.357 Magnum for home defence?

G

Geek-With-A-Gun

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I am thinking about getting a Ruger GP-100. Ever since I handled one I have been in love with it. So excuse my noob question, but would it make a good HD weapon? I am paticularly interested in the 4" bbl model, so CC would probably not be a good idea (although I am 6'2" and 200 lbs).

Another related question is, why would one choose the SP-101 over the GP-100 or vice-versa?
 
I think the GP 100 would be a great handgun for Home Defense. And the SP- 101 is a little lighter than the GP 100, but I think it only holds five rounds instead of the GP's six rounds. Good luck picking one!
 
You'd be surprised what you could conceal...:)

The GP100 would make a great HD gun. The ammunition versatility is incredible. It will handle everything from light .38 Specials to the truly heavy 180-200 gr. .357 Mag loads. That is why a .357 Mag. revolver is hard to beat for HD.

The big advantage the SP101 has over the GP100 is size. It is smaller and easier to conceal, albeit at the cost of one round in the cylinder. If you don't care concealment, get the GP100.
 
I would not pick the SP 101 over the GP 100 as a home defense weapon at all. I would likely opt for it over the GP 100 as a carry piece, not that either float my boat for carry guns. I do like them both, I just consider the SP 101 to be a pocket anvil. A bit heavy for the purpose but very sturdy. The GP 100 absorbs recoil much better and holds one more round. In addition, and due to Rugers over engineering of the weapon, you could use it as an impact weapon should you have the need, legally of course, to do do.
 
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It's a good defense handgun, but I'd load it with .38spcl +P ammo. 158gr LSWCHP, if you can find them. The blast from shooting full house .357mag indoors would be a shocker to everyone in the room, including the good guys.
 
I'm a big fan of revolvers, especially the .357, and most of the time, there's one pulling nightstand duty for me.

I prefer S&Ws, but I did own a GP-100 at one time, and it would perform admirably as a self-defense revolver. Properly loaded, the 4 inch GP-100 could serve as everything from a home defense, to a CC gun, to a hunting/woods weapon.
 
Between those two, GP all the way

In my opinion, the .357 cartridge was intended for a 6" barrel. Going to 4" cuts a substantial amount of velocity and increases the muzzle blast and flash substantially. A bit of a consideration when considering shooting indoors.

12 Gauge is generally best for home defense. Easier to hit with than any handgun and even in light loads, 4 times the energy of a .357 magnum.

Having said that, I love my Rugers. My house gun is a Security Six 6" (and I have a choice of

Security Six in 2.75", 4" and 6"
GP100 in 4" and 6"
Colt Trooper in 8"
Redhawk in 44 Magnum 5.5"
SP101 in .357 Magnum 3"

Between the SP and the GP, the SP makes virtually no sense as a house gun because it's light weight and small grips make it difficult to shoot well. The GP is a LOT easier to hang onto. Plus, the GP's double action trigger pull is far superior (the physically larger size just makes it so)

Good luck

Lost Sheep

P.S. You may have already given a lot of thought to the other factors of home defense, but in case you haven't: There is a lot more to home defense than a firearm. A good perimeter (or two) is essential. A plan of action that covers all scenarios, including fire, natural disaster, daytime or nighttime burglary or home invasion and the whole range of things that can happen. Flashlight, cell phone, gun, video camera, outside alarms, window alarms, proper locks, who you have on speed dial, having, joining or starting a neighborhood watch, all are factors in effective home defense.
 
.357 is a great choice for home defense, not better than a 12 gauge, but still great. I keep a 4" Security Six in the nightstand and an 870 under the bed. No kids yet to worry about, only my fiancee and a curious beagle pup.

As stated before, you would be amazed at what one can conceal carry.
I normally carry my Security Six during fall and winter and a Beretta 92 during spring and summer. I got real bored this winter and figured out how to CC my 7.5" .44 Redhawk comfortably. Although I am 6'3" and about 300lbs.
 
