Best Self-Defense Round for a Model 19-4, 4-Inch

Bullseye 2620

Bullseye 2620

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I need some serious recommendations for a self-defense load for a Model 19-4 with a 4-inch barrel. This is a house gun, not a carry gun. Recommendations from current and former LEOs who have actual experience with the round being recommended will be especially appreciated. I live in an old farm house in a very rural area and have a .30-30 lever gun should that be required. I've done the LEO qual course in Maryland with this revolver and shot 285 first time out, 293 and 295 subsequently, with .38 Special 158 gr. LSWC. As a long standing bullseye competitor I am comfortable shooting 230 grain standard pressure .45 ACP FMJ hardball loads. But, I have essentially zero experience with .357 magnum loads, and so I am asking for your recommendations.


Thanks.


Bullseye
 
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Bullseye 2620 said:
I need some serious recommendations for a self-defense load for a Model 19-4 with a 4-inch barrel. This is a house gun, not a carry gun. Recommendations from current and former LEOs who have actual experience with the round being recommended will be especially appreciated. I live in an old farm house in a very rural area and have a .30-30 lever gun should that be required. I've done the LEO qual course in Maryland with this revolver and shot 285 first time out, 293 and 295 subsequently, with .38 Special 158 gr. LSWC. As a long standing bullseye competitor I am comfortable shooting 230 grain standard pressure .45 ACP FMJ hardball loads. But, I have essentially zero experience with .357 magnum loads, and so I am asking for your recommendations.


Thanks.


Bullseye
Click to expand...



My response is not meant to sound facetious nor sarcastic so please don't take this in the wrong spirit.....but if you do a search on this,you'll get more threads/comments/opinions than you will ever be able to stand.It's all very opinionated and you're very likely to be swamped with them.
 
I did do a search before posting this thread, thanks. No offense taken. It seems as though most of the LEOs who commented in other threads preferred, when they had the choice, 158 grain LSWC-HPs in .38 Special, and .38+P, but that is probably a function of the age of the folks and the era in which they were working, as well as departmental constraints on issuing magnum rounds. There are however a fair number of people who like the 125 grain JHP .357 magnum Federal load. Although I don't plan to fire a lot of full-house rounds out of this pistol, I am aware that the Model 19 is not really robust enough to tolerate a steady diet of full-power .357 rounds. I believe in training with what I carry for defense, so, there are a number of interrelated considerations here on which I am hoping to get some expert guidance.

I am really hoping to find one or more people with actual experience with the Model 19 4-inch and learning from their experience.


Bullseye
 
I've got a model 19-4 4" barrel that I have beside the bed.
I also use it for a carry gun alot.
The only load I use in it is 158gr. JHP(Hornady XTP)
I have between 2000-3000 full house rounds through it ,and it was used when I got it!
It's still tight as the day I got it.
The problems with the 357 in K-frames was the use of light 110gr. jacketed bullets.
I know all the stats show the 125 gr. JHP is the king when it comes to self defence.
But after using the 158 JHP load on live targets rangeing from less than 5lb. to over 300lbs. it's what ( I ) want in a 357.
And for home defence where you say you live, a 158 gr. will have more chance of going through a plaster and lathe wall than the 125gr. JHPs.
It might not seem to sporting ,but there may be times that you might just WANT, to shoot through a wall!
 
Hd .357?

Put that same 158 gr. bullet in front of 8 gr. Unique....stop anything you've a mind to. BT
 
I typically carry the Winchester 145gr. Silvertip load in my 3" 66 and 2" 640. Recoil is not as bad as the 158gr. loads and the muzzle blast is not nearly as obnoxious as some of the 125gr. loads.
 
I don't own a 4 in. but I have a 2 1/2 in. M19 and I use a hard cast 158 gr. SWC and 15 grs. of 2400. If I remember correct it does over 1200 fps. out of the 2 1/2 and over 1400 out of a 6 in. Larry
 
There are a lot of new self defense loads by different companies on the market today. Personally, I do not think it makes much difference. Put about any bullet through heart or head and it will do the job. Saying this, I carry the 145 gr Silvertip.
 
