9mm pistol vs 357 mag revolver

D

Doc Holliday 1950

New member
Guys, I have only owned 357 mag revolvers until recently. I purchased a Glock 19 gen 4 Pistol. My question is for self defense, which would you prefer, a 357 mag revolver or a 9mm pistol to both carry and use in the home for SD?

As always, all responses are wanted.

The 357 is a 125gr. HP and the 9mm is either a 124 gr hp or a 147 gr hp for comparison if this is possible.
 
Depends on which type of gun we're talking about. I'm not going to carry concealed a 3 or 4 inch barrel .357 revolver, but that would be my preference over a 9mm pistol for home defense. If it's a snub revolver, I'll strongly consider it.

I think my choice would be a 9mm. Glock 26 would be the better choice for carrying over a Glock 19. Stick a 15 round mag in it and put a sleeve over the exposed part of the mag and you have a Glock 19 grip, but the shorter Glock 26 barrel length. I think that would work well for home defense and when it's carrying time, pull that mag out and put the 10 round back in.
 
I've never had to defend myself with a gun. But out of the two you list, I would take the 357, and the revolver I would choose for it would probably be the Ruger New Vaquero. Still, I would prefer a 45 Colt, also in a single action revolver. It's what I like; it's what I shoot well.
 
The Glock 19 is on the larger side of carry pistols. Are you able to conceal it well? Are any of your .357's smaller?

I would prefer the 9mm for home defense. 9mm is cheaper and easier to shoot, so proficiency is more readily obtained.
 
answered

Everybody will have personal preferences, but Law Enforcement decided on this answer years ago. Rarely ever now do you see an LEO with a revolver. My own feelings are mixed. For a true novice and those not really interested,the revolver with MILD loads is easier to learn. Open it up, fill the holes, close it, shoot till it won't shoot anymore, repeat. But........

My own experience and observation is that a 9mm semiauto is easier for most interested folks to shoot well. The higher capacity is a plus, even if you likely won't need it (but who knows what your shooting will look like). The more complex manual of arms will require more of you mentally and you will have to pay some attention to maintenance, and stay familiar with the autopistol. The 9mm/124 is not a powerhouse, but many consider it adequate.

The 125/.357 is a powerhouse, but is hard for some to shoot well, I'd be inclined to use .38 spl for novices. In a revolver of sufficient size to tame mag ammo, it becmes difficult to conceal. Blast and flash with full house loads is horrendous. The DA revolver requires some hand strength to run well, and the limited capacity could be a drawback. Reloading is complex and slow for most, even with loaders. You get 6 for sure, but what if you need more?
 
Doc Holliday 1950 said:
Guys, I have only owned 357 mag revolvers until recently. I purchased a Glock 19 gen 4 Pistol. My question is for self defense, which would you prefer, a 357 mag revolver or a 9mm pistol to both carry and use in the home for SD?



As always, all responses are wanted.



The 357 is a 125gr. HP and the 9mm is either a 124 gr hp or a 147 gr hp for comparison if this is possible.
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I love the 357 myself. Personally, I like my J frame S&W 640 since I can draw it faster from a pocket holster. I have other 357 Magnums that carry 6, 7, and even 8 rounds. But those are not practical for CCW.

But as of late, with hoodlums and thugs, it's not even a one on one attack these days. It may be a couple or group of people. Though I'm confident of my abilities point shooting, and the likelihood of taking care of one or maybe two people is higher, 5 rounds are only going to go so far.

I, too, have just acquired a Gen 4 Glock 19, MOS. With a higher capacity, and a Trijicon RMR, my capacity is three times higher, and my capability is significantly greater. The reflex sight gives me a faster sighting system, and I can shoot further out than what I wan do with just point shooting. I practice regularly out to 25 yards with a CCW, but with this, I can consistently make hits much greater distances (50-75 yards). Obviously, it is beyond self defense distances but the potential exceeds my J frame.

For HD, since portability is not an issue, I prefer high capacity. Again the sighting system is superior with a red dot. It helps to have an integrated light. Since I live in a rural setting, I'm always carrying at home. Handguns are for the purpose of getting to my longer or more firepower arms, though...shotguns, AR pistols or rifles.

For HD, my gun of choice is a Glock in a Micro Roni with a red dot, laser, and light, using a high capacity Mag with a spare mag in the stabilizer.

In the end, yes the 357 is powerful, but capacity is king.


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9mm +P

Lay a full sized 9mm - like a BHP- down on top of a S&W K or L frame snubbie.
They are nearly identical in size.

