9mm pistol vs 357 mag revolver

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 have no idea where those ideas might have came from, unless you are describing a home defense situation.

Otherwise, it is difficult to visualize a situation in which one who can "get out ...of view and then pull [his] gun and shoot" would describe a realistic and lawfully justifiable self defense encounter.

The defender will be the one who is surprised, or he should have departed beforehand. The only surprise that may accrue to the attacker would be resistance, or perhaps getting shot.

The good defensive pistol training classes I mentioned will define the skills necessary to survive what can be described as an ambush, or perhaps as a "dynamic critical incident". The assailant attacks unexpectedly from a direction unforeseen, and most probably from very close range. The only things to do are to turn toward him, draw quickly while moving off line if possible, and shoot. If it is possible to get behind something--the end of a car, or even a stray shopping cart that could slow down his rush--that would be good.

Defensive shooting requires a fast draw, unless one happens to be in his own home waiting for an intruder to enter the room. The draw will likely be a little slower than with open carry, but if it is not fast enough, the defender will not prevail.
 
Yes, only the hits count. I would compare the 9MM to the 38 Special. As others have noted, training is all important.
 
For self defense use the one that shoots the most accurately and you can shoot best.
9mm vs .357 is an apples and oranges comparison anyway. Neither is better than the other.
 
Old Marksman,

I too find Shootist PRS comments hard to understand.

In a bit earlier post he mentions firing a .357 in his home and hardly
noticing any blast or flash.

Indoors, the .38, the 9 mm, and more so the .40 S&W and .357 are all deafening depending on the acoustics.
 
Many people have said, when firing their gun in defense of their life, they never saw any muzzle flash or heard the shots go off. They had total tunnel vision on the threat.

I agree, if you touch off a .357 mag indoors under ordinary circumstances, your ears will be ringing for days.
 
I own both. I only own guns to burn ammo.
when 357 is low, I switch to 9mm. when 9mm is low, I go back to 357.
all the same to me.
my outlook on guns and ammo has served me well for over 40 years.
 
While it's hard to argue with the smack that a 357 can inflict, I would say the Glock 19 is perfect for your needs. Small enough to conceal without much difficulty while being big enough to actually fight with. Quality 9mm ammo will do the job with minimal recoil and good capacity. You might even consider mounting a light on it when it's on the nightstand. Not critical when you can flip a light switch but it has it's advantages.
 
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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Me? My calculation would be "6 stout rounds vs. 15 controllable rounds".
 
My own personal feelings are to carry what I shoot the best at this present moment and that's the Glock. It is small enough to carry concealed and the 124 grain P+ hollow point 9mm ammo is quite potent. Last, 15 rounds is nothing to sneeze at. After 46 years of carrying a 4" 357 mag revolver I am amazed with ease that I was able to change to a pistol & shoot better, quicker & more accurate & I cannot explain it.
 
I used to carry a 357 Ruger LCR and I traded it off on a Smith Model 36 snub - but you are talking 357 so I'll stick to that. Both the LCR and 36 ar 5 shot - both 357 and 38 capable of putting down a bad guy.

I decided to add a 9mm so went with a Shield - it's a great gun and I feel that a 9mm will do the job. The reason or the switch? "CAPACITY" and ability to quickly drop a mag and slap in another and keep going if necessary.

THAT SAID . . . . most people when they think of a SD situation visualize a single perp - not a realistic scenario. Many SD situations involve more than one perp and I just no longer feel comfortable with a 5 shot revolver. Yes, I do still carry my J frame once in a while depending upon the circumstances.

A year ago, I was in a situation where I could have had a home invasion involving two people - luckily, I came upstairs from the basement just before they had a chance to break and enter and they got scared off - and I live in a good neighborhood in a rural setting. That was in MI - I winter in AZ near a city where we sometimes go in to and there are gangs, etc. and "things" do happen - sometimes on a daily basis.

Because of that, I have been "re-thinking" my EDC. I am planning on getting a Glock 30 - capacity of ten 45 ACP. Some may think of it as going "over board" and others not. For myself, I want the capacity in case of ever getting in a situation with more than one perp and I want a cartridge that I know I can shoot well and that will hopefully put someone down in a hurry if necessary - which I hope will never have to happen.

I was shot at while responding to an ambulance call many years ago and if my head had been just a little further to the side, I would not be here today - I felt it go by on my ear lobe. I have been accosted twice in parking lots in the middle of the day out here in AZ and once had to hit the sidewalk on a major street in the city due to someone driving by and letting off rounds. Yes . . . the best thing to do is to be aware of your surroundings at all times and avoid areas and situations which could contribute to a problem. In the end though - what you carry is a personal decision. Some feel comfortable with a 22, others a 380 etc. - in the end, carry what makes YOU comfortable.
 
