Am I alone?

[Deceasedeye]

Why use a flame thrower to start a fire when a single match will do the job? I read a lot of posts that put down the 38 Special. IMHO a 2" magnum handgun for self defence is OVERKILL squared.

 

[bigwheelzip]

I don't "put down" anyone's self-defense choice, but when I carry a revolver, its a 3" 686 with the most effective magnum loads for the job at hand that I can find. If I carried a lighter framed revolver, I might go with 38s.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[rubiranch]

OVERKILL

Pun intended?

When it comes to defending your live I don't think anything is "OVERKILL".

 

[quikdraw67]

If I carry a revolver I carry a 640-1 with .38Spl +P JHP. Plenty of punch yet controllable. I have carried my Dad's 36-1 with the same load. Some folks like vanilla, other like chocolate, it's their choice.

 

[NYlakesider]

My normal carry is a Ruger LCR .38. For normal everyday carry its perfect, small, light and just disappears in its pocket holster and its +Ps it has should handle anything I might get involved with.

Now in a abnormal situation like going to the city or heading for a more "interesting" area, I will upgrade to a XDs.45 in a IWB.
Note I do my best not to have to go to a city or bad places if at all possible!

 

[Deceasedeye]

Pun intended?

When it comes to defending your live I don't think anything is "OVERKILL".

Since a magnum round up close is capable of decapitating more than just your adversary wouldn't it be OVERKILL if you took out an innocent bystander as well?

 

[Lord_Hood]

I generally carry a model 66-2 snub and a model 37 snub in the summer months.The 37 gets loaded with Speer's .38 125 grain +P JHP, as it actually happens to hit to the sights unlike most everything else. The model 66 is stuffed with Speer's 135 grain short barrel magnums, as they're low flash, controllable, and again, shoot to the sights as I have them set. Alternatively I'll shoot Remington's 125 grain +P .38 in the 66. They hit just a tad lower, but they were available in some quantity for a bargain, and I have a good stock of them. I have no real qualms about .38s being underpowered vs a .357 or whatever as long as the bullet penetrates adequately. The .38 special round-nosed lead has filled graveyards full of people over the last century plus, and will continue to do so if employed in the proper fashion.

I'll happily take magnums in a K frame, but a J frame is a bit much, especially an airweight, for me.

 

[Rocket3]

This reminds me of my motorcycle days.

If you don't like my ride you know what you can do with your opinion.

Insert weapon of choice

 

[Echo40]

While I agree that .38 Special is an adequate choice for Self-Defense, I disagree with the notion that a .357 Magnum Snubby is overkill.

Case in point, my mother carries a Taurus 605, a .357 Magnum Snubby, which I personally recommended to her after she asked me to recommend her a pistol that she could carry which was good not just for two-legged threats, but four-legged ones as well after a too-close-for-comfort encounter with a hog she had had one night while she was walking her dogs as well as finding tracks/scat in her yard.

Furthermore, a .357 Magnum Snubby isn't even overkill for humans either. It's not exactly common, but thugs have been shot before with .357s and kept coming. Besides, part of the reason why folks choose to carry .357 Magnum Snubbies is because .357 Magnum has a reputation as a reliable cartridge for stopping a threat in short order.

Seriously, .357 Magnum is a powerful cartridge, but it's a far cry from being overkill. Heck, just about the only things that I would consider "overkill" for ordinary civilian Self-Defense are cartridges specifically designed for hunting African big game or anti-material purposes, as obviously nobody needs a .50 BMG Barrett Rifle for Home Defense.

 

[Onomea]

Try practicing with both, double action, rapid fire. If you can keep the groups equally tight, sure, use the .357. If not, 38 spl might be the better choice for self defense with a snubby.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

The late great Bill Jordan said the 38 Special was the most powerful round the average man-i.e. most of us-could expect to master and if in armed encounters we could all channel Charlie Askins and Jim Cirillo we'd do OK.
No lightweight frames for me, steel only.
That said, choice of self defense caliber is very personal and IMHO range time and the Combat Mindset are what counts. The fact

 

[fredj338]

Why use a flame thrower to start a fire when a single match will do the job? I read a lot of posts that put down the 38 Special. IMHO a 2" magnum handgun for self defence is OVERKILL squared.

Well sure, if ypu only carry it & never need it. In todays enviro, multiple attackers, semiauto weapons, overkill? Do you live under a rock? The 38sp is the floor. A 5shot snub is the floor. Me, I carry a gun to defend myself against all threats, not just to carry a gun. I bet you never shoot either. Afterall practice would be overkill right?

