357 and/or (Mag) v.s 38 Special + P

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As I'm trying to Learn about the different Calibers to Select appropiate Shooters I have a Questions ( ??? ).

What's the difference between the .38 and .38 +P. And the difference between .38 +P and 357 and /or ( Mag).

My wife wants a S&W 637 .38 Spec +P and I'm wondering if this would be a good SD shooter??? She likes it cause it won't weight anything on her Hip / or in her Purse + it comes with a laser grip on it which she REALLLLY liked:what:.

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UTOC-45-44 wrote:

As I'm trying to Learn about the different Calibers to Select appropiate Shooters I have a Questions ( ??? ).

What's the difference between the .38 and .38 +P. And the difference between .38 +P and 357 and /or ( Mag).

My wife wants a S&W 637 .38 Spec +P and I'm wondering if this would be a good SD shooter??? She likes it cause it won't weight anything on her Hip / or in her Purse + it comes with a laser grip on it which she REALLLLY liked:what:.

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+p = higher pressure, means the gun can fire this type of ammo, +p was created as it was the same caliber but they needed to distinguish between these two types of ammunition, as many older firearms cannot fire it, as well as some new ones being produced today.

the .38 is perfectly suitable for self defense in my opinion, but I can gaurantee you someone will tell you otherwise, the .357 is a better choice IF you have the option and IF you can shoot it well.

Also you can use .38 cartridges in a .357 magnum firearm, but not vise versa -- so if you have a .357 magnum you can pratice with .38, which will save you money on ammo, and use .357 for carry, I would still practice ocassionally with .357 as it has a bit more kick to it.

My mother actually carries the S&W, I have shot it on a few occassions, very reliable from what I can deduce, and very managable.

Hope this helps.

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UTOC-45-44 wrote:

As I'm trying to Learn about the different Calibers to Select appropiate Shooters I have a Question ( ??? ).

What's the difference between the .38 and .38 +P. And the difference between .38 +P and 357 and /or ( Mag).

My wife wants a S&W 637 .38 Spec +P and I'm wondering if this would be a good SD shooter??? She likes it cause it won't weight anything on her Hip / or in her Purse.

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The difference is all in the size of the charge and associated recoil and velocity.

.357 Magnum has the highest velocity, largest charge and greatest recoil.

The .38 Special has the lowest and the .38 Special +P is somewhere in between.

Where in between depends on the weight of the various bullets and the relative powderloadings of the various rounds.

If you get a revolver chambered for .357 Magnums, you can shoot all three.

Some .38 Specials, can shoot both .38 Special and +P and some cannot.

I bought my wife a .357 Magnum and at first she wanted it loaded with .38 Specials, then .38 specials +P, and now it is loaded in .357 Magnums but she has that choice.

Any of the three loading are a good SD shooter.

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tarzan1888 wrote:

UTOC-45-44 wrote:

As I'm trying to Learn about the different Calibers to Select appropiate Shooters I have a Question ( ??? ).

What's the difference between the .38 and .38 +P. And the difference between .38 +P and 357 and /or ( Mag).

My wife wants a S&W 637 .38 Spec +P and I'm wondering if this would be a good SD shooter??? She likes it cause it won't weight anything on her Hip / or in her Purse.

Click to expand...

The difference is all in the size of the charge and associated recoil and velocity.

.357 Magnum has the highest velocity, largest charge and greatest recoil.

The .38 Special has the lowest and the .38 Special +P is somewhere in between.

Where in between depends on the weight of the various bullets and the relative powderloadings of the various rounds.

If you get a revolver chambered for .357 Magnums, you can shoot all three.

Some .38 Specials, can shoot both .38 Special and +P and some cannot.

I bought my wife a .357 Magnum and at first she wanted it loaded with .38 Specials, then .38 specials +P, and now it is loaded in .357 Magnums but she has that choice.

Any of the three loading are a good SD shooter.

Click to expand...

I thought of the versatility as well by getting a 357, however I have not found 1 that's airlight and with a hammer in a j-frame.

What I have seen is S&W 340 (hammerless) but would double the cost with the Laser gripon it as well.

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Most ranges that rent guns should have a357 wheel gun you can try out with the 3 loads. Shoot a box of each. Quite a bit of recoil difference between the various loads. I use 38+p as my standard round in my security six. Big step up in flash and bang with the fullhouse 357 magnums. Still fun to shoot but not so sure I want to be blasting that in my hallway should I need to. The 38+p JHP will do just fine in ruining the bad guys day.

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UTOC-45-44 wrote:

As I'm trying to Learn about the different Calibers to Select appropiate Shooters I have a Questions ( ??? ).

What's the difference between the .38 and .38 +P. And the difference between .38 +P and 357 and /or ( Mag).

My wife wants a S&W 637 .38 Spec +P and I'm wondering if this would be a good SD shooter??? She likes it cause it won't weight anything on her Hip / or in her Purse + it comes with a laser grip on it which she REALLLLY liked:what:.

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All 3 are good rounds, it just depends on how much recoil you or your wife can handle. I have two .357s (Ruger Security Six & EAA snub nose) for in home I keep the Ruger loaded with .38 +P and the snub nose with .357. In the colder months their loaded with .357 to penetrate heavier clothing.

My wife carries the S&W 642 with the laser grips and loaded with Corbon .38 +P, she loves it. She has a weird prescription for her glasses and she has a hard time getting a good site picture. With the laser grips, she is able to get on target very quickly and accurately.

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UTOC-45-44 wrote:

I thought of the versatility as well by getting a 357, however I have not found 1 that's airlight and with a hammer in a j-frame.

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Remember, the lighter the gun, the more felt recoil there will be. Those lightweight guns are great to carry, but will hit you hard when it's time to shoot. Some people stop practicing because of the abuse those lightweight guns dish out. A good holster can make a heavy gun seem to weigh very little.