Once you get done with all the hoops and figures and all the other flotsam, when you compare a 124 grain 9mm +P from a full sized pistol to a 125 grain .357 mag from a snubbie, those two are also nearly identical

The 9mm/124 is not a powerhouse, but many consider it adequate.
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A whole lot depends on what it's coming out of.
A 9MM +P from a small frame 9mm doesn't give up a whole lot to a J frame
Check out the figures.
 
Doc Holliday,

You need to assess your own capabilities, especially after shooting the Glock 19 for a while.

How well do you handle the .357, particularly in double action fast shooting at targets set at reasonably close ranges?

Then how well do you handle the Glock in rapid shooting at reasonably close ranges?

And which is more comfortable to tote around day in and day out?

Answering those questions by yourself should put you on the path to making a choice.
 
I have a safe full of all types and calibers. My EDC gun is a Kimber K6s .357, My nightstand gun is a S&W 686Plus .357, and a 12 gauge in the corner out of sight. These are the guns I trust my life to.
 
Forget posted velocity and energy numbers you see published. Most ballistic charts are based on 8" barrels from magnum revolvers. Most numbers from semi-auto rounds are from more realistic 4 or 5" barrels. Some real world numbers to consider.

* A 4" 357 mag revolver firing typical 125 gr bullets will achieve about 1300-1350 fps in the real world.

* A 4" 9mm pistol firing 124 gr +P ammo will achieve 1250-1300 fps in the real world.

* A 2.5" 357 mag firing 125 gr bullets will acheive about 1100-1200 fps in the real world

* A semi-auto pistol with a 4" barrel will be about the same overall length as a revolver with a 2.5" barrel and shoot the same bullet weights faster and do it with much less recoil and muzzle blast while holding 2.5-3X more ammo.

I know you specified 147 gr 9mm ammo, but I wanted to keep an apples to apples comparison.

To me it is a no-brainer, 9mm wins even with 147 gr ammo. A 357 mag can be an effective SD tool. But they only beat 9mm once you start shooting heavy bullets or with barrels 6" or longer.
 
Glock 19 will obviously win out in capacity. They do make revolvers that hold 8 rds of .357 mag though. Theres also a rail on the glock if you wanna easily attach a weapon light/laser. I've had a bunch of different handguns/calibers in the past 10 years, but at the moment my 4" Gp100 is my bedside gun. It'll wake up the whole street.
 
10 years ago power was overrated. The 9MM was simply not powerful enough of a round. While I do not buy into "they are all the same" type argument this argument got inflated to the point of hyperbole.

Right now capacity is overrated. Like power it is nice to have but it is unlikely you are ever actually going to use it.

Buy the gun you like, the one you can put shots on target with, and the one you will carry. My carry stable (those guns I am proficient with and comfortable carrying) consists of a Glock 19 (since sold), a Glock 29, A Sig P938, soon to be added a Colt Delta Elite, and an SP101 (3", 3.57, full hammer).

As often as not when going into an urban environment I am carrying the SP101 loaded with .38 specials. I have heard most of the arguments against it but I find the gun fits very well (and yes I buy good holsters), I am comfortable with it, and I highly doubt I will find myself in a situation where 5 rounds (10 - I do carry a speed loader) are inadequate.
 
Ammo performance for .357 Mag and 9mm varies, obviously, depending on the brand.

Here are some actual real-world chronographed numbers from my pistols:

.357 Magnum 4" barrel 686:

125 Remington SJHP = 1465 fps.
125 Buffalo Bore GDHP = 1510 fps.


.357 Magnum 2" Colt Magnum Carry:

125 Remington SJHP = 1255 fps.
125 Buffalo Bore GDHP = 1328 fps.


9mm Luger 4" Glock 19:

115 +P Double Tap JHP = 1305 fps.
124 +P Double Tap JHP = 1257 fps.
147 +P Double Tap JHP = 1117 fps.
 
Well, I own and shoot a 357 Magnum revolver as well as pistols chambered in 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, 357 SIG, and .45 ACP.

For carry in a midsize pistol, I favor .40 S&W. For carry in a compact pistol 9mm Luger. For home defense .45 ACP although if I had a 9mm or .40 S&W at hand, I would feel well-armed.

