Any problems firing .38 spl in .357?

S

schwerpunkt

Inactive
Hi, I'm new to the forum and would like some advice. I'm currently living in Lima, Peru, and due to escalating violence like armed robbery and internal organ-stealing, I've decided to buy myself a handgun.

I've done a lot of research into what calibre, pistol vs. revolver, etc. and decided that I'd like to go with either a .38 spl or a .357. Civilians are not allowed to carry anything larger than a .38 spl or .380 auto here (9mm allowed for company directors) so larger calibres are out.

Basically I'm looking for something ideal for SD and for mucking about at a firing range or plinking out in the jungle. It has to be powerful, reliable, easy to use and quick to draw and use. Most shootings here happen very quickly so you have to be able to get your gun out and shoot very quickly if necessary. So I decided on a S&W or Taurus 6-shot revolver with 4-inch barrel to give what I think to be a good compromise between concealability/draw speed and accuracy on the range. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

A gun shop offered me a .357 because you can register them as .38 spl. This means that you cannot use a .357 round in self-defense otherwise the police get shirty and Peruvian prisons are not nice places to be. However, for the purposes of target shooting, you can buy .357 mag ammo.

I like the .357 that I was offered because it seems to sit better in my big hands than the apparently identically-sized .38 spl. I also like the idea of being able to use the .357 ammo at a range or if I was out in the jungle taking photos (I do a lot of this) and someone decided they liked my cameras but didn't like me. In the jungle, I wouldn't be loading it with .38 spl, I can tell you.

Someone said that using .38 ammo in a .357 isn't good because it is not as accurate as using it in a revolver specifically chambered for .38. Is this true? Someone also said that it can cause pitting in the cylinders due to shorter case length but this is not really an issue because I won't be putting thousands of rounds through it anyway.

TIA for your advice,

Greg
 
Hello, schwerpunkt! I'm new, too. This is a pretty nice forum, don't you think?

Purchasing a .357 mag. even if you are going to shoot primarily .38 spl. in it is not a bad call. The revolver will be a little bit heavier than a similar gun chambered for the .38 cartridge, which will make it sit down a bit better under recoil when shooting .38's. Accuracy with .38 spl. ammo will be plenty good enough for defensive work, and some target loads might even surprise you a bit.

As for chamber erosion or pitting concerns, you would have to shoot it a LOT and clean it very little for that to be a problem.
 
The only place you might need to worry about accuracy of .38 Specials in a .357 Magnum is in a dedicated target pistol.
Unless you're a Master-class shooter into formal target matches, you will notice no difference in accuracy.

The erosion problem with the shorter .38 cases was mostly a problem back in the days of corrosive ammunition and blued steel guns.

If the ammo will erode the cylinder with .38 ammo, it will erode it with .357 ammo.
Buying a stainless steel pistol will pretty well eliminate the erosion problem especially with modern non-corrosive ammo.

In fact, the only real "issue" with shooting .38 Special in a .357 Magnum gun, is the tendency for fouling to build up in the chamber and prevent .357 ammo from chambering.

The "fix" for that is to buy special chamber cleaning brushes and scrub the chambers thoroughly.
You can also clean the chambers by scrubbing with regular brushes, but this takes longer.

Bottom line: Shooting .38 Special in a .357 Magnum is not an issue, as long as you clean the chambers before attempting to shoot .357 ammo.
 
Dfariswheel has gotten right to the crux of the matter with his statements, "In fact, the only real "issue" with shooting .38 Special in a .357 Magnum gun, is the tendency for fouling to build up in the chamber and prevent .357 ammo from chambering.

The "fix" for that is to buy special chamber cleaning brushes and scrub the chambers thoroughly.
You can also clean the chambers by scrubbing with regular brushes, but this takes longer.

Bottom line: Shooting .38 Special in a .357 Magnum is not an issue, as long as you clean the chambers before attempting to shoot .357 ammo."
I would only add that a Lewis Lead Remover or the like "Hoppes makes one also", can clean up .38spec lead line in a few seconds. Quantrill
 
There IS one potential problem that hasn't been mentioned...


