38 & 357 ammo

Sorry for this question. But, I don't want to mess this one up.
1-In a 357 mag revolver I can use 38 spec ammo, 38 P+ ammo and 357 mag ammo.
2- If I am firing a 38 spec +P revolver, can I use both 38 special ammo and 38P+ ammo?
3-If so, what has low recoil and descent stopping power???? Obviously this ammo is for my wife and we're looking at the Ruger LCR 1.87".
Thanks for your patience and advice.

Doc
 
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Yes, you can use .38 spcl in a .357. In fact, in a short barreled gun like the LCR much of the extra "oomph" in a .357 gets wasted as excess muzzle flash. The light weight of the LCR means that recoil could become an issue for your wife. Obviously, the .38spl +P is going to have more recoil than a regular velocity round.

Let her try some of both. If she can handle the recoil, then +P will provide a slight advantage in penetration. If she can't then there is nothing wrong with using plain old .38 spcl. As to using full power magnum loads in a .357 LCR, that's something you'll need to experience first hand in order to understand the feeling.
 
In a 357 - you can shoot 38 Colt Short, 38 Colt Long, 38 Special, 38 +P and 357.

In a revolver classified as being for 38 +P - you can shoot 38 Colt Short, 38 Colt Long, 38 Special and 38 +P

In a revolver classified for 38 Special - you can shoot 38 Colt Short, 38 Colt Long, 38 Special

Obviously, when shooting a "shorter cartridge" - such as a 38 Colt Short/Long or 38 Colt Special in a 357, you will have a slight "bullet jump" as the slug is not as close to the front of the the cylinder as the longer 357 cartridge is - it will will work just fine. I reload 38 Colt Shorts, Longs, Specials and shoot them in a 357 all the time. Just be aware that you can get carbon buildup in front of the cylinder throats which may make it somewhat difficult to chamber a 357 round in a cylinder if you've shot a bunch of shorter cartridges through it. Easily taken care of by cleaning your cylinder chambers well.

As far as "recoil" - normally the more "potent" the cartridge is, the more "recoil". i.e. you can expect more recoil out of a 38 + P or 357 than the standard 38 Special.

As far as "stopping power" - you'll get all sorts of opinions on that one. I normally carry a S & W Model 36 Snub loaded with 38 Specials. I have full confidence that for me, they are adequate. It was the standard cartridge for many, many years for Police agencies. I worked Ambulance as well as Rescue for a number of years and handled a number of "gunshot" calls - some fatal and some not. In my own personal experience, I saw wounds caused by a wide variety of calibers from .22, 9mm, 38/357 and .45 - as well as long guns. Believe me, they can ALL do a lot of damage and it's about "placement".

I used to have a Ruger LCR in 357 - I purchased the 357 so I would have the option of shooting 357s if I wanted to. I still found myself sticking to the 38 Spl. - but that again is a "personal" thing. The LCR is a good shooting snub - I just prefer a J frame Smith for my CCW.

Regardless of what ammo you decide to use (or your wife) - just remember - practice, practice and more practice on a regular basis. And practice with the loads you are going to carry. It's one thing to practice with something like a 38 Spl wadcutter at the range - but they are going to shoot a whole lot different if you are carrying 357 rounds for SD.

I reload, and I cast my own bullets. I like to load 38 Colt Shorts for plinking, fun range time. But, they shoot a whole lot different than my SD rounds that I usually have in my J frame. Just remember . . . while "power" is good as far as putting down an adversary, "shot placement" is more important. It does no good to carry with a potent 357 cartridge if you can't place your shots in critical mass and put the threat down if necessary to save you own life or that of others. Hopefully that situation will never occur.

The best thing you can do is to have your wife try the various cartridges in a LCR. If you have a range where you can rent one, have her fire a number of 28 Specials, 38 + Ps and 357s. That will be the telling point of what she should probably be carrying in it. She wants to carry what she can "manage" as far as recoil and being able to come back on target after firing. A lot of that will be based on her size and muscle strength.

I have a friend I shoot with when I'm in AZ during the winter. She is petite - maybe 5'4" and 115 lbs. - I'm just guessing. She has a hard time handling the recoil of my 38 revolvers - Smith M & P, Combat Masterpiece, Model 36, but she has a Sig P230 .380 ACP that fits her smaller hands well and she is "hell on wheels" when it comes to shooting it. I feel sorry for the bad guy if she is ever forced to use it and I've told her that many times. She got that way by "practice" and becoming very proficient with "shot placement".

Good luck to you and your wife - you'll get it figured out and I hope she enjoys her LCR if that's what she goes with. It is a nice SD wheelmen!
 
3-If so, what has low recoil and descent stopping power???? Obviously this ammo is for my wife and we're looking at the Ruger LCR 1.87".
I doubt you'll find any loading that could be reasonably categorized as "low recoil" when fired from that revolver.
2- If I am firing a 38 spec +P revolver, can I use both 38 special ammo and 38P+ ammo?
Correct.

The loadings listed in descending order of pressure are:
.357Mag
.38Special +P+
.38Special +P
.38Special

If a revolver is rated for a loading then firing one of the lower pressure loadings (a loading below the rated loading on the list) is also safe.
 
What you want is the LCR357, not the LCR38, and then see how much power you/she can handle. Hornady Critical Defense is a good place to start (or finish). You can go down to the 90gr Lite load. This is a standard pressure round with good penetration and expansion results. There is also a 110gr standard pressure and 110+P.You can go even higher with Speer 135+P or Buffalo Bore 158+P or the Federal 158+P "FBI load". And there are some 125+P. Oh there is also the 130gr Winchester Defend as a low(er) recoil option.

