You're Gettin' a J Frame....38 or 357...Your Pick??

[Newburydave]

A 14.5 ounce J-frame is about as light as you'll ever want to get with the .38 Spl. on a range. Defensively it's ideal.
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An ultra-light .357 Magnum actually has more "kick" than a .500 magnum...and that's saying a lot!

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Amen to that. Shooting 125gr +P rounds out of my 638-3 requires a special grip (not the stock S&W grip scales) or it
a) is very hard to control for rounds in the box and
b) hurts my hand after I only launch a few cylinder fulls downrange.

I've got a .357 Mag lever action carbine. That is a very controllable combination for hunting medium sized game. They serve well for Deer and feral hogs I hear. However, I installed a shock absorbing cushion over the steel butt plate because even with the mass of a long gun the recoil starts to hurt my shoulder after 50 to 100 rounds downrange. My wife likes the Carbine but she doesn't last ever that long due to the recoil.

So, I agree; .357 and Airweight revolvers don't mix.

IMHO for civilian self defense I don't think they would be appropriate anyway...you can blow a hole through the Cylinder Block of most production cars today with a .357 from a 4" barrel. I wouldn't want to deploy that kind of power close up to stop an attacker. Over-penetration would be a massive problem there, IMHO.

Worse than that would be to miss your attacker in the panic situation of an attack, due to the recoil or flinching. A stray .357 round would do a lot of damage.

 

[agent2749]

I own a 642-2. I hear the fact that it does not have a hammer exposed makes it easier on you if you have to explain a self defense scenario in court. I find that J-frames are very light and .38+p rounds kick like a mule in these. I have never shot a .357 J-frame but I do not think it would be comfortable. But I have not tried it. I have large hands and find the boot grips comfortable. anyone with smaller hands than I will feel at home with these.