.38spl vs. .357 for target.

It is a non issue. The chambers can get some build up but if you clean it, it isn't a huge concern.

As far as accuracy, no difference that I've ever noticed.

I'd suggest getting the .357 since it gives you more options.
 
there was a handloader magazine article on this topic not to many months ago. i believe from a rest they determined that from the same gun, the accuracy between specials and magnums was well, twice the difference in case length.

not much to be noticed by the normal shooter. by an olympic level shooter, well its enough to cause a migraine
 
I"m with Bob Wright on this one.

A K-38 Smith or an Officers Model Colt are superb revolvers.

If you want to shoot .38 Specials, those are two of the finest choices IMO.
 
I'm pretty much of a S&W guy, and here's my order of accuracy:

1) S&W Mdl 27 5" 4-screw: thank goodness for its accuracy...I probably paid more than I should; have fired only .357 target and 357 thumper loads, no 38 Spl yet;

2) S&W Mdl 586 (accurate with both 38 & .357) this is a 4" barrel, and I've had it for years....old reliable. But I do have to clean out the chamber after an extended session with 38 Spl;*

3) S&W Mdl 14: what's not to like? Accurate with almost any load, but, oddly enough, factory wad-cutters suck, but Lee cast WC with Green Dot or WW 231 loads are great;

4) Taurus Mdl 82-4: I can hear the cries of outrage from the Taurus haters....but yes, it's true. I tinkered with the trigger, and with selected loads (stress selected), it puts bullets in the same 3" hole, every time;

5) S&W Mdl 10: it's a beater cop trade-in, but again, with selected loads (alas, not the same loads as the Taurus), it's almost as accurate as the Taurus. My latest fun load is the 38 Spl. version of the old Brit 380-200.

5) Taurus Mdl 85: no surprise; who'd expect a 2" barrel to get any better than minute of chest at 10 yds? Again, I had to tinker with the trigger and hone practically every working surface. But it was cheap and it's now reliable.

*edit....I shoot lead bullets almost exclusively, so maybe that's why it's sometimes difficult to load .357 after an extended 38 Spl session?
 
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I shoot 38 spl's in 38 spl and .357's in .357. That way it forces me to go out and buy some of the great old 38 spl revolvers and they're a bunch of them.

No problem shooting 38 spl in the.357 other than the shorter burn ring in the cylinder. I can load up and shoot the 38 spl all day and not beat my hand to death. So much cheaper and fun to shoot the 38 spl. Did I say they're a lot of great 38 spl revolvers out there? ;)
 
I have 4 revolvers in .357 Mag that I shoot regularly, and one semi-auto in .357 Mag. I shoot a lot of both .357 Mag and .38 Special in all of them.

I notice a tiny little bit of sludge when I push in a .357 after a bunch of .38, but it's just that FIRST chambering AFTER the run of .38 where I can feel it -- at all. And one cylinderful of ammo and it's ancient history.

I've heard and read in forums for Y-E-A-R-S about the concern over shooting a lot of .38 in a .357 and having to deal with the side effects of the shorter round. I just have NOT had experiences that has made that complaint valid.

I'm sure everyone has their own experiences, but it's always been much ado about absolutely nothing in my 25 years of handgunning. I do tend to run plated and jacketed rather than lead in both .38 and .357 and I'm quite sure that's part of the equation, and you'd likely find more resistance with lead residue.

In the Coonan, I'll run a couple HUNDRED rounds of .38 with the included lighter 10-lb spring and then switch to full bore .357 Mag and I -CAN- feel a slight hitch when I go to chamber that first round, but it burns or blows out any of the scuzz and just like the Coonan always does, it eats through all the ammo I feed it without failures of any sort.

Personally, I file this "concern" under "duly noted", where I always keep it in mind as something to look for, but haven't ever been bothered by it, and I'm talking easily more than 10,000 rounds of ammo over a couple decades -- and the last 5 years of that has been documented with hard, real numbers.

As to the accuracy difference -- the only thing I can seem to tell in difference is that point of aim can be different due to the radical difference in recoil. I do love very much shooting both, and I shoot a lot of .357 Magnum. It's not that I'm a tough guy who likes taking a beating...it's more that my guns tend to be on the larger and heavier side and they eat up a lot of the recoil. The Coonan -LOVES- to be pushed hard and demands it from the ammo.
 