I have tried all these from my LCR357 and settled on the 110+P for my carry load currently.

All will most likely get the job done so just find the one you/she can best control.
 
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"Low" and "decent" are fuzzy terms, depends what you're comfortable with in the tradeoff department. But FWIW, I'd rate 38 specials in my MP340 (about the same size/weight as your LCR) as low-moderate recoil, and 38 +p as only a little worse. My wife, on the other hand, hates firing the gun with any ammo. ;)

The same ammo in my MPR8 is definitely "low" recoil in my book, but that's a much larger and heavier gun.
 
Ammo for LCR

My wife & I would like to thank everyone
so far. The info presented was exactly
what we were looking for and received.
Everyone else, please give us you thought and
experiences. It's 100 -% invaluable,
Mr. & Mrs. Doc
 
I run 38 spl 135 grain +P Gold Dots and 115 +P Barnes Double Taps in my LCR 357 for carry purposes.

For me recoil is negligible.

Imo, the grip and the trigger are what make the LCR. The comfort that the Hogue Tamer offers is HUGE.

I had a Smith J frame 638 before this, and the LCR is light years ahead of that.

I can run HOT 357's through the LCR with less discomfort than running +P 38's though the 638.
 
A gun that can shoot 38's and .357 is more versatile than one that can only shoot 38's. However, with that said shooting .357 magnums out of an LCR is going to be quite uncomfortable for most people.
Larger guns with longer barrels are actually more comfortable to shoot and typically easier to shoot. I would recommended renting or otherwise testing out before buying if that's a possibility.
Good luck
 
I have turned quite a few friends onto the LCR 357. I loaded the cylinder randomly with 38/357's.

All of their responses were, "Hey that's not too bad." All of them.

If it is tolerable with 357's, then you will shoot the snot out of it with 38's.

I do any ways.

IMO, there is nothing comparable to the LCR 357 that you can shove in your front pocket.
 
The advantage of a gun that is essentially the same in either .357 or .38, is that you can shoot .38 cal loads forever and not wear it out if you are a target shooter. If it is intended to be carried mostly and shot little, I would opt for the .38, especially in a short barrel since you can get some nice light versions. A .357 load in a small frame will be brutal and in the end, the bullet is the same size in either. You don't need a high power magnum load to do the job. My recommendation for whichever caliber revolver you choose, is that you get her good quality .38 ammo. If she is comfortable with+P great, but I would not let anyone convince you that it is necessary.
 
You asked for opinions about the Ruger .357 magnum, I'll repeat my thoughts about it.

I won't shoot 158 grain .357 magnum rounds in it. It hurts my hand too much.
I will shoot 125 grain .357 magnum rounds but 20 or 30 at a time is enough for me.

I liked the feel of the LCR I shot and didn't have any other problems with it.

I think slimjim9 gave some good advice in his post that's worth checking again.
 
"3-If so, what has low recoil and descent stopping power???? Obviously this ammo is for my wife and we're looking at the Ruger LCR 1.87". "


Probably the best combination out there at the moment is the Speer 135-gr. +P hollow point. They're made with snubs in mind and both expand well and penetrate deeply.

I shoot them out of my S&W 042 Centennial Airweight. Recoil is snappy, but not terrible (and certainly not as bad as most 158-gr. loads).

The choice between the Ruger in .38 vs .357 is really one of what's available when you plop your money down, really.

If you want the versatility of using any ammo, get the .357 Mag. version.
 
38 or 357

Dale A,
Yes I agree totally with what you and Slim Jim wrote plus almost everybody
came up with. We will get the 357 model and then go out and get some of the different 38 and 38P+ ammo and let her decide what she likes. I read something on a 148 grain wadcutter by, I think, Remington that might fill the bill for her. We already like Hornady 90 grain ammo and we'll go up to 110 and etc.

regards,
Doc and Mrs. Doc
 
I wonder if a WC in a vital area wouldn't work almost as well as a harder to handle .357/.38+p. I have a WC load for my .38s and .44 specials that I feel pretty good about.
 
As stated above, let your wife decide which cartridge she wants to shoot, even if it's a .38 Special followed by a .357, or all one or the other. Just make sure she gets the full range of opportunity by getting her a .357 revolver, in the style, weight, and barrel length she wants. Plan on ponying up for two or three holsters in the first year, too, as she decides how to carry, and wardrobe changes. You need two sets of good earmuffs, and ear plugs, one for each of you.

For now, don't be too concerned about wadcutters and such, just find an inexpensive ammo to shoot for this year. Plan on her shooting up 250 rounds by Christmas, for practice and training. Keep a box of good defense shells set back, that's the carry ammo, you only need one box of those. At 15 feet, you don't need to be concerned about different points of impact for different cartridges.

As far as stopping power goes, a good center torso hit with any of them will stop an assault. If anyone gets up after being hit with one of these, you'd better take off running.
 
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bottom cylider firing revolver

There is a 357 revolver I forget the brand name that fires from the bottom cylinder instead of the top. The recoil is significantly reduced. A friend bought one for his wife and she has no problem with full power rounds. The mechanism is more complex but seems to give no problems and is easy to shoot.
bb
 
Obviously this ammo is for my wife and we're looking at the Ruger LCR 1.87".

Has your wife already fired this gun and it is acceptable to her even in DA mode. or is this a gun you intend on getting for her? If it hasn't been purchased yet, you might want to rent one and have her see how SHE likes it.

Also, Pax's corneredcat.com is an excellent read for women (and their spouses) about guns for protection.
 
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