Shooting .38 spl out of .357 magnum

[CountryGent]

The questions has already been answered. (And I do enjoy low recoil plinking with .38s in my .357s.)

Funny recollection from long ago. My father was, and still largely is in old age, including ordering a new nine via my FFL yesterday, an automatic guy. Back in the day, he bought a .357 from a neighbor who was a LEO. We were loading up to shoot in the back end of the acreage and adolescent nerd me asks "It says .38, how would this work?" Middle aged, old school father replies "(shrug)OK, I don't know ... put cartridge in the hole. Then goes bang. It is good". Well, you can't argue with the facts.

 

[No_Regerts]

How do I know this "...little blond girl in her 20's ..." is not really a mama June?

My man card is perfectly secure, I do not need to boast about what I can handle.

Lola...lo-lo-lo-lo-Lola....

 

[RevBadger]

No one asked the important question. What 357 are you getting?

Shhhh... I can't say. One of you all might swipe it out from under me.

 

[No_Regerts]

Shhhh... I can't say. One of you all might swipe it out from under me.

Now I really wanna know!

 

[trevi]

Now I really wanna know!

It's a Taurus!

 

[trevi]

Lola...lo-lo-lo-lo-Lola....

I wish I knew what this referenced.

 

[raindog]

My snubby is stamped 357 Mag but shooting that is too uncomfortable in its designated chamber, so I shoot 38 Spl.

I've never found a snub that is anything but hideously painful when shooting .357 Mag. Maybe someone makes a big heavy steel one but the popular lightweight ones are murder. Maybe I'm just not manly enough but in every snub where I've tried it, one pull of the trigger was enough to know that I didn't want to pull the trigger again.

(For comparison, I love shooting .357Mag out of my 6" revolver. And I have no problem with .38 +P out of an LCR.)

With a snub, you're giving up a lot of that magnum performance anyway:

125gr .357 Magnum from a 6" barrel: 1702fps

125gr .357 Magnum from a 4" barrel: 1511fps

125gr .357 Magnum from a 2" barrel: 949fps

125gr .38 Special from a 2" barrel: 700fps

After he went about his business, the LGS guy explained to me that 9mm browning is just another name for .380. So the angsty guy wasn't wrong, but there is a world of difference between 9mm browning and 9mm luger/parabellum?

The phrase "9mm Browning" is more common in Europe. In the US its nearly always called .380. In some European countries, civilians can't own cartridges that are used by the military. Since the military uses 9mm, they buy .380, so these are are common. The Colt Pocket Pistol was a Browning design that was popular in Europe in its day and the phrase "9mm Browning" stuck. Many calibers have multiple names.

And yes, there is a world of difference. The 380 ACP is about half the power of the 9mm at best. .380 delivers around 200 ft lbs of energy (at muzzle) while 9mm is usually over 400. Both 9mm and 380 use 9mm bullets but 380 weights are usually around 90gr, whereas 9mm Parabellum usually starts around 115gr and goes up, with 124gr being very popular (as well as 135 and 147).

 

[trevi]

I've never found a snub that is anything but hideously painful when shooting .357 Mag. Maybe someone makes a big heavy steel one but the popular lightweight ones are murder. Maybe I'm just not manly enough but in every snub where I've tried it, one pull of the trigger was enough to know that I didn't want to pull the trigger again.

(For comparison, I love shooting .357Mag out of my 6" revolver. And I have no problem with .38 +P out of an LCR.)

With a snub, you're giving up a lot of that magnum performance anyway:

125gr .357 Magnum from a 6" barrel: 1702fps

125gr .357 Magnum from a 4" barrel: 1511fps

125gr .357 Magnum from a 2" barrel: 949fps

125gr .38 Special from a 2" barrel: 700fps



The phrase "9mm Browning" is more common in Europe. In the US its nearly always called .380. In some European countries, civilians can't own cartridges that are used by the military. Since the military uses 9mm, they buy .380, so these are are common. The Colt Pocket Pistol was a Browning design that was popular in Europe in its day and the phrase "9mm Browning" stuck. Many calibers have multiple names.

And yes, there is a world of difference. The 380 ACP is about half the power of the 9mm at best. .380 delivers around 200 ft lbs of energy (at muzzle) while 9mm is usually over 400. Both 9mm and 380 use 9mm bullets but 380 weights are usually around 90gr, whereas 9mm Parabellum usually starts around 115gr and goes up, with 124gr being very popular (as well as 135 and 147).

