My present EDC is a Ruger SP-101 .357 w/2 1/4" barrel. Load is Federal .38spl +P LSWC-HP. (I like it)
.357 as a EDC?
- Thread starter Gman686
- Start date
.357 Magnum certainly has its place, especially in the field. Otherwise, I stick to .38 Special in my .357s, including L and K frames and a Ruger or two. Too much noise and recoil for normal social interaction. YMMV
EDC - M649 - .38 Special
Nightstand gun - 3" M686+ - loaded with .38 Special HPs
In both cases, everything you need, nothing you don't.
EDC - M649 - .38 Special
Nightstand gun - 3" M686+ - loaded with .38 Special HPs
In both cases, everything you need, nothing you don't.
Bill In Texas
Member
My edc has been a 640 for quite a few years now. I use the Speer Short Barrel 135 grain .357 load as my carry rounds. It makes roughly 1000 fps out of the 2 1/8" Barrel. It's not as hot as a lot of .357 bullets, but it's a little bit more than a. 38 special. It feels a lot like the 110 grain Winchester White Box hollow point rounds to my hand, but without the flash.
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SGT ROCK 11B
Member
Today's Best Choice?
Lucky Gunner has gel tests of .38 Special and .357 rounds from 2” barrels, you can compare penetration and expansion for a variety of ammo.
I practiced with and carried regularly a 442 for about 20 years. At this point in my life, you’d need to fork over a $100 bill to get me to fire a full power .38 load in any Airweight or Airlite. You’d need another 9 of those bills to get me to fire any full power .357 load in any J-frame.
I practiced with and carried regularly a 442 for about 20 years. At this point in my life, you’d need to fork over a $100 bill to get me to fire a full power .38 load in any Airweight or Airlite. You’d need another 9 of those bills to get me to fire any full power .357 load in any J-frame.
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
Have you had Training at Thunder Ranch or similar? Professional Training will put your Ability on a Higher Level so you can make better decisions.
When cops carried revolvers on duty we were allowed to carry S&W 9mm pistols off duty. One young cop was a poor revolver shooter and he took our advice and got himself a S&W Model 39. He won his first gunfight with that M39. Who knows what would have happen with a M36 or a M19 at arms distance.
If you want a J-frame with a hammer, I think the 638 is a fine choice.
As to the .357 option, I am of the opinion that this cartridge doesn’t belong in a J-frame. Recoil is quite significant in all-steel gun, and it is downright ridiculous in alloy-framed models.
As to the .357 option, I am of the opinion that this cartridge doesn’t belong in a J-frame. Recoil is quite significant in all-steel gun, and it is downright ridiculous in alloy-framed models.
I carried one every day from 1979 to 1987 when we went to semi-automatics. We carried a S&W Model 66-1 2.5 inch loaded with magnum ammo. Later somebody got the bright idea we needed a four inch 66-2. The agents hated them and we soon went with the three inch 13, which was well liked by all the agents.
We were required by a former military department secretary to transition to semi-auto Berettas. They were too big for plain clothes carry and were universally despised.
We were required by a former military department secretary to transition to semi-auto Berettas. They were too big for plain clothes carry and were universally despised.
MetalMan
Member
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
In California we have a Law that the Bad Guy/Gal is responsible for anything that comes out of a crime.
You shoot bad guy who is committing a robbery and a bullet exits and kills a good guy. The bad guy (if he survives) is charged with Murder for the death of the good guy.
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
I know two female Detectives who carried Beretta 92 FS pistols in plain clothes and both won the gunfights they were in.
.357 mag can be tricky to find a good load for a short barrel if you don't roll your own. Most loads seem to be designed for 4" or longer barrels using slow burning powders = big fireballs from short barrels.
Remington Golden Sabre 125 gr and Speer Gold Dot 135 gr are both reduced power .357 factory loads. Either is a good choice for short barrels, but good luck finding them available.
If there's a chance I'll have to shoot within a confined space (house, vehicle) I'll run a .38+P.
I'll carry .357 in the field with a 3" or longer barrel, but it's usually a reduced power hand load around 30000 psi. A 125 gr Barnes TAC-XP at 1300 fps, or a 140 gr Barnes XPB at 1200 fps is plenty for most applications, and they are accurate and easy to shoot. If I need full power I'll load a 158 gr hardcast with gas check for max penetration.
Remington Golden Sabre 125 gr and Speer Gold Dot 135 gr are both reduced power .357 factory loads. Either is a good choice for short barrels, but good luck finding them available.
If there's a chance I'll have to shoot within a confined space (house, vehicle) I'll run a .38+P.
