.357 snubby for Self Defense ?

W

Waitone

New member
I'm considering a .357 mag snubby for self defense.

Is it a bit much? I plan on working out with it to become quite proficient. So I'm looking for the right combination of fit to carry and fit to shoot.

By way of reference I'm a 1911 adict and bigot so the move to a wheel gun for SD is a serious decision.
 
A bit much? Nahh...I think it's just right. :D Since you're a .45 addict, recoil wouldn't be a problem. Option of practicing with .38 specials is a bonus. Recommend looking at Ruger's SP101 or S&W models 66 and 686.
 
For years I carried a 1911 as primary and a wheel for when things got serious. 2", 2½" snubbies take a little getting used to but with a modicum of practice one can get quite proficient with them.

Sam.....me n my barrels are matched.....both short.
 
I've got a customized S&W Model 19, 2.5" barrel. It is very accurate and, with 110-gr. JHP's, not unpleasant to shoot.

The problem is this: it's a holster gun, not a pocket gun, and as such it requires a covering garment. If I'm going to wear a covering garment, I'm going to be carrying a full-sized 1911 or, at the very least, a BHP.

The up side is that at 2.5", it's a compact and hard-hitting package. But think about what ammo you'll be shooting. 125 JHP's rule the roost as far as self-defense rounds go, but they are pretty mean out of my 686 and the Ruger GP 100 I used to own. Touching one off in an enclosed space, in a snubby magnum, is asking for permanent ear damage. So you drop down to a 110-gr. JHP. But isn't that the same as shooting some 9mm Cor Bon? So why not pack the BHP or a Glock 19? Similar cartridge, more shots, easier to reload, carrys flatter.

If you're talking about a S&W 640 or similar "pocket" .357, I say go for it. I've thought about buying one myself. Loaded with nothing more than 110-gr. JHPs, or Federal's new 130-gr. personal protection load, it would beat my 642 any day, and probably most other pocket pistols. Heavier, yes, but hard-hitting.
But once you go on the hip, I'd rather carry a 1911....

Just my .02.
 
Waitone: Hi! My favorite guns have been my S&W Performance Center 945, my SIG 239 and my assortment of Ruger SA revolvers. I've tried several S&W J frames and sold them quickly (including a beautiful little all titanium one) because I will not carry a gun that I can't enjoy shooting/practicing with a lot. I don't believe in a CCW gun that as the saying goes is "for carrying a lot, and shooting a little."

Last week I got a S&W .357 Magnum Model 60 with a 3" barrel. I'm very impress with the critter so far. First range trip I shot a box of .38s and .357 130 grain Federal Personal Defense ammo. It's neat stuff (MV = 1300 ft/sec, ME = 49 ft lbs) and very manageable. If it proves out on a couple more range trips I'll order a good IWB holster for CCW. It's also small enough to easily work in a winter jacket/coat pocket if need be. The 3" Model 60 has enough weight (24 oz) to make .357 Magnum rounds easily controlable. I don't find that to be true in the lightweight snubbies, but your experience my vary - or you may choose as many do to buy a .357 Snubby and stoke it with .38s for practice but carry .357s for CCW (without practicing with 'em day in and day out). Dennis;)
 
Dennis, like you I'm primarily a 1911 fan. However, when I don't have the Kimber on my hip, what I have is a S & W Model 60 in .357.

I practice a lot with .38 spcl out of of the Model 60 but it sure is fun to shoot a box of .357 every now and then as well. I agre with other posters that if you shoot .45, a .357 will be little challenge for you as far as recoil and second shot ability are concerned.

I like my snubby and there are times of the year and particular applications that I even prefer it to the 1911. That being said, I shoot the snubby accurately enough, but not close to the accuracy of my 1911. If the SHTF, I sure hope I'm carrying my 1911.

RJ
 
My newest "Sunday best" gun is a *&* PC-13, 3" quad-ported .357 mag. I carry Cor-Bon's 125gr .357's in it on those days when I wear it in the shop.
 
It looks just like this:

swpc13.jpg


Described in The Standard Catalog... as "A very serious carry revolver", 300 were made in 1994 by the Performance Center and distributed through Lew Horton. If you found a 3" round-butt heavy-barrel Model 13 "FBI gun" and had it converted to DAO, the hammer bobbed, the chamber throats lightly beveled, a trigger stop installed, a top-flight trigger job done, the gun matte blued, and the barrel sent to Mag-Na-Port for a quad-porting, this is what you'd have.
 
I really didn't mean to follow Tamara like this but I'm tryin' to get to 900 posts before I pass out.
I picked up a S&W M13 at a gunshow a few weeks ago. Love it! Beautiful bluing and seems just the right size for a snubbie.
I like Pro-Loads medium velocity "Tactical Lites". I think they would produce good results with less recoil than full power stuff. Hehehehe, J. Parker
 
So far, a lot of people have described the Proload 125grain "tactical lite" .357 as being controllable in a .357 snubbie. They seem to have been designed for this role. The projectile is a Remington Gold Dot with a bigger JHP cavity clearly intended to open at the reduced velocity.

www.ammoman.com carries ProLoad, including this round. If I had a Ruger SP101 or one of the small S&W or Taurus .357s, or a chopped K-frame .357, this load would be one of the first I'd look at.

I'd also recommend a 3" barrel over a 2" wherever possible. The difference in carry difficulty is minimal, the velocity difference could be the difference between a JHP expanding or not. Especially if you're recoil-sensitive and have to fall back on .38+P or even standard .38.
 
Something to consider: the Gold Dot and Golden Saber were designed for "deeper punch" via "delayed JHP expansion". This was done as PDs started to pay attention to the "Facklerite" school of defensive ballistics theory.

I personally think that the Facklerites have a point, in that if you can't get to the vitals it doesn't matter what sort of neat mushroom shape you get. But it can be taken too far, in that if you use a round that's barely able to expand and shoot it in a barrel way shorter than the round was intended, you might as well have used FMJ or wadcutter or something.

The ProLoad Tactical Lite is the only one of these "delayed expansion" types that was designed with short tubes in mind. We can hope they matched the expansion rate to the predicted velocity.

That's one reason I'd pay close attention to it. I'd be leery of any other delayed expansion load from a 2" barrel, and I'd even be cautious around 3"ers, although not to the same degree.
 
There's a 2½" round butt 19 in my pocket as I type. Loaded with 125gr Cor-Bon defensive; they seem to get big and go deep without makin a lot of fuss or hurtin the old bones.

Sam
 
Jim,

As I've said countless times here, if you're presented with the case of picking penetration or expansion, pick penetration every time.

I've never personally tested the penetration of the 125s out of the 2.5", but I know from first hand knowledge that the expansion is just fine.

Penetration, given tests I've seen, also seems to be just fine out of a 2.5" barrel.

I'm not worried about it.
 
I like the Ruger SP101 for its size, and the Taurus Total Titanium Model 617T for its light weight and resistance to corrosion.
 
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