357 question
- Thread starter ShanMan
- Start date
aarondhgraham
New member
Yes it is correct,,,
.38 Special and .357 Magnum have the same diameter for the case and bullet,,,
The only difference is the overall length of the entire cartridge,,,
And power of course.
In other words, if you buy a .357 Magnum pistol,,,
you may shoot either .38 special or .357 magnum in it.
If you buy a .38 Special pistol,,,
you may only shoot .38 Special in it,,,
The longer .357 Magnum cartridges will not fit into the cylinder.
Many people shoot .38 in their .357 magnum revolvers for two reasons,,,
The ammunition is cheaper for practicing at the range,,,
The recoil is much less and is more comfortable.
I hope this helps,,,
.38 Special and .357 Magnum have the same diameter for the case and bullet,,,
The only difference is the overall length of the entire cartridge,,,
And power of course.
In other words, if you buy a .357 Magnum pistol,,,
you may shoot either .38 special or .357 magnum in it.
If you buy a .38 Special pistol,,,
you may only shoot .38 Special in it,,,
The longer .357 Magnum cartridges will not fit into the cylinder.
Many people shoot .38 in their .357 magnum revolvers for two reasons,,,
The ammunition is cheaper for practicing at the range,,,
The recoil is much less and is more comfortable.
I hope this helps,,,
Departed402
New member
It truly is. Prepare for a terrible recoil. You may over compensate, but that would be better than having an experience like this poor girl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwLQewe4TrY
Something like that almost happened to me when I first shot a .44 at age 14.
UtahHunting
New member
joneeman..........I have never seen anything like what happened in that video...that is brutal. They should feel lucky nothing more serious happened.
It depends on the gun. If you have a 6" lugged barrel then .357 isn't bad at all, in my opinion. Work you way up from .38 special, to .38 special +p, then to .357.
Regarding that youtube video, unless that girl was warned of the recoil ahead of time, I think it was a rather cruel and inconsiderate joke.
H.
Regarding that youtube video, unless that girl was warned of the recoil ahead of time, I think it was a rather cruel and inconsiderate joke.
H.
The issue of recoil of .357 as compared to .38 is mostly psychological. When I first started shooting .357s I almost immediately developed a wicked flinch anticipating the recoil. That took me a long time to cure. As I eventually realized, .357s are quite controllable (if not pleasant) in revolvers that are beefier than Smith & Wesson J frames. Currently, I'm shooting .357s out of three guns: a Smith & Wesson Model 66, a Smith 686, and a Smith 27. All three handle the recoil of 158 gr. magnums well and the 686 and 27 do just fine even with the hotter 125 gr. rounds. My advice to a new shooter is: don't be afraid of .357s. Just know that they're going to be a lot louder than .38s and thump your hand a bit harder and fuggedaboudit. It's not as if the rounds are coming at you, after all.
TriumphGuy
New member
I've got to agree with that. I shoot .357's out of a snubbie all the time and don't find it all that bad. Sure you've got to hang on, but I find a .32acp derringer to be far more painful on the hand.
Departed402
New member
I agree they should have given her better warning. She could have broken her nose or put out an eye. However, I have to admit the sadist in me giggled a little.
.... and to ShanMan. Enjoy your .357
Absolutely! I have a 3" 5 shot .357 (Taurus 605) that came with factory Hogue rubber grips. It's easy to shoot full .357 ammo. My wife has a .38 special Ladysmith with the pretty wood grips. It has more perceived recoil than my .357. But hers is prettier ;-)
I think the .357 recoil is far overblown unless you are going to a ultra light gun.
Ken
I shoot a mid-size 4" Tauras .357 revolver that does kick hard with 357 but is manageable. To me, it shoots a lot sweeter with 38 sp. and that is what I normally keep it loaded with, in it's locked case. Since I don't shoot a lot, the .357 just seems overkill to me, plus the fact it could kill someone across the street after going through a wall.