I'll carry .357 in the field with a 3" or longer barrel, but it's usually a reduced power hand load around 30000 psi. A 125 gr Barnes TAC-XP at 1300 fps, or a 140 gr Barnes XPB at 1200 fps is plenty for most applications, and they are accurate and easy to shoot. If I need full power I'll load a 158 gr hardcast with gas check for max penetration.
An extra 15,000 psi (20,000 vs 35,000), so it's certainly not insignificant.
Lucnic
Member
I have shot 357 in my SP-101 before. It’s doable but the juice ain’t worth the squeeze IMHO. Muzzle blast and recoil are too much. Follow ups are slow. If I had to shoot it in the confines of a room I’d probably end up deaf. My main carry is a 640 stoked with Underwood hard cast wadcutters. These are powerful and manageable enough for me.
My reason for CCW a .357 Magnum chambered revolver is I still recall some years past wih ammo was almost non-existance. If I need ammo chances are if I find .38 or .357 I can use it.
SWFan27
Member
It is what I carry. I will take 7 shots of 357 Magnum over 10 rounds of 9 Mil in California any day. Use the right ammo in short barrels to get good expansion.
A possibility for sure.
AveragEd
Member
As has already been mentioned, my primary concern with any magnum is over-penetration. If you live in a residential area, you could find yourself in hot water if your bullet strays from your domicile. Then there's the deafening report of a magnum and the blinding muzzle flash from one fired in the dark.
My two carry guns are an S&W E-Series 1911 .45ACP using Double Tap 160-grain lead-free hollow points (the "Mann load") and a 2-1/2" Model 66 loaded with Black Hills 125-grain .38 Special JHP +P loads. I hope never to have to use either for defensive purposes but I consider both rounds effective and somewhat "safe for home." When you're talking about firing a handgun indoors, there probably isn't a completely safe load.
Shotguns are really your best bet as far as over-penetration is concerned but unless you buy one with an ultra-short barrel, they are very unhandy to use indoors.
Ed
Editing this post to mention that I forgot to state that I think possibly the best .38/.357 defensive load for indoor use is the 148-grain wadcutter at target velocity. They cut a nice hole and there aren't many overpenetration problems.
I once spent a few days in our Forum's penalty box for criticizing someone who thought full-house .44 Magnums were the best indoor defensive load and said he would use a .460 if he had one. I still think that's idiotic but...
My two carry guns are an S&W E-Series 1911 .45ACP using Double Tap 160-grain lead-free hollow points (the "Mann load") and a 2-1/2" Model 66 loaded with Black Hills 125-grain .38 Special JHP +P loads. I hope never to have to use either for defensive purposes but I consider both rounds effective and somewhat "safe for home." When you're talking about firing a handgun indoors, there probably isn't a completely safe load.
Shotguns are really your best bet as far as over-penetration is concerned but unless you buy one with an ultra-short barrel, they are very unhandy to use indoors.
Ed
Editing this post to mention that I forgot to state that I think possibly the best .38/.357 defensive load for indoor use is the 148-grain wadcutter at target velocity. They cut a nice hole and there aren't many overpenetration problems.
I once spent a few days in our Forum's penalty box for criticizing someone who thought full-house .44 Magnums were the best indoor defensive load and said he would use a .460 if he had one. I still think that's idiotic but...
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With regard to over-penetration, you can chose a load to give the penetration you desire. If you sort Lucky Gunner’s test results for penetration depth, the first three loads in .38 for a 2” barrel are 11.8”, 12.3”, and 13.0”. First three loads for .357 in a 2” barrel are 10.5”, 13.0”, and 13.8”. (The Lucky Gunner site is a bit buggy, so some loads will report a slightly different penetration in the detailed section than in the overview). The shallowest penetrating .357 out of a 2” is the Remington 125 grain SJHP- a full power load.
.357 Magnum in a J frame is one of those things that sound good...on paper.
Heavy loads in a small gun will require a lot of practice time. It's not something that you can put a couple of cylinderfuls through and call it good. Shooting a lot of heavy loads will take a toll on both you and the gun.
Bullet placement with adequate penetration is what works. Current thought for ammo in a J frame is either one of the better .38 Special JHP loads (135-grain Gold Dot, 130-grain Ranger, 130-grain HydraShok Deep) or the humble wadcutter. .357 Magnum is nowhere on that list, at least for J frames. My 642-2 gets the 130-grain Ranger and my M49 gets Federal Gold Medal Match wadcutters because that's what they shoot to point of aim.
Don't get me wrong, I love shooting .357 Mag, I just limit it to my L and N frames.
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