This guy Knows!!!

 

[JohnnyMac]

Just for bubblegums and giggles, load the cylinder with two .357 loads and the rest in .38 Special and hand it off to your shooting buddy. Fun to watch the expression on their face when they unexpectedly fire the .357

I've done a pretty similar thing! I alternate three and three in my Security-6 and give her a spin. You don't know what you'll get first, but you can tell the difference betwixt the two that's for sure.

 

[nwwoodsman]

It's a Taurus!

Lots of guys bubblegum about Taurus, but I have owned more Taurus revolvers than I can remember. Never had a problem with a single one. Their semi autos on the other hand, I wouldn't wish one of those pieces of bubblegum on my worst enemy...my mother in law maybe, but not anyone else.

 

[trevi]

Lots of guys bubblegum about Taurus, but I have owned more Taurus revolvers than I can remember. Never had a problem with a single one. Their semi autos on the other hand, I wouldn't wish one of those pieces of bubblegum on my worst enemy...my mother in law maybe, but not anyone else.

I like Taurus revolvers, too. I have a few myself.

 

[RevBadger]

LOL. It's not a Taurus. And if it was, why would I hide that? I'm the one that proudly owns a Hi-Point JHP 45 with skull grips. (Her name is Dana).

It's actually a S&W. Or is it?

Only the shadow knows!

 

[Flymph]

Don't know if it's been brought up, but you can also shoot 38 long colt, and thusly 38 short colt... good luck finding any for cheap tho.
Edit: At least the prices on ammo like that are still essentially pre-psychosis levels.

 

[RevBadger]

Don't know if it's been brought up, but you can also shoot 38 long colt, and thusly 38 short colt... good luck finding any for cheap tho.
Edit: At least the prices on ammo like that are still essentially pre-psychosis levels.

Oh that is good to know. Thanks!

 

[Dr Prepper]

OK...
yeah the pointy thing makes all the difference in the world.
if its a smith airweight snubby your going to notice. if its a full size 6" or 8" you might not even notice the diff. i was dreaming of a smith airweight .44 years ago, im glad that never happened. of course that was for a bear/hiking gun and in that case wrists be damned!

i had kind of a meek girlfriend who complained my AR was too heavy (granted it was a bull barrel/SPR profile but what ever) i loaded my python with a random mix of .38 and .357 and handed it to her without saying a word. she ran through all six and then i asked her could you tell which ones were .38 and which ones were .357? she could not. i couldn't really either. but then again i never mix em for me, as im not trying to fool myself. it was merely to help her boost her confidence with larger calibers and such. same as you.

also worth mentioning find out if any of your guests or clients have wrist related medical issues that will also determine how hard to push it. my mother can barely handle anything anymore.

i might add theres also the .22lr or maybe even the .22mag(?) which you can fire at least three diff rounds out of. .22 short, .22 long, and then .22long rifle and then maybe magnum? if you have a .22 mag chamber. but im not sure about that one.

 

[Howard1955]

LOL. It's not a Taurus. And if it was, why would I hide that? I'm the one that proudly owns a Hi-Point JHP 45 with skull grips. (Her name is Dana).

It's actually a S&W. Or is it?

Only the shadow knows!

If you're getting it for concealed carry, it has to be the Coonan!

 

[Flopsweat]

Lola...lo-lo-lo-lo-Lola....

I wish I knew what this referenced.

It's a song by The Kinks. Good song.

https://hooktube.com/watch?v=LemG0cvc4oU

 

[trevi]

It's a song by The Kinks. Good song.

https://hooktube.com/watch?v=LemG0cvc4oU

Yes, @No_Regerts regrets educated me earlier on the reference.

 

[oremike]

Yes you can shoot 38's in a .357. I don't only because I own both. My big, heavy GP-100 likes big heavy 180gr .357 loads and the Air weight likes the 125gr or 105 gr much lighter 38 loads. When I bought my Air weight I knew I didn't want one in .357.

To answer the mid caliber question, yes a 38/357 is a great in between caliber. I think everyone should have one.

 

[Stomper]

It's a Taurus!

TAURUS?!