I use those same 38 sp in my wife's small 38 sp Rossi snub nose and the muzzle blast and noise is stunning. It sounds like such a cannon, it would probably scare most BG's away from that alone. I also found out I am not all that accurate with it, and have not even been able to get her to fire it yet. It's a very pretty stainless with slim wood grips, but I'm thinking of getting her something a little heavier that would more easily handle the blast and recoil. Probably still in the 38 sp caliber. (Or maybe in just .38). Until then, I need to put on some rubber grips which would be a big improvement. I may go look at some this weekend.
For HD, I would reach for the revolvers. The only shotgun I have at this time is a single shot 12 ga Winchester which is past it's prime. Still shoots ok though (only thing I got from my father after he passed).
I use those same 38 sp in my wife's small 38 sp Rossi snub nose and the muzzle blast and noise is stunning. It sounds like such a cannon, it would probably scare most BG's away from that alone. I also found out I am not all that accurate with it, and have not even been able to get her to fire it yet. It's a very pretty stainless with slim wood grips, but I'm thinking of getting her something a little heavier that would more easily handle the blast and recoil. Probably still in the 38 sp caliber. (Or maybe in just .38). Until then, I need to put on some rubber grips which would be a big improvement. I may go look at some this weekend.
For HD, I would reach for the revolvers. The only shotgun I have at this time is a single shot 12 ga Winchester which is past it's prime. Still shoots ok though (only thing I got from my father after he passed).
Last edited:
Winchester_73
New member
The reason why...
In case you're wondering why a 38 special can go into a 357, its because 38 caliber (38 special aka 38 S&W special) refers to the diameter of the CASE of a 38 special/357 mag whereas 357 refers to the diameter of the bullet, for 38 special/357 mag. Thats why theres 2 different numbers. I imagine that they called it 357 mag instead of 38 mag because at the time there were other 38 rds, such as 38 colt, 38 S&W, etc so they wanted to differeniate which 38 case was the parent of the 357 magnum. For this reason, the 38 special obviously predates the 357 mag. The 38 special came out around 1903, introduced by S&W, while the 357 mag was not a revolver caliber until 1935, and was also introduced by S&W.
In case you're wondering why a 38 special can go into a 357, its because 38 caliber (38 special aka 38 S&W special) refers to the diameter of the CASE of a 38 special/357 mag whereas 357 refers to the diameter of the bullet, for 38 special/357 mag. Thats why theres 2 different numbers. I imagine that they called it 357 mag instead of 38 mag because at the time there were other 38 rds, such as 38 colt, 38 S&W, etc so they wanted to differeniate which 38 case was the parent of the 357 magnum. For this reason, the 38 special obviously predates the 357 mag. The 38 special came out around 1903, introduced by S&W, while the 357 mag was not a revolver caliber until 1935, and was also introduced by S&W.
Uncle Buck
New member
It is great being able to choose which ammo to shoot out of your gun. If the store does not have the .357, you can buy a box of .38 specials. One gun, two choices... (Once had a buddy that tried that option with his marriage, well, he should have stuck to one choice 
)
Now, we have to talk you into reloading...
)Now, we have to talk you into reloading...
Just to clarify, We're all talking about .357 Magnum from a revolver or single shot handgun. There are also .357 Sig and .357 Maximum cartridges that cannot be fired from a .357 Magnum handgun (though .357 Magnum ammunition can be fired in a .357 Maximum handgun). Semi-automatic handguns in .357 Magnum like the Desert Eagle or Coonan are unlikely to work reliably with any other ammunition.
Similarly, the only .38 cartridges that are safe to fire in a .357 Magnum revolver are .38 Special and .38 Long Colt. Other cartridges like .380 Auto, .38 ACP, .38 Super Auto, .38 S&W, or .38/200 cannot be safely fired in a .357 Magnum handgun.
Similarly, the only .38 cartridges that are safe to fire in a .357 Magnum revolver are .38 Special and .38 Long Colt. Other cartridges like .380 Auto, .38 ACP, .38 Super Auto, .38 S&W, or .38/200 cannot be safely fired in a .357 Magnum handgun.