 

[gwpercle]

After 50+ years reading , study , experiences of myself and LEO friends and a whole lot of shooting different calibers and different guns ...

In a J-Frame or K-frame S&W ...
I have found the 38 Special suits me to a tee .

I'll join your club !
Gary

 

[ContinentalOp]

Blanket statements like that may have a grain of truth, but reality is a lot more complex.

For one thing, while .357 Magnum is an effective round, it's not quite the lightning bolt that some people think it is. It's like saying, "They all fall to hardball!" when talking about .45ACP. Reality doesn't always agree.

Also, not all .357 Magnum rounds are "flamethrowers." Plenty of mid-range options.

And not all .357 Magnum "flamethrowers" will "decapitate" someone (actually, none of them will). I used to shoot WWB 110gr SJHP out of a 3" 65. Very nice fireball, visible even in an indoor range. But ballistically, it's on par with 9mm +P, maybe +P+.

Personally, I have no intention of ever shooting full-power .357 Magnum loads out of a 2" barrel. The negatives outweigh any power advantage it may have. .38 Special is just fine with me. But if someone can handle it, who am I to say it's "overkill"? We already have too many people who say, "A 5-shot snub is gonna get you killed!" or "You plan on missing a lot with your 15-shot wondernine?"

Just my opinion.

 

[rubiranch]

Since a magnum round up close is capable of decapitating more than just your adversary wouldn't it be OVERKILL if you took out an innocent bystander as well?

People need to be aware of their surroundings.

If you're stupid enough to shoot someone with a .357 magnum with someone standing behind them you have no business carrying a gun to begin with.

Its called education, training and responsibility.

 

[ruger 22]

There are a lot of serious considerations mentioned here but to me the most important when the chips are down are bullet placement and the mindset to actually pull the trigger.

 

[gwpercle]

Blanket statements like that may have a grain of truth, but reality is a lot more complex.

For one thing, while .357 Magnum is an effective round, it's not quite the lightning bolt that some people think it is. It's like saying, "They all fall to hardball!" when talking about .45ACP. Reality doesn't always agree.

Also, not all .357 Magnum rounds are "flamethrowers." Plenty of mid-range options.

And not all .357 Magnum "flamethrowers" will "decapitate" someone (actually, none of them will). I used to shoot WWB 110gr SJHP out of a 3" 65. Very nice fireball, visible even in an indoor range. But ballistically, it's on par with 9mm +P, maybe +P+.

Personally, I have no intention of ever shooting full-power .357 Magnum loads out of a 2" barrel. The negatives outweigh any power advantage it may have. .38 Special is just fine with me. But if someone can handle it, who am I to say it's "overkill"? We already have too many people who say, "A 5-shot snub is gonna get you killed!" or "You plan on missing a lot with your 15-shot wondernine?"

Just my opinion.

AMEN Brother ...truer words were never spoken
Life is a whole lot more complex and the older you get the more complex it gets !!!
Carry what you can shoot best ... one hit beats a dozen misses Seven Ways to Sunday in a gunfight .
And you better make the first shot count ...
Gary

 

[Deceasedeye]

People need to be aware of their surroundings.

If you're stupid enough to shoot someone with a .357 magnum with someone standing behind them you have no business carrying a gun to begin with.

Its called education, training and responsibility.

If someone needs to be shot and it's up to you, not later but now in a split second and the 357 is what you have I guess you throw it at them. I am an old man now, I started shooting at 12, I have shot competively, so I know about education, training and responsibility, I also know about the heat of the moment. Even the best of us is not perfect!

 

[ContinentalOp]

People need to be aware of their surroundings.

If you're stupid enough to shoot someone with a .357 magnum with someone standing behind them you have no business carrying a gun to begin with.

Its called education, training and responsibility.

As I said, the real world is complex, and there may be no good option, with the least bad option being to shoot the attacker, knowing there may be people behind him. Or stress-induced tunnel vision may set in and all you see is the threat and not bystanders. Sometimes, the fit hits the shan, and you have to do the best you can with what you got.

 

[uncleted327]

Over penetration is a result of bullet choice, not caliber. If you feel 38 is adequate for you then so be it. But to try and tell anyone who doesn't agree with that theory that they are wrong and are somehow recklessly endangering everyone around them by caring a more powerful caliber smacks of arrogance. Carry what you want and don't question anyone else's choice. Just because you think something doesn't mean you're right...