I shot my wife's Rossi snub-nose in .357 mag last week. Full weight and fingered rubber grips. The .357 made it a handfull to hold and the shockwave was like a slap to the face! :shock: Wife wouldn't even try it after seeing what it did to me. She is quite happy carrying it with .38 specials.

LoveMyCountry

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Mmm, you can get little stick-on recoil pads for handguns, and they are pretty nice. Almost a requirement for a PA-63, IMHO.

They do come off, but they're also pretty cheap.

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AbNo wrote:

Mmm, you can get little stick-on recoil pads for handguns, and they are pretty nice. Almost a requirement for a PA-63, IMHO.

They do come off, but they're also pretty cheap.

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Never heard of these....could you post a link?....I'd like to try some on my PA-63

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LoveMyCountry wrote:

UTOC-45-44 wrote:

I thought of the versatility as well by getting a 357, however I have not found 1 that's airlight and with a hammer in a j-frame.

Click to expand...

Remember, the lighter the gun, the more felt recoil there will be. Those lightweight guns are great to carry, but will hit you hard when it's time to shoot. Some people stop practicing because of the abuse those lightweight guns dish out.

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Good point. Very good point.

For most civilian carry applications, I just do not see the overall effectiveness of a J-frame .357 mag solution, especially in a lightweight frame. With .357 PD loads, it's hard to shoot, hard to practice, hard to stay in practice...

I think things get a LOT more manageable with a K or even an L-frame with .357 mag loads. But, of course, those are bigger than the emininently carryable J-frame.

If you're committed to a lightweightJ-frame platform, then .38 spl +P PD loads is a very good place to be. For a steel gun, a M60 or M60 LadySmith are very nice guns and probably easiest to shoot for most people. A bit heavier to carry,although easier to shoot. And I think the older ones cannot always handle +P loads.

If you (or she)likes DAO, then there is a nice M37-2 that S&Wreleasedless than two years ago that is quite nice: Airweight frame, black, bobbed hammer, +P rated, and nointegrated lock. About $360 and you can still find some new ones around. SlapsomeCrimson Trace grips on it and you have a very nicePD platform that will lasta long long time.

I think a lot of lightweight .357 mag J-frames end up in the carried a lot, shot very little category. Which is often just a euphemism for I don't really want toshoot the dman thing becauseit hurts. Not a good thing for acarry piece.

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Guys,...

Thank you so very much.

It appears that I will probably stick to the original Idea and get my wife the S&W 637 .38 +P according to ALL the Great Posts here.

If I want to go 357 I should really go with a S&W Model60, maybe ???

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UTOC-45-44 wrote:

If I want to go 357 I should really go with a S&W Model60, maybe ???

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That's a good choice. Or, if you want toavoid the hammer,a 640 or a 649.

Of course, some people will be gritting their teeth because you're feeding the Clintonistas' pals, the dreaded S&W.

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probably a decent gun

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HankT wrote:

UTOC-45-44 wrote:

If I want to go 357 I should really go with a S&W Model60, maybe ???

Click to expand...

That's a good choice. Or, if you want toavoid the hammer,a 640 or a 649.

Of course, some people will be gritting their teeth because you're feeding the Clintonistas' pals, the dreaded S&W.

Click to expand...

Yeah,...I know about "the Clintonistas' pals" and it makes me sad. Cuz S&W's have the better ones out there. I am still "scared" to get a Taurus due to all the rumours out there about how bad their guns are. Maybe that is how it USE TO BE.

Name brand to me I guess ???

Can somebody educate me aboutthe Good/Bad about Taurus Revolvers ??? vs. S&W

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UTOC-45-44 wrote:

HankT wrote:

UTOC-45-44 wrote:

If I want to go 357 I should really go with a S&W Model60, maybe ???

Click to expand...

That's a good choice. Or, if you want toavoid the hammer,a 640 or a 649.

Of course, some people will be gritting their teeth because you're feeding the Clintonistas' pals, the dreaded S&W.

Click to expand...

Yeah,...I know about "the Clintonistas' pals" and it makes me sad. Cuz S&W's have the better ones out there. I am still "scared" to get a Taurus due to all the rumours out there about how bad their guns are. Maybe that is how it USE TO BE.

Name brand to me I guess ???

Can somebody educate me aboutthe Good/Bad about Taurus Revolvers ??? vs. S&W

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Have fun.

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Thanks tarzan1888.

I will take a look at that shooter

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Double Post - PENALTY FLAG

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Comp-tech wrote:

AbNo wrote:

Mmm, you can get little stick-on recoil pads for handguns, and they are pretty nice. Almost a requirement for a PA-63, IMHO.

They do come off, but they're also pretty cheap.

Click to expand...

Never heard of these....could you post a link?....I'd like to try some on my PA-63

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D'oh! I thought I'd posted this before I went out...

Anyway, they are Limbsaver Pro Handgun System. They aren't on Limbsaver.com, but look for this at your local dealer....


Get the two-pack, don't bother with the bumper for the magazine.


Big picture, but only 138k.
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/8050/copyofgunsondashhm2.jpg

Original size of just the PA-63.


There was some other stuff, but I've been up for 24 hours now, and it's amazingly hot in here.

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hlh wrote:

My wifes concerns have always been size, weight, and recoil. I've really wanted her tocarryher S&W Lady Smith, Airlight, in .38 +P, but she always chooses the Kel Tec P3AT when she carries, and I'm just glad she carries something.

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A gun that is not carried is a help to no one.

Any gun is better than no gun.

I'm glad she carries too, wish my wife would.

At least my wife will shoot with me and has the .357, by her bed, ready to use.