CCW: .38 Spl enough?

L

LH2

New member
Seems like alot of guys buy the en vogue superlight .357 snubnose revolvers for CCW and/or nightstand gun, then often they end up practicing with, and carrying .38's in them.

Usually it's because the .357's were too punishing out of such a short-barreled lightweight. Or maybe they don't want the blast/flash of a .357 indoors?

Ballistically, it looks like the .357 is a BIG step up from .38. But is .38 good enough? Or does the convenient carry of an airweight .38 sacrifice some stopping power - just a natural tradeoff?

I'm considering an SP101 myself. But I'd like to occasionally shoot magnums. So I started thinking why not get a SP101 .38 Spl for CCW loaded with a good +P load, then get a heavier GP100 for more fun with magnums at the range?

Another thing is with .38's fired out of a .357, don't you lose some effectiveness with the longer chamber versus a dedicated .38 chamber? Then it makes the gun harder to clean as well versus a dedicated .38.

Or is the consensus that it's better to have the versatility of either load in a .357, and just deal with the recoil/flash/blast if the SHTF? :eek:
 
Normally I would say that the 38spl isn't enough as a primary carry gun. But the snubbie revolver is making a comeback not only as a backup, but as a primary carry gun. The Sp101 is a great gun. Recent improvements in ammo such as Corbon and others look promising. But I would only carry 38spl +p. Regular 38spl isn't near enough. It would be nice to have a 357 and carry either load. But it's not nessessary. Besides, you can always buy two guns.:)
 
Is .38spl enough?

Well, it depends. Some people will go down writhing in pain from a pellet gun. Others will absorb multiple COM hits from a .45 and keep coming.

On the whole, in 90% or better of any confrontation, I would say a .38spl would work just fine. That is because in most confrontations, the gun makes the difference regardless of what it is.

The snubby excells at close in wrestling shooting. I carry a .38spl snubby for that reason. I do not expect to be taking pop shots at 25 yards. I expect to be piped on the back of my head and have to fight my way up from my back.

A gun is just an option in a fight for survival. More important than the gun is the tactics you train with and develop, and the will to persevere.

So, in my case, the .38spl in my pocket is there to get the BG off me. The .45 on my hip is to delay him if he keeps coming. The 12 gauge in the car is to put a stop to his continued aggression.
 
Sure it's enough. I CC a 4 inch K frame every day off duty and certainly don't feel undergunned. It's what I've shot and trained with for many years and it's what I'm comfortable with. Just having that sense of comfort is half the battle when something goes wrong.

If you don't feel comfortable carrying a .38, go with another choice.
 
The .38 Spl. is enough in most situations. Keep in mind that shot placement trumps caliber. A gun that you can comfortably shoot and that you shoot well is better than one you are not so sure of.

Personally I don't care for the .357 in snubbies. I have great confidence in the .38 Spl, the .44 Spl. and the .45 acp in short barreled guns and carry any of these as the occasion allows. Obviously the S&W Centennial is easier to conceal and to carry all day than an N frame and this makes a difference.

I'm a strong believer in practicing with the gun you are going to carry and with the .357 in a snubbie I begin to flinch fairly quickly and my hand gets sore. Accuracy suffers. Not so with the .38. So I prefer it.

tipoc
 
Yes, Close range fighting, which is the most likely scenario 38spl+p is a very good choice. Small, hard for someone to grab, you can club someone with it. As one poster said I don't envision taking shots at 25yds , I'm running away with my life intact.
 
My SP-101 carries Corbon +Ps. I fire some Magnums at the range for training purposes -- to desensitize myself to flash, blast and recoil. Going back to the .38 cartridge after shooting a half box of Magnums, I am able to concentrate better on hitting the targets because the blast is so tame by comparison.

~Ichiro
 
Loaded correctly with good shot placement, a snubby loaded with .38 spl will get the SD job done, at least against a lone attacker or 2. The only role that I can think of where you would really need the extra punch that comes with the .357 Mag would be in the field against 4 legged varmits.
 
I carry a J-frame .32 H&R Mag, and I dont fell underguned in the least. It normally a BUG on duty, but if the situtation dictates, it is often a primary. Works fine for me.
 
I was a LEO from 1959 to 1966 and we all carried .38Spl's. It's enough! However, Taurus and SW have some nice light weights that are rated for +p and that's what I now carry during the summer months.
 
Yes, My main CC weapon is a Taurus model 85 snubby. I would advise to stay away from the high velocity/ light bullet ammo. I use Winchester 38 +P 158gr Hollow Point Semi Wadcutters.

I have seen a test of this load vs. the high velocity 110 gr "Self Defense" loads. The heavy loads had a 20% decrease in velocity but over 40% Increase in penetration. Penetration of the heavy load was over 12 inches and penetration is what counts.
 
I think many .357s are sold for two reasons even when the owner only plans to shoot .38 specials. First, there is an assumption, not necessarily warranted in all cases, that a .357 revolver is stronger and will last longer than a .38 special. Secondly, including .357 models increases your choices a lot. It isn't as though you will find every possible model on your local dealer's shelves, even though I know a dealer that had a .38 S&W (regular, not special) Ruger, if your interested, the last time I was there.

But every time an issue like this comes up, I first think that you may be assuming away your main problems in using a handgun in the first place, which is hitting the target, especially in a vital place. After all, misses don't count and it won't matter what you are using.
 
Lots of good info above, thanks.

Agree placement is what matters. If I'm comfortable and capable with a .38, that's far better than uncomfortable with a .357.

For close-in defensive shooting, the reduced blast/flash of a .38 +P seems an advantage, is it not?

Finally, with modern powders & bullet technology, seems like .38 Spl is better than it used to be - and it was good then!

So am I better off buying a .357 (most likely SP101) and firing .38's 90% of the time, but trying some magnum loads to see if they're OK for CCW? I'd like to practice with my carry load afterall.

Or just get a lighter .38 like a 640 or Taurus 85 Titanium and forget the whole .357 thing? Then focus on knowing the DA trigger and accuracy at 10 yards?

Sometimes I think with all the excitement over lightweight .357's, .38's get overlooked and underestimated.
 
"Sometimes I think with all the excitement over lightweight .357's, .38's get overlooked and underestimated."

Yes. I agree.

Personally, I feel that if what you are wanting to do is carry for protection against 2 legged varmits and against 4 legged varmits up to the size of a big dog, a .38 snubby will get the job done just fine. If you want to get a .357 snubby and feed it .38's, that's up to you, but you are needlessly giving up a couple of ounces doing so. If you get a .357 snubby and feed it with .357 Mags, you really aren't going to be any more effective than a .38 (a hit is a hit with either one, the BG won't know the difference), it will have slower follow up shots, and have more flash/bang -- so why bother. Unless, of course, you want to carry it in the field for protection against bigger 4 legged varmits where the extra punch actually matters.

Personally, if it were me I'd get a .38, but then again that's just me. I don't see myself ever running any .357 Mag ammo through a snubby, even if I had a .357 Mag snubby. For field work, I've already got my 686, but I would like a snubby for the field as well -- for snake shot, a .38 would do just fine for that.
 
..the 38 is often unfairly maligned nowadays..the truth is it is a very accurate round with enough punch with good shot placement..but get a +p as the 'standard' 38 special factory round is a bit more weak compared to past 'standard' rounds of the past decades...
 
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