As for 357 Magnum, truth is I don't feel I can control the recoil well enough for fast and accurate follow-up shots, should they be needed. 38 Special +P is an option, but then you are back to 9mm Luger ballistic capability. And I would hate to have to fire 357 Magnum in an enclosed space without ear protection. Plus the greater muzzle flash, and flash coming sideways out the cylinder-barrel gap of a revolver is more likely to result in temporary night blindness in dark conditions. Revolvers do not generally adapt themselves as well to rail-mounted tactical light/laser combos like I have on my home defense pistol. And lastly, although I practice shooting double action all the time with my revolver and DA/SA pistols, I am probably less accurate with DA than I am with my striker-action pistols.

So of the two choices, I would go with 9mm, although it would not be a Glock 19.
 
A 357 touched off in a small room with no hearing protection WILL make your ears bleed :eek:.....and the flash will be like looking into the sun. Now make it 38+p, and I would give it consideration (I own both and the 66 has been replaced in the nightstand with the 19)
 
The .357 mag 125 gr load is the classic man stopper. But you are better off with your Glock 19. Here are some results from my guns.

GP-100 4"
Hornady commercial 125 - 1,430 fps
My 125 (300-MP) - 1,463

M&P 9 (full size)
Federal HST 124 - 1,141
My 125 (Power Pistol) - 1,155

I could go a little hotter in the 9, but at the expense of reliable function.

So, let's not try to make the 9x19 into something it is not. That's why they came up with the 357 Sig, which just about gets there. But that's the wrong argument. The 9x19 is perfectly adequate for personal defense. It has a long history, and through most of that history, Europe considered it "for war", using 32s and 9mm Kurz for police work.

Your G19 has two big advantages over any revolver. It holds a lot more rounds. "But, only a few shots are fired in the average self defense situation", you say. Yeah, but better to have 'em and not need 'em. Also, it's flat. Don't minimize that. Much better for concealment. Yes, the G19 is kinda big. I have gone to a subcompact 9, but I can and do carry a G23 on occasion in a Crossbreed Supertuck, no problem. Unless you're rolling your own, 9mm practice ammo is cheaper. And proficiency with your firearm trumps most other factors, don't you think. Enjoy your Glock. You made the right choice.
 
Your choice for every day carry is going to be a personal choice for what you feel comfortable with and what your frame will hide.

I haven't had my 9mm long enough to have a good load developed with it yet and it is a full size steel gun but I have had my 6 inch 357 for 45 years and most of that time it has been my carry weapon. I also have a 4" 357 that shoots as well as the six inch that I sometimes carry.

The 357 in 4" shoots 140 gr JHP at 1464 fps
My 9mm shoots 115 gr JHP at just over 1100 fps (1112 to 1116)
The 9 mm hoots 124 gr FMJ at just under 1100 fps (1089 to 1098)

This is through my chronograph with my loads. It is about as real world as you can get. I shoot all three guns well but I am not even considering the 9mm as a self defense gun. I can duplicate the ballistics of the 9mm with 38 Special +P loads and I am not limiting myself to lower power loads. I have done extensive tests with my 357 in my Fackler Box and I have a good idea of its penetration and expansion. I have used both revolvers in competition (Hunter's Pistol Silhouette) out to 100 yards with great success. I have fired the short 357 in my home and the flash did not blind me nor did the blast deafen me. It is loud and there is a flash but the sound and flash are so short that it almost doesn't happen. I remember wondering if the gun went off and I only realized it when I smelled the smoke.

Back to you: If you feel you can shoot better with the 9mm then use it to carry. If you are more comfortable with the 357 then carry it. When I am not carrying my 357 I usually have my 45 Colt.
 
Terminal ballistics should not be a major driver. Either will suffice.

Try out concealment and how fast you can draw.

Before finalizing a selection, take each to a good defensive pistol training course. See how quickly you can put several (say, three to five) rounds into a target the size of the upper chest area at distances ranging from five feet to a maximum of fifteen.
 
Concealed carry is not for fast draw! It is to surprise the bad guy with a smooth motion that belies any risk. If you stand out, in the open, and draw your gun you will be shot. You are supposed to get behind cover or at least out of view and then pull your gun and shoot. You don't tell him to drop his gun, you don't shoot a warning shot your purpose is to stop his attack with the application of equal or similar violence.

If you are unable to do that then you should question why you are carrying.
 
Concealed carry is not for fast draw! It is to surprise the bad guy with a smooth motion that belies any risk. If you stand out, in the open, and draw your gun you will be shot. You are supposed to get behind cover or at least out of view and then pull your gun and shoot. You don't tell him to drop his gun, you don't shoot a warning shot your purpose is to stop his attack with the application of equal or similar violence.

If you are unable to do that then you should question why you are carrying.
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I agree.
 
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