the future.

 

[Cal44]

I prefer a 431PD in 32 H&R Magnum.

32 H&R Nagnum loads are Critical Defense 80gr, Georgia Arms JHP 100gr, and Buffalo Bore JHP 100gr.

I also have 100 gr wadcutters from Buffalo Bore in 32 S&W Long that would do the job on penetration.

Gun weighs 14 oz empty. 6 shots instead of 5 like 38 cal J frames.

 

[les.b]

Hello everyone this is my first post and I would like to say thank you everybody for reading my post. I hope to make some good friends. I love Smith and Wessons and I especially love the revolvers. I love the history that is involved with all these different guns. I wanted to know what everyone thought of the different revolver calibers there are for self defense. Your experience in shoot ability and accuracy of the different revolver models? The different ammo companies that you like and dislike? For example to start things off Teddy Roosevelt liked the .32 S&W long and recommended it for law enforcement agencies for its accuracy and shoot-ability. Also my less than famous friend recommends the .44 special. I personally like the .38 special. As far as revolvers I like the little S&W snub nose models the best but I hear a lot of people hate the little guys. What are your thoughts? Thanks again!

If you like Smith and Wessons, and Revolvers, and history, and hope to make friends, you are sure in the right place. I've looked at most of the forums out there, and this is the only one that I belong to!

Welcome aboard!!! You will find some of the most knowledgeable people in the gun world on this forum. And I'm not talking about me, either. Hang around, you will love it here.

I have some opinions on the topics you have mentioned, and will be back later, after the fireworks!!!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Best Regards, Les

 

[oger]

What ever you shoot the best and are comfortable with. Ask James Brady(before he died) if you think a 22 won't work at close range.

 

[bcox]

I have both a semi-auto (Shield 9mm) and J-frame (340 PD) for CCW.

The Shield prints more easily unless it's really canted and sitting very low IWB. The 340 doesn't print as much, even with the entire grip sticking out above the belt.

Because of how they both sit IWB, the 340 is easier to grip and draw, but practice and training renders this 'advantage' moot. Because the grip sticks out more, it's more apt to stick you in the gut/side more than the shield depending on where you carry.

The hard lines of the shield make it easier than the 340 to snag on loose shirts and jackets commonly worn for CCW. The 340 is also easier to pocket carry, this is an advantage in some cases/workplaces.

Overall I like to carry my 340 PD, with magnum loads, more so than my shield. I prefer the lightweight feel and being less prone to snagging on clothing, also being FAR less prone to a jam (i.e. case not ejected due to clothing in the way) which is at all possible in an actual scuffle.

TL;DR I prefer revolvers, but carry both depending on the day/clothing I wear.

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[russelldvk]

I like the .357 8 shot with 4 inch barrel. With the right holster it fits like a glove against the body.

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[G.T. Smith]

Agreed

Another vote for the thirty-eight. I carried one for most of my LEO 30 year career and it saved me on more than one occasion. Like others I would recommend a light weight J frame for carry and a four inch K frame for home protection. One thing, J frames are difficult to shoot accurately absent frequent practice and this is a perishable skill. Plan on some range time and invest in some practice ammo.

Like this. 37 and 65. I shoot the 37 a lot. I shoot the 65 with .357's only and I shoot it even more than the 37. I like the .38 spl rouind and trust it to do the job. Standard pressure RLN 158 grain.
Peace,
gordon

 

[Black Knight]

There is a great deal of great information here. For starters a model 10 with a 3 or 4 inch barrel is a great place to start. For revolver calibers that would be worthy for self defense against 2 legged creatures I would recommend the .38 Special +P, 357 Magnum, .45 Colt, .44 Special. If you are in bear country then a .44 Magnum may be in order.

 

[wrangler5]

I prefer a 431PD in 32 H&R Magnum.

32 H&R Nagnum loads are Critical Defense 80gr, Georgia Arms JHP 100gr, and Buffalo Bore JHP 100gr.

I also have 100 gr wadcutters from Buffalo Bore in 32 S&W Long that would do the job on penetration.