I am planning on getting a Glock 30 - capacity of ten 45 ACP.
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One advantage that comes to mind is the lower sound pressure. Under some circumstances within or near walls, that could have an impact on permanent noise-induced hearing loss.

One disadvantage that comes to mind is the greater recoil and its impact on the rate of controlled shooting.

That recoil gives many people the impression that the gun will be "more effective" and that the additional "punch" will somehow translate to "knockdown power".

Experts in wounding effectiveness tell us that there is really no such thing, and the most elementary analysis of Newton's Second Law of Motion confirms that.

Experts in terminal ballistics have concluded that for practical purposes, the best 9mm defensive loads with premium bonded JHP bullets are just as effective.
 
In the end though - what you carry is a personal decision. Some feel comfortable with a 22, others a 380 etc. - in the end, carry what makes YOU comfortable.
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One's subjective personal "feeling" of "comfort" may be far divergent from reality when it comes to handgun effectiveness.

Of course, if the shooter cannot handle the gun, it will not serve him or her well.

The .380 may not provide adequate penetration, The compact lightweight 9 may well not prove controllable and may not be conducive to adequate practice. A .357 revolver with a light alloy frame may well present the same issues.

Some research on effectiveness and some training and practice should enable one to narrow down the choice that provides confidence that is base on reality.

It is likely that some compromises will be involved.
 
THAT SAID . . . . most people when they think of a SD situation visualize a single perp - not a realistic scenario. Many SD situations involve more than one perp and I just no longer feel comfortable with a 5 shot revolver. Yes, I do still carry my J frame once in a while depending upon the circumstances.
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Multiple determined and competent attackers are likely to overcome a single defender in a public setting regardless of how many shots said single defender may have. I get the idea that more capacity is better but I think it falls into the same argument of more power is better. Better does not always equate to actually being useful.
 
bedbugbilly said:
most people when they think of a SD situation visualize a single perp - not a realistic scenario. Many SD situations involve more than one perp and I just no longer feel comfortable with a 5 shot revolver.
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Fortunately I have not been in a self or home defense situation which required the use of a firearm. I'm not sure what a typical situation is like but I doubt it is along the lines of Steven Seagal's Marked for Death movie where the bad guys come in waves, completely undaunted by the numerous body count of their fellow comrades. If someone wants you dead like that, then you probably should have assumed a new identity and moved to another country.
 
Multiple determined and competent attackers are likely to overcome a single defender in a public setting regardless of how many shots said single defender may have.
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The limited verifiable data samples we have (two of them are from Tennessee) indicate that if one is the victim of violent criminal attack, it is at least as likely that the defender will face two or more attackers as one.

Security videos of armed robberies are consistent with that.

That makes sense. It is a lot safer to go into something dangerous with an accomplice. An extra set of eyes, and extra set of arms to carry the loot, someone to drive, and someone to carry another weapon will make things that much easier.

From what we know, the common presence of more than one attacker haas not routinely prevented victims from defending themselves.
 
I generally carry a sig p220 match elite .45, and my back up is a 3 inch smith 686 plus. My vote between 9mm and 357 has to be the 357, ive practiced much more with that and am more efficiant with that than a 9mm.
 
0ldMarksman,

What then would your recomendation about being attacked coming from a mall or in a Walmart type store? My 357 carry holds 5 bullits and I also carry at least one speed loader and my Glock hold 15 and I carry one extra magazine.

The 357 has 357 mag Gold Dot ammo 135 gr. HPs. P+

The Glock has Fed HST 124 gr. HPs. or Speer 124 gr. HPs. P+
 
I am more used to revolvers and shoot them better. I am more comfortable with them. So they are my preference for SD.

But everyone is different. Whichever one you shoot best and are more comfortable with is probably the right one for you.
 
I think it is a mistake to talk about rather trivial stopping power differences between rounds as compared to your ability to shoot the gun and your own opinion of the capacity issues.

While the idea of multiple opponents or needing more than two shoots is poopoo'ed by many - I suggest that you try a competition match with a revolver vs. a semi and see your shooting performance and the comparative reloading times for more than one opponent or need for more than 5 or 6 shots.

Frankly, the bullet discussion (with most modern rounds) is seen as a touch naive as compared to the skill set and the issues I mentioned.
 
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