There are so many top notch premium self defense rounds available, that it becomes a matter of personal preference. They all work much better than rounds of the past. I don't have a model 19, but do have several 4" bbl. .357s. I love that bbl. lenghth, and love the cartridge.

From what I have read here and elsewhere, it seems that the heavier bullets (135, 145, and 158gr.) get the nod over the lighter (110 and 125gr.) offerings for the model 19.

You will have to invest a bit of money to buy extra premium ammo to test fire. You will then be able to adjust POA, and make a judgement call on recoil, follow-up shots, muzzle flash, and noise.

I am thinking that the bad guy won't be able to tell the difference, nor will he care.

Good luck.
 
To paraphrase one of our members, Shot placement is King.

Load what you can shoot accurately. No matter what you shoot out of your M19, it is still just a handgun round.

The 4" K frame shooting a 158gr +P load is a formidable weapon in accross the room encounters.
 
You tell me the weight and musculature of the intruder you intend to shoot and I'll suggest a bullet weight and velocity for short-range effect. If you don't know what the characteristics of the intruder will be, then I'd just go wth a 158 gr. JHP at 1200 fps or more. Those more expert than I tend to favor the 125 gr. JHP at 1400 fps+. I figure I could do pretty darn well with either of these loads if I were up against a 110 pounder or a 360 pounder.
 
When I carried my 4" 19-4 on duty and off, I used 158 grain 357 JHP. Speer makes a nice 158 grain load. I like their Gold Dot bullets. Regards 18DAI
 
Night Sights on Model 19-4?

I appreciate this folks. I'm going to pick up some of the 357 Hornady 158s (thanks, Willy), some 145 grain 357 Silvertips (thanks 2000Z-71 and Nightowl), and some Federal 38 Special +P 129 Grain Hydra-Shok JHPs, and 158s in the same if I can find them. Since the likely scenario is inside the house at night, we'll test these 3 or 4 loads in the dark and see about muzzle flash and sight (literally, not the iron kind) recovery.

Does anyone happen to know if you replace the red/orange plastic insert in the front sight with a similar one that glows in the dark?


Thanks again.


Bullseye
 
Another vote for the 145 grain Winchester Silvertip. I've never shot anyone with it, but I have friends who have, and it worked with aplomb.
 
If you plan on practicing a lot with the load you'll actually be using, go with the 158-gr. .357; almost any manufacturer will do. The really fast 125-grainers, if used extensively, run you the risk of a cracked forcing cone, and Smith cannot replace the barrels on these guns now. I'm comfortable shooting the 158-grainers and using them for defense also in my 19s and 66s.
 
Most of the "experts"* I've read reccomend a 125gr. as being the most effective medicine for two legged varmints.

I tend to agree with the majority here. Most any HP projectile will do, providing you aim it properly.



* expert = anyone who has managed to get a article published somewhere.
 
Another vote for the 145 Silvertips, @ 100 yards aiming at the neck on a b-27 target I can put 6 in the upper chest. with a 4" mod 19-4.
 
therevjay said:
Most of the "experts"* I've read reccomend a 125gr. as being the most effective medicine for two legged varmints.

I tend to agree with the majority here. Most any HP projectile will do, providing you aim it properly.



* expert = anyone who has managed to get a article published somewhere.
Click to expand...

I thought "experts" reccomended heavy, hard cast SWC for dangerous animals. The most dangerous thing I can think of is a 300 lb. gang banger on dope. Larry
 
i load my sp101 357 with ....

mag-safes.

lite and super fast rounds and lethal. also low recoil.

i feel it is good to go with these but would say federal 125 gr jhp rounds are proven .
most cor-bon stuff is worth looking into also.

my 02
 
The Mod 19 has forcing cone splitting problems with the 110/125gr loads and no new replacement barrels. 140/or heavier is recommended.
 
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