Might switch from 357 to 38 for carry

[Well Armed]

How did this turn into revolvers vs semiautos when the OP asked about which type of ammo for the revolver he wants to and has been carrying. He asked about ammo and not platforms.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

Typically I would carry my version of the Federal 38 Special +P HST Micro 130gr JHP-WC in my 442, and a bit hotter version in my 2.5" Model 19...

Cheers!

 

[Durango Slim]

How did this turn into revolvers vs semiautos when the OP asked about which type of ammo for the revolver he wants to and has been carrying. He asked about ammo and not platforms.

And to be even more realistic, any well placed shot from almost any gun in any caliber is likely to stop the threat posed from a man.

I chuckle when I read the tactical bros saying "you need at least"... fill in the rest.

The chances are so slim as to laughable of any one one this forum, or on the internet, being attacked by a gang of PCP addicts such that you need 15 rounds plus two 17 round backups.

If someone is intent on doing you harm, a .22 in the belly will have 99% of attackers rethinking their chosen occupations. For the other 1%, carry a bit more gun and practice shot placement.

I have confidence in my chosen carry gun- a 5 shot .38 Special. I have even more confidence in my ability to assess a potentially dangerous situation and get the hell out of there before I ever need to consider pulling a gun.

My advice for anyone that "needs" to carry a seeming overabundance of ammo is, instead of finding the best gun and ammo combination, find a good real estate agent.

My long winded answer to the OP's question is this- Carry what you shoot the best, not what a bunch of knuckleheads on the internet say you should.

 

[CA Escapee]

Federal .38 Spl +P 130 gr. HST (WC) JHP Micro with a speed loader and +P 135 gr. Gold Dot HP for a reload. Carried in a 442, or a 2.25" SP101 .357.

 

[ruger 22]

My EDC is a 649-2 so that has been answered. If it were a 357 I would still carry standard 38 ammo since we are dealing with close ranges and shot placement and repeatability would be paramount.

 

[smoothshooter]

And to be even more realistic, any well placed shot from almost any gun in any caliber is likely to stop the threat posed from a man.

I chuckle when I read the tactical bros saying "you need at least"... fill in the rest.

The chances are so slim as to laughable of any one one this forum, or on the internet, being attacked by a gang of PCP addicts such that you need 15 rounds plus two 17 round backups.

If someone is intent on doing you harm, a .22 in the belly will have 99% of attackers rethinking their chosen occupations. For the other 1%, carry a bit more gun and practice shot placement.

I have confidence in my chosen carry gun- a 5 shot .38 Special. I have even more confidence in my ability to assess a potentially dangerous situation and get the hell out of there before I ever need to consider pulling a gun.

My advice for anyone that "needs" to carry a seeming overabundance of ammo is, instead of finding the best gun and ammo combination, find a good real estate agent.

My long winded answer to the OP's question is this- Carry what you shoot the best, not what a bunch of knuckleheads on the internet say you should.

Agree with you entirely.
A decent hit anywhere in the torso or head using any gun in any caliber typically does the job.
I might add that one would have a hard time finding a non-law enforcement or military shooting confrontation where a magazine change was needed. I can see carrying a spare in case the magazine in the gun is accidentally dumped, but carrying 2 or 3 extras for daily carry is cause for changing ZIP codes for home or work.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

"Carry what you shoot the best, not what a bunch of knuckleheads on the internet say you should."

That statement is spot on.

I can not believe people buy premium "boutique" ammunition (Underwood at $2.20 per bullet?) but they do not attend Professional Training.

In 38 Special the 158 grain LRN will do it, if you do your part.

 

[.45mtngun]

For carry in my 2 1/2" S&W 19-5 I use Remington mid-range 125 grain brass jacketed hollow points as they are very accurate and easy to shoot well.

Jim

 

[BabaBlueJay]

"Carry what you shoot the best, not what a bunch of knuckleheads on the internet say you should."

That statement is spot on.

I can not believe people buy premium "boutique" ammunition (Underwood at $2.20 per bullet?) but they do not attend Professional Training.

In 38 Special the 158 grain LRN will do it, if you do your part.

I shoot the Winchester Silvertips in 357 magnum quite well. I just have a tough time making follow up shots as fast as I'd like. I also admit, that I flinch sometimes and I need to work on that. I am going to shoot a few hundred more before I bulk order something and see if fixing some technique issues enables me to address my concerns with 357 magnum.

 

[Rpg]

Some time ago I divested myself of my last 357.

I had the same ideas many do about the cartridge about its versatility and superiority to the 38 special. It probably offers higher velocity than the 38 but there are so many loads for it and so many barrel lengths that the difference is trivial.

I discovered the 45acp in 1911’s years ago and have found that nothing serves my purposes better except for pocket carry. The 38 special in the M38 and 49 are the best pocket carry handguns ever made.

 

[UNCLE PAULY]

I carry a 649 2-1/2” 357 J frame with Speer Gold Dot 38 +p for short barrels. I have shot 357 out of it at the range just to confirm that it was a bad idea.

357 Mag go in my models 28 & 520 N frame revolvers.

 

[chief38]

You need to make sure you have the barrel length to achieve the necessary velocity for hollow point expansion. Otherwise it's a FMJ.

Also remember that a bear load needs to be different than a self defense load. A 200 pound black bear is a much tougher animal than a 200 pound man. Fur, thicker skin, denser muscles and bones.

A hollow point at .38 velocities will likely expend it's energy before hitting anything vital in a bear. You want penetration from a heavy flat-ish nosed bullet to break bones and crush tissue on it's way out the other side of the beast.