You'll get 'experts' yelling at you trying to convince you that you'll ruin your gun.

Ignore these people.

Enjoy your .357!
 
You state in your message that gunfights happen quickly...I agree...but what happens when you return fire with a gun full of .357 rounds...surely your not going to have time to reload with .38's in a gun fight...would the police be forgiving?
 
A bit off topic here, you might want to consider the Brazilian made Taurus 938. It's a semiauto in .380, with a 15+1 ammo capacity. Bullet for bullet, the .38 Spec is a better SD round, but it is also hard to argue with 16 rounds to slide lock. Here in the States, we are limited to handicapped capacity (10rd) mags, but I don't think you would be. JMHO.
 
The short answer is that the 38s will work fine in your 357. Do a good job of cleaning the cylinder. It is possible for buildup in the cylinder from 38s to make it difficult to chamber a longer 357 round. Since the 357 is not an option to you I see absolutely nothing to worry about. Best. Watch-Six
 
Thanks all

I didn't expect such quick responses, actually.

Although I'd have to buy a chamber brush, I'll go for the .357. Yes, I know Hoppe's well as it used to be about the only thing which would clean the copper fouling out of Mk 4 .303's I used to use while out deerhunting back home in New Zealand. One guy mentioned that I wouldn't be reloading with .38 if someone was shooting at me but actually I wouldn't be loading with .357 except at a range or out in the jungle anyway, as you can't legally carry a .357 loaded with .357 ammo in the street. In saying that, it would only be a problem if someone got shot with .357 ammo.

As for .380, there are 2 issues I have with pistols. The first is having to take the safety catch off or, if I don't want to use the safety, cycle the action before taking a shot. Most pistols I've seen here have difficult or awkward to use safeties. I want to just pull the gun out and pull the trigger if need be, without messing around with a safety or cycling the action. From what I've seen here, gunfights happen extremely quickly and the less time needed to pull your gun and squeeze off a shot, the better. Now if I could have a 1911 .45 I'd go for a pistol, but I can't have one here.

The second issue is cost. Pistols cost about twice as much as revolvers here and I'm not on a good salary.

I also wondered what people recommended as far as holsters go. After researching on the net, I thought that a holster which goes on my belt would probably be the fastest to use. I'm thinking of buying one model which can be used on the right hip or just beside the belt buckle in front of the hip. The angle of this holster is adjustable. It's leather but restitching when it gets loose is really cheap here.

Finally, although reloading is not allowed, I see no reason why I can't pull bullets and sacrifice some cartridges by increasing the powder charge in others, if I want a slightly hotter load. I'd have to buy a scales and stuff, but we used to reload rifle cartridges back home so I'm not unfamiliar with the process.

Like I say, I'm new to handguns as we can't have them back home so my opinions may not be accurate. I'm always willing to learn so let me know if my views here are garbage.

Thanks all for your good advice.

Greg
 
Your plan to buy a revolver is as good as it gets. Autos are nice, but they aren't the answer for everybody.

I'd much rather have a good S&W revolver than most any cheaper auto, and I'd MUCH rather have a S&W than a .380, at least these days.

As for holsters, this is an intensely personal choice. What works for me, might be bad for you.
Look around at what's available, and try one that looks like it might suit you.

For concealment, the belt mounted hip holster, or the Inside the Waistband types are good, but you have to choose for yourself.

As for dumping powder, and loading it into other rounds to increase the power, this is "garbage" HERE IN THE USA.

We don't have to contend with non-democratic governments
that make weird laws concerning "military" ammunition.

In your case, you have to do whatever works.
Unless you can buy +P .38 Special ammunition, your idea for "improving" the standard ammo is NOT a "garbage" idea.

The Plus P .38 Special is a factory loaded, "hot load".
It's still .38 Special, but loaded to a higher velocity, and offers much better power than standard ammo.
One of the very best defense loads for the .38 Special, is the +P, 158 grain, lead, semi-wadcutter, hollow-point load.
This is the ammunition used by most American police agencies when American police still used the .38 Special.

