.38 wadcutter velocity for defense

What is the max velocity that your gun can handle with the 150gr dewc?

This hints at the crux of the matter--is there a benefit of going as fast as the gun can allow? Or is it better to launch it at a controllable velocity that meets a decent power factor and thus save wear and tear on my wrists and the gun?
 
Groo here
The answer is to gain skill with a lighter load,knowing that you will react
as you are trained.
Then if you must use force, use as much as possible , place it where
it will do the most good ,as fast as possible.
If you are unlucky you will need to repeat.
 
When the late Jim Cirillo used full wascutters in real life , it was for a very specific task. To prevent deflection on oblique hits on skulls of armed robbers with only a small portion of their heads exposed from behind cover. Not a typical SD scenario.

C.E. Harris's developement criteria included penetrating both shoulders of a deer. For wilderness survival , involving both small game , and up to deer, I can see his standard ( ie full ) vel wadcutters as being viable. ( Improvement over a Keith at same vel ? I don't know , but viable .). Once again , not typical SD scenarios.

For 95% of adherents , the primary virtue of the wadcutter is the modest recoil in Midrange ( aka target , aka 700fps-ish ) flavor. The rest of this discussion is trying to make virtues from necessity.

Yes , sometimes we are dealing with people with actual physical disabilities , who can only deal with little to no recoil. (Seperate discussion , w/ interesting possabilities .)

But effective loads from a lightweight small frame snub aren't supposed to be fun. 50rd of 158's from a 13oz M37 left my hand sore.

The larger question is the use of ( alum/ scandimum / whatever ) framed small framed guns , when they would be better served with a steel frame. Along the same lines is the use of small framed snub generally , when one would be better served by a medimum frame ( even if it wears a 2in-ish bbl).
 
I've heard of this, but never seen it.
Has anyone here actually observed it? :confused:

Yes, I have seen it. A friend got a kick out of shooting them and seeing two holes appear in the target with each shot. The fun ended when he bulged the barrel of his Python from probably one of the skirts stuck in the barrel.
 

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