I have been experimenting with 148gr wadcutters in my 2" .38. At 930 fps, they are accurate and manageable. This combo has been used for decades as a quality back up load by police.

Exactly! When I take a 357 into the woods when in Bear Country, I load it with Buffalo Bore 180 grain LSWC hard cast bullets. They won't expand at all, but from a 3" M65 they do over 1,300 fps and over 1,400 fps out of a 4" tube which should provide enough penetration. A 6" bbl. will provide greater velocity but I have never personally chronographed it from a 6" bbl.

This load is strictly for Bears, not for two legged animals. I would never use that load on the street!

 

[BabaBlueJay]

I am not here to try and sell anything to anybody. I am simply stating the ballistics of commonly carried bullets out of commonly carried guns.

A 124 grain standard velocity 9mm HST out of a Sig P365 3.1" bbl moving at 1100 fps generates about 333 foot pounds of energy. The same round in +P is 364 ft. lbs.

A 158 grain Buffalo Bore +P Heavy SWCHP moving at 1,000 fps from a 2" bbl generates about 350 foot pounds of energy. That's about the best 38 special I know of.

The difference in energy is not enough to practically matter, however the violent recoil out of a J frame & only 5 shot capacity is dismal against an 11 shot, 17.6 ounce (unloaded) 9mm that is slimmer, lighter, smaller and holds more than double the capacity. Recoil is mild and so follow up shots are easy and fast.

If you are truly intent on improving your EDC platform, this is something to seriously consider. I was a revolver guy my entire life (for EDC/CCW) but that changed about 4-5 years ago when the Sig P365 came on the market. If you objectively compare a Micro 9 (Sig, Hellcat, FN Reflex, etc) to a 5 shot J Frame, there is simply no contest - at least in my mind.

I guess I am just stubborn because I have only tried one auto and the rest have been revolvers. Currently my 4" 686 is my carry gun and I will admit that carrying it for anything longer than a short excursion is a pain. Carrying the P365 was much easier, I just never fully trusted it to not go off if my daughter or dog jumped on me. I know it is illogical, but the lack of an exposed hammer, long double action trigger, or safety on it made me scared especially when I was carrying that in a smart carry which is a soft holster.

 

[Bald1]

Maybe I’m in the minority. A 4” L frame is kinda heavy and not easy to conceal. If I’m going to the trouble of carrying one I want the magnum payload. If I was going to use 38 spl I’d have a 2” K or J frame. Seems like everything is a trade off when it comes to concealed carry

 

[BabaBlueJay]

Maybe I’m in the minority. A 4” L frame is kinda heavy and not easy to conceal. If I’m going to the trouble of carrying one I want the magnum payload. If I was going to use 38 spl I’d have a 2” K or J frame. Seems like everything is a trade off when it comes to concealed carry

No, you are probably in the majority but yeah that's why I currently use 357 Silvertips because, why not in an L frame that was built for the task?

The issue is that I only want one hand gun as my situation requires that I have only one. If I wanted to get a smaller auto or J Frame, this would be at the cost of my 686.

 

[rbmac52]

I understand the utility and the economy of carrying .38 Special ammunition in a .357 Magnum revolver. However, I've never done that. I have several .357 Magnum revolvers and even more .38 Special revolvers. For me, if the gun is chambered for .357 Magnum, that is the caliber of ammunition I load in it. If I want less recoil and muzzle flash in a carry gun, I carry a .38 Special revolver.

 

[DesertFox]

Would consider giving a kidney in trade for a 315NG...

 

[Data]

I carry a 686 and while I know that this combat magnum was designed for heavy use of the cartridge I am starting to wonder if this is prudent for carry. I currently use Winchester Silvertips and they perform great in terms of reliability, accuracy, expansion, and follow-up shots. As I approach the time of year where I buy bulk ammo, I have noticed that Gold Dots have finally become available in bulk online for great prices. I know that 38 is less powerful, however, I think the lower recoil, less penetration, and faster follow-ups could outweigh the lower velocity. I was just curious what others with revolvers chambered in 357 choose to carry between the two and why?

I don't think you're going to find a better round for your model 686 other than Winchester's Silvertip as mentioned. Based on what you shared I don't think there is a need to find a perfect replacement. However, having options at your disposal is a good thing. I would just roll with the .38 for now since it's available. Perhaps all this is just another good reason to buy yourself a new revolver.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

I don't think you're going to find a better round for your model 686 other than Winchester's Silvertip as mentioned. Based on what you shared I don't think there is a need to find a perfect replacement. However, having options at your disposal is a good thing. I would just roll with the .38 for now since it's available. Perhaps all this is just another good reason to buy yourself a new revolver.

Thanks for the insight as always Data, you always seem to cut through to the issue efficiently. I agree if I continue to use the 686 that silvertips are probably ideal. I also agree that it might be time to just accept that if I can only have one revolver a J Frame would just be better for that, as I would have it on my person more often.

 

[Durango Slim]

Some time ago I divested myself of my last 357.

I had the same ideas many do about the cartridge about its versatility and superiority to the 38 special. It probably offers higher velocity than the 38 but there are so many loads for it and so many barrel lengths that the difference is trivial.

I discovered the 45acp in 1911’s years ago and have found that nothing serves my purposes better except for pocket carry. The 38 special in the M38 and 49 are the best pocket carry handguns ever made.

At the lower range you are correct but there is a huge difference in max loads. No .38 is going to push a 158 JHP at 1590 fps.

Of course I just went the opposite direction and bought a .44 Magnum. Now I look at my pile of .38s and .357s and think, "how cute".

And I agree with you about 1911s. Once you handle and shoot one, no polymer striker gun will feel as good.