It's VERY effective, and in your case, it's plainly marked and sold as ".38 Special".

Given whatever choice you have in Peru, I'd try for a good S&W revolver, a holster that works for you, and see if you can get +P .38 Special ammo.

There's an old saying here: "Beggars can't be choosers".
Where you are, you'll have to do what you can do within the constraints imposed by the government.

Good luck, and let us know if we can be of any further help.
 
A trick to cleaning .38 residue from the chambers is to insert a fired .357 case into each chamber, preferably while the gun is still warm from shooting.
This will break loose some of the fouling.

If you can't find a chamber brush, use a .44 or .45 brush. If you can get a copper cleaning pad called Chore Boy, you can cut strips of it and wrap it around the brush. Make sure it's copper, not steel wool. It may not be available in Peru.

John
 
Finally, although reloading is not allowed, I see no reason why I can't pull bullets and sacrifice some cartridges by increasing the powder charge in others, if I want a slightly hotter load. I'd have to buy a scales and stuff, but we used to reload rifle cartridges back home so I'm not unfamiliar with the process.
Click to expand...

It's not worth the probably loss of reliability. If you haven't got the right equipment AND the time to master it, don't bet your life on home-made ammo. Yes, those that DO spend the time AND MONEY to master it can do great things.

Are you prepared to do that in a country where you can't get the right equipment?
 
Dedicated chamber brushes aren't easy to find except by mail order, and the S&H will kill you. You can do very well with a .40 caliber brush for the chambers.

Enjoy, you're off to a great start.
 
I've been shooting .38s in .357 guns for twenty years. Never a problem. Revolvers, lever guns, single shots.
.40 caliber brushes work great for cleaning chambers, I put them in a cordless drill and go to town.
All my .357s give very good to exellent accuracy with .38s.
For quick draw self defense, nothing beats a K-frame, fixed sight S&W.
 
I did have a .357 that just wasn't very accurate with .38's....

And I tried most of the loads I could find.....

It was just much better with .357

Could have been a fluke
 
I have found that revolvers chambered for 357 are not as accurate with 38spl as those chambered for 38spl. Accuracy is good but not tackdriver such as my (new to me) S&W 67. I really don't know why and I am speaking of S&W 686s and 66s. My S&W 67 and Colt OP will blow them away ( at least the several 686s/66s that I have owned) shooting 38spl. I am certainly not a master target shooter either.
 
One not very often mentioned disadvantage in shooting 38s in a 357 chamber is a slight lose in velocity. Since you can't use 357 defensively why bother with it, are you into extra recoil, noise and flash for the fun of it? I'd get a 38 chambered gun like a S&W model 10/64 or model 15/67 and shoot it mostly with standard velocity rounds to gain competence while while saving money and shooting more expensive carry ammo (+P) less frequently, but maintaining familiarity.
 
Shooting 38 Spl. in a 357

I have been shooting since 1959.
There use to be an "old wifes tale" that said that shooting .38 Special rounds in a .357 Magnum handgun, would eventually cause a .38 Special cyclinder ring. If so, I would have destroyed several hundred 357 handguns.
Use .38 Special rounds in a .357 Magnum!
 
You state in your message that gunfights happen quickly...I agree...but what happens when you return fire with a gun full of .357 rounds...surely your not going to have time to reload with .38's in a gun fight...would the police be forgiving?
Click to expand...

If you used .357 rounds (and practiced good marksmanship), you shouldn't have to reload at all!! :D

The police doesn't care if you used .357 Magnums or .38 Specials. So as long as you are in the right and you do not hurt an innocent bystander (read: use hollow-points). Now the press and civil lawyers, that's a whole different ball o' wax.
 
Carlos, if you would have read the original message he states:

A gun shop offered me a .357 because you can register them as .38 spl. This means that you cannot use a .357 round in self-defense otherwise the police get shirty and Peruvian prisons are not nice places to be. However, for the purposes of target shooting, you can buy .357 mag ammo.

That is what initiated my question...

Bob
 
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