Gun weighs 14 oz empty. 6 shots instead of 5 like 38 cal J frames.

I'm considering switching from 38 Special to 32 H&R for daily carry - specifically to a 432PD. The Buffalo Bore 100g JHP +P rounds average 1100fps (1074 - 1135fps, ES=62, SD=21.2) out of the 2" or so barrel for a muzzle energy of 296lb/ft. Recoil is stout from the lightweight gun, but seems no worse than the FBI load from a steel 38 snubbie. And then there's the extra shot in the cylinder. This round shoots the smallest group, closest to point of aim, of all the rounds I've put through the 432PD.

For comparison, the Remington FBI load (+P, 158g lead SWCHP) averages only 820fps from my 2" Model 49, for 236lb/ft of energy. (It gets to 903fps and 286lb/ft out of a 4" Model 10.)

No other 32 load I've tried exceeds 200lb/ft of energy out of this gun. The Georgia Arms 100g JHP gets to 178lb/ft and the Black Hills 85g JHP makes 185lb/ft. I wouldn't switch from a 38 FBI load to these numbers.

My hesitation in switching is that the BB fired cases are extremely hard to extract. Like 2 hands with tools hard. BB customer service has suggested a couple of things to try, to see if I can get something like normal extraction. If I can, the combination of a lightweight gun with more power and an extra shot, plus cheap and comfortable shooting with lesser loads if I want it, will be awfully attractive.

 

[Longhorn1986]

This loaded with Barnes VOR-TX 140gr .357 magnum. Funny, everyone goes on and on about the magnum's recoil in a J frame. Never really was an issue for me. Of course at 6'6" 280#, my paws are a little larger than average..

 

[Cal44]

This loaded with Barnes VOR-TX 140gr .357 magnum. Funny, everyone goes on and on about the magnum's recoil in a J frame. Never really was an issue for me. Of course at 6'6" 280#, my paws are a little larger than average..

From the picture, you have a big rubber grip on your gun.

That helps a lot with Magnums.

I have no trouble 357 Magnum on my 3" M60-15 either -- if I have a full sized rubber grip.

And I'm about 10 inches shorter than you.

 

[Cal44]

I'm considering switching from 38 Special to 32 H&R for daily carry - specifically to a 432PD. The Buffalo Bore 100g JHP +P rounds average 1100fps (1074 - 1135fps, ES=62, SD=21.2) out of the 2" or so barrel for a muzzle energy of 296lb/ft. Recoil is stout from the lightweight gun, but seems no worse than the FBI load from a steel 38 snubbie. And then there's the extra shot in the cylinder. This round shoots the smallest group, closest to point of aim, of all the rounds I've put through the 432PD.

For comparison, the Remington FBI load (+P, 158g lead SWCHP) averages only 820fps from my 2" Model 49, for 236lb/ft of energy. (It gets to 903fps and 286lb/ft out of a 4" Model 10.)

No other 32 load I've tried exceeds 200lb/ft of energy out of this gun. The Georgia Arms 100g JHP gets to 178lb/ft and the Black Hills 85g JHP makes 185lb/ft. I wouldn't switch from a 38 FBI load to these numbers.

My hesitation in switching is that the BB fired cases are extremely hard to extract. Like 2 hands with tools hard. BB customer service has suggested a couple of things to try, to see if I can get something like normal extraction. If I can, the combination of a lightweight gun with more power and an extra shot, plus cheap and comfortable shooting with lesser loads if I want it, will be awfully attractive.

Living in Cal, it's hard to find guns like this because I can't mail order them.

If I had had a choice, I might have bought a 432 (centennial) instead of a 431 (exposed hammer), but I happy with my 431.

I have some BB 100 grain loads which I haven't tried yet.

I have shot the Georgia Arms 100 gr load and had no problem with sticking cases.

Maybe tomorrow I'll get to the range and give the BB a try.

Dave