I shoot a GP100 and I find that the .38 special and the .357 are equally accurate at ten yards. The .38 groups are an inch or so higher but the groups are just as tight. I am told that this is because the .38 traveling at 750 Feet/sec doesn't clear the barrel before the recoil kicks in. The .357 is out the barrel before the gun can buck. Bottom line here is that either load in the GP is more accurate than I can shoot. I have been shooting 125 hollow point +P from Walmart, but I too will start hand loading this summer so there will be more .357's in my future. Cheap...and proud of it!
 
since I do intend on getting into reloading this summer - would it be doable to just reload .38spcl loads into .357 brass and avoid the problem entirely?
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Get's my vote. I see no need to even have .38 Spec brass around. The whole point of reloading is to 'taylor' the load to what you want/need to shoot. Across the board from .357 to .45 Colt, I like to keep my loads under 1100fps. Most are around 900-1000fps. Haven't bought a factory load since around 1980 when I didn't know any better....
 
If caliber selection (.38 vs. .357 Magnum) is of no consequence to you, then may I suggest you find one of two older target revolvers, the S&W K-38 Masterpiece (Model 14) or a Colt Officers Model Match. Both guns are of a bygone era when the .38 Revolver ruled the firing line. Both are built for .38 Special ammunition, that is, they are not heavy nor bulky pieces, and lack the heavy lugged basrrels stc. Both have fine adjustable target sights. Fired with .38 Special wadcutter target ammunition, they are wonderfully accurate, pleasant shooting, and emit that pride of ownership.

In short, they are nice to shoot and nice to own.

Bob Wright
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I have too agree with Bob on this. If a person is looking for a premier target revolver a S&W K-38 Masterpiece or the Colt Officers Model Match are the best I have ever seen and handled. I you insist on a 357 magnum, I once had a S&W model 19-4 6 inch that almost equal the model 14. I used mostly 38 specials but did run light load 357 magnums in the revolver. Without a doubt this revolver was better than me.

The revolvers Bob and I mentioned are out there. Be patience, and if you can find one of these, you can get endless hours of shooting pleasure.
Good luck,
Howard
 
I really want a prime 38-44. But, lacking the "authorization" to spend $3,000+, I found a very nice 4-screw Mdl 27-2 and a Mdl 14, mentioned above.

Makes a nice combo, I think....and the two of them were about the same as one 38-44....:rolleyes:
 
31_3844s.jpg


Here are 31 38/44's of various types. Not one of them cost $3,000. Most of them costs under $1000 and many costs less than $500. Not even my Registered Magnum costs $3000.

Not sure where you are getting your dollar costs from but maybe it is just a local thing.

I would say that while the 38/44 is a great gun and I obviously love them, for raw accuracy, few of what I have can compare in accuracy to my Python with decent 357 handloads.
 
I mostly fire 38's in my 357 revolvers. In always clean my guns after shooting them, so it is a non issue. For plinking and target practice 38'work fine.
 
One can analyze the OP's question two ways:

From a theoretical perspective, there is reason to conclude that shooting a .38 Special target load in a revolver chambered for .357 Magnum should display some degradation in machine accuracy. How much is uncertain.

From an experiential perspective: for many years I shot .38 target loads (2.7 grains of Bullseye pushing an H&G #51 button-nose wadcutter) out of a .357 Magnum chambered S&W revolver in the Centerfire stage of the National Gallery matches, achieving low 290s on a regular basis.

Angels on the head of a pin.
 
My S&W 640 is much more fun wand accurate with 38s. My Coonan Classic is more fun and accurate with 357 magnums. My Marlin also likes 357 magnums.
 
Peter--Do you have a son?
How would you like to adopt one?

I'm up to date on my vaccinations, I've outgrown/outlived most of my bad habits, don't eat much and have my own place.

If I outlive you, you will go to your reward knowing your handguns will be loved and well treated.

We agree on things like 10mm and .45LC. I'm also a handloader, and I suspect we'd find a it to agree on politically, too.

We're even in the same state, though far enough apart that those annoying "drop-in" visits would not be an issue.

Give it some thought, and get back to me.
Best, Rich North of DFW :)
 
Rich,

Got a family already but thanks for the offer. That picture is now 3 behind and I will make it 5 behind before the end of the week. It is an addiction and I see where I can expand and fill in my collection. If I head your way, I will PM you and maybe we can hit the range somewhere.
 
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