hermannr
Regular Member
If you like being able to hear at all, go with the .38 spl.
If you like being able to hear at all, go with the .38 spl.
A 357 is a 38 bullet with more powder?
In developing the .357mag in 1935 it was decided to make the .357mag case about 1/8" longer so it would be too long to fit in a .38spcl cylinder. Otherwise, people might accidently load the .357 cartridges in their 38spcl gun, and blow up the gun.
Around 1935 or so, a few somebodies talked Smith & Wesson into sooping-up the .38spcl and called it the .357mag.
as others have mentioned, 357 offers flexibility of shooting the cheaper .38 for practice. However, when you carry, load it with 357hp. Almost all ruger and s&w revolvers are awesome. I shoot .38's out of my .357 vaqueros all the time with no problem. Is more cleaning required? Yes but .38's are substantially cheaper than .357, and that's why shoot 'em. The most time I have on a ultra-light .38 is the Taurus model 85. It's so small and so light it's very difficult to shoot accurately past 10 yards. Oh, and a must have on these pocket guns is a crimson trace laser, so add another $150-200 for that. Most of the pocket guns have horrible sights.
As an alternative, you could always get a +p rated 38 and you're in the realm of 357 stopping power.
One of the newer revolvers that has caught my eye (haven't shot it) is the chiappa rhino. It's weird looking but the design leads me to believe that follow up shots would be easier as the muzzle flip would be less.Just my .02.
Yes and no, mostly gotta make sure to clean the "crud" the 38 leaves behind before using 357's again... Otherwise you run into major problems. But on the face of it the rounds are interchangable in a 357 chambering.
The suggestion is the same as always... Go to a range and shoot them, if the range has some for rent, or bring a friend and try his out. If it's a concealed (2" barrel) gun then the 38 may work better as it's typically a smaller package.
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First thing I thought of. A 9mm round out of a 2" barrel isn't going to do more than annoy an already angry quadped.
Sort of. A 357 is essentially more powder than a .38SPL, but not to be confused with a standard .38 bullet. Think of it this way, a .38SPL is a .357 round in a necked down but slightly longer .38 Long Colt case since the Long Colt 38 is the parent case to the .38SPL.
yea, it blew my mind when I first learned about .38 vs .357
.38 is really just nomenclature.
The bullet diameter of a .45 is .45 of an inch...the diameter of a .50AE is .5 of an inch. .357mag? .357 of an inch. .38spcl? .357 of an inch. lolwut?
It gets really fun when you add .357 SIG to the mix, which is not .357, but .355". .380 ACP is also .355" wide. 9mm Luger is .356"
One more question just because I can what do you is feel is best getting a revolver with or without a hammer? Oblivious a hammer gives you the benefit of revealing a lot of the trigger pull but a hammer less revolver means it wont get caught on anything