XD Talk

mr0w1 · 11-02-2006, 09:46 AM

To the point, my dad and I were discussing this, and I thought I'd ask y'all:

Out of a very short revolver barrel (think 2" barrel, like on a SP101), does a .357mag put out a significant amount of ballistic performance more than a .38+P, or is it simply more noise, recoil, smoke and flash?

farmer · 11-02-2006, 09:51 AM

Short answer is yes. The 38+p is only a few thousand PSI above a standard 38. However, from a personal protection standpoint, a 38+p can under certain circumstances be a better round. Especially when over-penetration is a concern.

farmer

Nerves · 11-02-2006, 10:03 AM

YES! a .357 MAG is a longer casing....

mcb · 11-02-2006, 10:04 AM

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/38vs357snub.htm

SAAMI Pressure spec.
38 special 17,000psi
38 special +P 18,500psi
357Magnum 35,000psi

357magnum even out of a short barrel is a lot more gun. That said is the trade off in muzzle energy worth the extra recoil, muzzle blast and muzzle flash. That must be determined buy the guy carrying the gun.

mcb

**mtcraigco** · 11-02-2006, 10:08 AM

.357 mag still outperforms the .38 Sp+p regardless of bbl length. It does loose some velocity due to the short bbl length but so does the .38.

A .38 +P+ from a 4 inch bl might get closer to a .357 from a 2 1/2 bbl.

The sp101 with the 3 1/16 inch bbl is kinda of a fav of mine among j-frame size guns. The extra 3/4 inch gives most of the lost power back to the .357 without adding much bbl length. Still easy to hide and LOTS of punch.

As far as over-penetration, .357 rounds in the 110 grain category or frangibles such as Glasers are another option there. The light 110s tend to dump energy pretty fast, which you want anyway. The 125grn .357 is still king in stopping power last I checked.

Broadside · 11-02-2006, 10:10 AM

In a short barrel gun go with the bullet that will get you the most velocity. Shooting the human body is not a block of Jello or Jugs of water. You are shooting through clothing, bone, muscle and tissue. You want to be able to penetrate to vital organs to take the BG down. When shooting handguns shot placement is critical. But even with X ring hits with the wrong ammo you may find yourself emptying the gun to stop the BG. Lot of shooting data around the 38 not having enough velocity to penetrate and hit vitals.

http://theboxotruth.com/docs/bot26.htm

**mtcraigco** · 11-02-2006, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broadside

In a short barrel gun go with the bullet that will get you the most velocity. Shooting the human body is not a block of Jello or Jugs of water. You are shooting through clothing, bone, muscle and tissue. You want to be able to penetrate to vital organs to take the BG down. When shooting handguns shot placement is critical. But even with X ring hits with the wrong ammo you may find yourself emptying the gun to stop the BG. Lot of shooting data around the 38 not having enough velocity to penetrate and hit vitals.

http://theboxotruth.com/docs/bot26.htm

Ditto

mr0w1 · 11-02-2006, 10:31 AM

Wow. Lots of replies, quickly.

Reason my dad and I were discussing this is because the two of us and my sister are trying to pick out a CCW for her. I'm basically putting the weight and cost savings of a .38 against the ammo versatility of the .357, with the ballistic performance as the deciding factor.

So...anyone got anything to say about the Taurus 617 .357 Mag?

hytekblue · 11-02-2006, 10:40 AM

I would tend to agree that you do get more out of .357 in a snub.

I have a SP101 with a 2 1/4" barrel and love it. It's heavy enough that .357's are not too bad and 38 special +p's are cushy to shoot. It's sorta the best of both worlds. unless you are trying to pocket carry. Mine tends to be a BUG most of the time with the ocasional primary carry use.

nightraider · 11-02-2006, 11:35 AM

The reason the gun has more recoil, flash and kick is the higher energy. I'd just buy the .357Mag and then you can shoot both ammo through it, save some money at the range with .38Special.