.38 vs .357 in snub revolvers

[MRH]

Guess I'm one of the dummies that bought into that myth a little too much. I still find snub nose 357's to be annoying and practically useless though.

Good video, but one thing struck me odd. Why not just use the same gun for testing?

No idea. I wondered the same thing. I doubt it makes much difference, if any.

A .357 snub would be good for one, maybe two up close shots. Of course recoil will not seem so much when fighting for life and limb. I look at it kind of like a Taurus Judge. It would make a good weapon if you're sitting at a red light and someone approaches your door with bad intentions. Other than that, meh...

But on the other hand, he seems to handle a snub .357 quite well.

 

[StuP]

I agree about the same gun comments, it should be apples to apples.

I prefer 38 in a snub, the extra recoil and time back on target for a 2nd shot aren't worth the extra power to me. Practice makes perfect, and practicing with a 357 snub isn't pleasant for me.

 

[41mag]

A snub nosed .357 gives you the option to use any .38 special load you wish or to use a .357 mag load, for carry purposes as well as practice. I would rather have the .357 than a standard .38 just for the versatility.

 

[Fatal_Bert]

No idea. I wondered the same thing. I doubt it makes much difference, if any.

A .357 snub would be good for one, maybe two up close shots. Of course recoil will not seem so much when fighting for life and limb. I look at it kind of like a Taurus Judge. It would make a good weapon if you're sitting at a red light and someone approaches your door with bad intentions. Other than that, meh...

But on the other hand, he seems to handle a snub .357 quite well.

Only down side is you're definitely going to have permanent hearing damage if you fire a snub nose 357 from inside a vehicle with no hearing protection. I've done it with a full size 40s&w and that left me practically deaf for the rest of the day. I can't imagine a two inch 357.

 

[fattboyzz]

A snub nosed .357 gives you the option to use any .38 special load you wish or to use a .357 mag load, for carry purposes as well as practice. I would rather have the .357 than a standard .38 just for the versatility.

I'd rather have the 357 anytime for the options

 

[GTSteve03]

The only comfortable snub 357 I've shot is the SP101. That thing was actually pretty nice to shoot even with full power loads.

Definitely some muzzle flash though!

 

[Aimless]

I have both a .357 snub and a .38 spc snub. One is an M&P 340 and the other is a 342Ti. Both are equally painful to shoot because of their light weight. So for me there really isn't a difference there. The difference maker for me is my environment. If I know I am going to be in and around a vehicle all day I carry my M&P 340 in .357. That extra 300-400fps makes a difference when it comes to barrier penetration. Neither gun is a primary carry gun for me. They are back ups or extra insurance to an M9A1 Compact for a 92FS Vertec 9mm.

 

[Triathloncoach]

Is a 4 inch barrel a snub nose? Not to me. S

I carried a S&W 637 & 360 for a while. Compared to a 4" Security Six they are tiny. Compared with my 28-2 four inch.... I put 38+p. Still hurt.

If I were carrying a snubbie with a 1.75" barrel and had to use it I'd want the Speer Short Barrel 357.

But lots and lots of bad guys got "KILD DEAD" in the not so distant past by eniemic 38 specials fired by cops out of S&W 36 Detective Specials.

 

[gh1950]

At the suggestion a local LEO firearms instructor, I tried this experiment on my own, and I suggest that anyone else seriously interested in the .38 Special/.357 discussion try this.

I did it with a snub .357 Model 66. Go somewhere outdoors, and just after sunset, or even later in the dark, fire off 3 or 4 aimed shots from the .38 and then do the same with the .357. Make sure to do the .38 first. The muzzle flash from the .357 is so intense and so large, that a quick aimed follow up shot is very difficult especially with the addition recoil of the .357 taking the gun out of battery.

It made me analyze my carry habits in light of the likelihood of having a low light situation.

The heavy Model 65 makes a really good +P+ .38.

 

[Torn]

Considering a snub nose was designed for use in close quarters self-defense in which adrenalin will be through the roof, I don't expect a tack driver at 50 yards and the recoil will not even be noticed by the shooter and a blinding muzzle flash could actually work in your favor as you expect it but the attacker doesn't.

I prefer the .357 but like every other debate (9mm vs .40, 7.62x39 vs 5.56, .45 acp vs 9mm) it comes down to personal preference so if it goes bang when you pull the trigger and you're happy then that's the best cartridge for you.