You could do a lot worse than a GP100 for home defense, that's for sure. One point I would like to make: If you're going to use a revolver for the nightstand/home defense, get some speedloaders and practice with them.
Lot's of times home invaders come in packs and you don't want to come up short.
I used to keep a S&W M64 on the nightstand until recently, but I have re-evaluated and switched over to an auto. I'm a revolver fan but a simple DAO semi with lots of bullets in it makes for a potent combination.
 
I have one 357 in a SAA Cimarron clone. it would be the last one I'd choose for home defense,I want to save what little hearing I have left.The quietest weapon in my collection is a an ATI'd stock Hi-point 995, 9mm carbine.
xmaspresent.jpg
The pic is showing off the Winchester cleaning kit my kids got me for Christmas, on the right side is a tear in the carpet when I had the 1st ND in 50 years of shooting.I was sanding down some high spots on the receiver to smooth out the action.Reassembled the gun pulled the charge handle and it seemed to short stroke.I dropped the mag and pulled the trigger. Oh **** the gun fired! I had smoothed the action and though it felt like I hadn't moved the charging handle enough to load a round I indeed had, and I have hole in my carpet to remind me of my stupidity!
 
I think the .357 is an outstanding defensive revolver round and have relied on a full-sized .357 revolver for many years. That said, I have somewhat migrated away from it more recently in favor of .45 acp simply due to the muzzle blast and noise indoors. I still keep a couple around and ready, but my go-to has become a .45 acp, either revolver or auto is fine, because of less blast and noise than .357, and what I believe is superority over the .38 Special +P. There are some pretty good loads in .357 that are less, uh, vigorous than the full power 125s. Speer's 135 grain short-barrel loading is a good one even out of a 4 inch barrel. Remington's 125 grain Golden Saber is another. Winchester Silvertips are excellent. I like the discontinued Federal 158 grain Nyclad because it is nylon-covered lead and slightly reduced velocity. Personally, I would choose any 158 grain loading over the hot 125s but many would disagree.
 
For HD I think the GP-100 would be just fine. I chuckle when I read folks downplaying the flash and blast of the .357 magnum, but then recommend the use of a 12 gauge for same. I use a S&W 686, 4", for HD. I practice with it, and have even carried it a time, or two.
 
GP100 is a great gun for HD, and if I can conceal-carry it - so can you (if you want to :)).

You trade fairly small number of rounds immediately available (6 to be precise :)) for reliability, convenience and fool-proof functioning.
 
Yep. Consider using .38 spl. on the range for money savings. .38 + P would even be fine out of that gun for home defense, especially if you live in an apartment and are concerned about where your misses might go.

The 'know what's behind your target' rule probably gets a bit harder to follow when a bad guy is threatening your family.
 
Assuming you'll use .38 Special +P instead of .357 magnum, I would choose the SP-101 for home defense over the GP-100 (even if you do not intend to carry). The reason being, it's just a handier-sized weapon to keep close by at all times, or hide.
 
Laser995.jpg
This sucker will put 10 rounds that can be covered by a quarter at 25 yds from a rest.I believe the intruder will be looking for a change in jeans when that laser settles on his chest.
 
SPORT45 has it right" It's a good defense handgun, but I'd load it with .38spcl +P ammo. 158gr LSWCHP, if you can find them. The blast from shooting full house .357mag indoors would be a shocker to everyone in the room, including the good guys.

I use the above FBI load with a S&W 66

Picture.jpg
 
Nothing wrong with the .357 for home defense, and the GP100 is a fine gun to launch them from. If noise and flash are a concern, there are moderate load options with reduced muzzle blast that still offer better performance than .38 Special +P, such as Remington 125gr Golden Sabre and the Winchester 145gr Silvertip, not to mention various 110gr options.
 
You'd be surprised what you could conceal...:)
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With a good belt and holster you can carry the GP100. I still (occasionally) carry my 4" S&W Model 28. I use a simply rugged "real man belt" and a sourdough pancake w/ inside out straps. With an pair of pants one size to large and an un-tucked shirt it can disappear.
 
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