38 & 357 ammo

OP, the difference in felt recoil between typical 38 special and 357 magnum loads is huge. If that is a big concern, stay away from the magum. If you are looking at snubnoses, you are probably motivated by concealability anyway. A 357 magnum revolver needs a significantly heavier build than a 38. The wheel will also be longer to accommodate the lengthier magnum cartridges. FWIW
 
Hi Frankly,
We appreciate your concerns. The 357 will do double duty. When my wife carries it she'll use 38 spec loads and when I carry it I'll use 38 P+ and/or
357 mag loads(those around 125 gr no higher) for this type of gun. The choice
for picking the 357 over the 38 spec. P version was all hers. She correctly knew the heavier weight would help mitigate some of the inherent recoil that a lite
weight gun has.
Respecfully,
Doc
 
Doc here's a pic of a WC I load for my Colt Cobra, and an OP I sometimes carry along with a cast HP I was experimenting with. The WCs load is non +p so the Colt isn't stressed. I've worked up full range loads for more traditional DEWCs also.

 
"The wheel will also be longer to accommodate the lengthier magnum cartridges. FWIW"

Not true. Many .357 mag and .38 special cylinders are the same length. .357 mag cylinders have been bored out to the proper length.

Bottom line is your best off going with a .357 mag gun, even if you're only planning on shooting .38 specials from it. If for some reason you want to get rid of the gun, one that shoots both cartidges will be more of an asset than one that doesn't.
 
Many .357 mag and .38 special cylinders are the same length.
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Imagine the liability issues if that were so. Forget many. Can you identify by make and model even one .38 special revolver with a magnum length wheel?
 
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Not true. The reason they made the 357 longer was so that it could NOT be fired in the weaker 38s.
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No. You are confusing CHAMBER length with CYLINDER length. The CHAMBER on a .357 is longer but most guns that have both .357 and .38 special versions in the same frame use the same CYLINDER length for both. I.E. S&W 19 (.357) and 15 (.38 spcl) use the same cylinder length - the 19 is bored longer/wider.
 
Frankly said:
Can you identify by make and model even one .38 special revolver with a magnum length wheel?
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Basically every S&W J frame made since 1996 when S&W transitioned to the longer "J Magnum" frame.

I believe that the same is true for recent .38Spl Ruger SP-101s, although I'm not certain about this.

The key is this, with a minor reword...
Dan-O said:
.357 mag cylinders have been bored out to the proper length.
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If the chambers are bored to the correct length for .38Spl, a .357Mag cartridge will NOT chamber and CANNOT be fired, even though the gunmaker may have used a .357-length cylinder for reasons of production economy.

The small amount of excess freebore in a .357Mag cylinder with .38Spl-length chambers will degrade accuracy and velocity to some degree, but most authorities consider the effect to be minimal to negligible if the cylinder is throated properly.
 
Basically every S&W J frame made since 1996 when S&W transitioned to the longer "J Magnum" frame.
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Okay, you schooled me. Never owned a J frame of any vintage (not enough there to get my meat hooks around). I did find a number of others made my mistake, so I don't feel like a complete idiot.
 
Get the .38

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.
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With all of the recommendations for .38 +p, why get the .357 version? Yes, you can shoot .357 out of it. How often is that going to happen, and how much of that will be range novelty? It has been my experience that not many people enjoy regularly shooting .357 magnum out of an ultralight snubby. (You'll want to practice with something similar to what you carry since shot placement matters much more than raw power.) Speaking of power, we've already seen some wise comments about the trade-offs and diminishing returns in this platform. If you are going to shoot and carry .38s, just get a .38! Chambers will be a little easier to clean. The frame is just a little smaller and therefore more concealable. I've seen it go for less at shops too.
 
With all of the recommendations for .38 +p, why get the .357 version?
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Because I have shot both, and the little bit of extra weight makes shooting .38 through the LCR357 noticeably nicer than through the LCR38. If they had the steel frame version chambered in .38 I'd be fine with that, but since they don't, I'd rather have the LCR357.
 
Hi Cosmo,
We didn't buy the 38 special. We bought the 357 because my wife liked the feel of it better and correctly stated that the extra weight would mitigate any recoil
better.She was very specific on this. It is important, to us, because of arthritis and age. Nobody in their right mind would use 357 mag ammo in this IMHO. I hope that this makes sense because it does to us. We picked it up today just 3 days after the order was placed. It's super and fits in her purse to boot. We appreciate your thoughts and thank you and all for their insight and help.
Yo Slim, I didn't see your post while I was writing this. We fully agree with you 100%.
Respectfully,
Doc & Mrs. Doc
 
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