Cost of operation .357 vs. 9mm

M

MarketingGuy

Inactive
Have shot rifles and shotguns since I was 8, but I'm new to handguns. Took my boys to the range the other day and rented a few different handguns. Had a great time, but renting is expensive. Decided we'd probably go ahead and buy our first handgun.

I was leaning toward a .357 revolver, figuring that a revolver is probably simpler for the boys to learn proper handling on that a semi-auto. Found a pretty decent deal (I think) on a used S&W Model 13. Haven't bought it yet.

Then I went to Wal-Mart looking at ammo. Realized that a box of 100 .38spl is $30, vs. $20 for box of 100 9mm. Looked around a few places online and didn't see anyplace significantly cheaper. So if we go through a couple hundred rounds when we go to the range, it's $20 more every time if we get the S&W. With lots of my clients cutting back on their budget and spending less with my company, I'm trying to be cost-conscious.

Am I missing something on the cost of operation here? I'm thinking if we go every couple of weeks, the difference over the course of a year could be pretty significant.

Mike
 
ANSWER....

...the 9mm is the cheapest of any handgun to shoot often other than the .22!

Happy 9ing!
 
Too much thinking and analysis is sometimes not good.

As already noted if ammo price is that much of an issue get a .22LR – revolver or semi.

Or…

Get what you like, it should be yours for many, many years. Can’t go wrong with a .357: powerful round and a fairly inexpensive round. Then get a 9mm later.
 
Keep looking

Near me (Chicago suburbs) 38 Special goes for $16 a box, and 9mm goes for around $14, unless it is on sale.

357 Magnum costs more, upwards of $20 a box.

The two boxes of 44 Special I bought were $30 apiece. Ouch.

But I tend not to shoot as much from a revolver.

Now, you're starting to see why most of us love 22. Good quality 22 ammo is $4 a box.
 
You're not missing anything. As was mentioned the 9mm is the least expensive gun to shoot other than a .22. I recently bought a 9mm Glock for that reason and find myself shooting my revolvers less frequently. If you think .38 special ammo is expensive wait until you price .357 ammo. The cheapest box of 50 runs about $23 .

A .22 revolver is a good way to teach kids about hand guns. I started my son out with a Ruger Single-Six.
 
Hey Mike! Welcome to the forums.

If this is your first handgun, and will be a 'training' piece/target gun for you and your boys I'd recommend a .38 special. Factory ammo in .38 will be MUCH more gentle than 357 (which can be intimidating and/or difficult for first time handgunners). Learning to shoot a handgun is much easier and more enjoyable with a manageable firearm. I would go for a .38 that is +P rated, this signifies that the revolver is able to handle ammunition loaded to high pressures than a standard .38. It is a convenient option to have if you decide to give your revolver double duty as a home defense weapon. You may also find yourself wanting to take up reloading later down the road, which can significantly decrease your shooting costs! A +P gun will allow you to 'brew' a wider range of custom loads, from very light powder puffs to fire breathers.

Best of luck to you and your kids. If you have any more questions this is the place :D
 
Thanks for the replies.

For those that mentioned the .22 - yeah, we'll probably also get a .22 for the really cheap shooting. (I had originally thought a .357 revolver, then a .22 semi-auto to give them experience with that.) It's just not as much fun to shoot the .22. So little boom and recoil that it seems little different to them than the airsoft guns they spend every weekend with. Shooting the .38 was a different experience, and the gun safety lessons penetrated more easily because it was clear that this was not a toy.
 
9mm cartridges are a lot cheaper than .357, but one or two .357's (or two or three .38 Specials) will get the job done whereas it seems to take about fifteen 9mm's... :rolleyes: :D
 
You and the boys...

will enjoy reloading. Sorta brings the family together. Boys can deprime & resize, while you handle the powder and bullets. If you have a spedific premer seater, they can do that.

Go for the 13, the +P loads will be a light side of a .357 but excellent for training. using standard loads.
 
choices

Reload.
Find a 9x19-chambered revolver.
Suck it up and pay the heavier freight.

I would not be able to shoot if I did not load my own.

And welcome to the wonderful world of handgunning.
 
I have a .357 and shoot mostly with .38 special due to the cost, but recently I picked up reloading. The range I shoot at has magtech .38 specials for $12 a box(50) pretty darn cheap but they are semi wad cutters and will get your pistol dirty fast so cleaning is a must. After every outing to the range with soft points I just clean my pistol. I will admit it is fun to shoot magnum loads here and there, there's nothing like shooting a hand cannon.
 
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9mm is cheaper/round, but I always end up blasting thru more of it than I do .38spl. It seems I shoot at a slower pace with the revolver because I have to reload more, and it seems more enjoyable. You can buy bulk .38spl ammo and shoot it in your .357, and it's about a break even IMO. If you want the .357, get it. Then get a .22 auto for plinking if you get the urge to run off a lot of rounds ;)
 
There is no cheaper non-rimfire ammo on earth than 9mm. Even .380, .32 auto, .25 auto, none of them are as cheap as 9mm. NONE!

.38 Special is probably closest.

IMO, the .357 mag revolver is BY FAR the way to go. The versatility of the caliber blows away 9mm for simple range fun. You can literally buy or handload .38 Special so light that it mimics .22LR, and you can load .357 Mag so heavy that you'll think it's nearly a .44 Mag.

I have a slew of different handguns so I don't have to pick the best choice, I can pick whichever I'm in the mood for. but my first center fire? S&W 686, .357 Mag, and I shot mostly .38 Special from it.
 
Yes, the ammo is expensive - and its probably not going to get any cheaper anytime soon.

But just starting out - I would setup a plan and consider ....there are a lot of good used guns on the market too.

Get a good Revolver:
I think you should consider a good revolver - and the S&W mod 13 is a good gun ( so you can shoot .38 spl or .357 mag in it ), good feel, good trigger, accurate, easy to shoot well.

Get a good semi-auto:
probably in 9mm. Personally, I would recommend something like a Sig 226 model ( full size frame, reliable, very well built). Its a higher capacity / different skill set in terms of how to operate the weapon.
If you like the classics - then go with a 1911 frame semi-auto in 9mm ( Springfield, Wilson Combat, etc ) - again very nice weapons.

Get a good .22
whether its a semi-auto or a revolver is up to you.

Another part of the "shooting hobby" is to consider reloading. You might take a look at Dillon - they have 3 machines that are very popular. Personally I like the 650 / but introducing kids to the precision, discipline and organization it takes to reload ammo is a good thing too ( gets them focused and away from distractions like cell phones, etc ). You can customize your loads - and save a lot of money - and its fun to shoot your own ammo. It will cost you about $6 - $9 a box of 50 to reload, depending on caliber, and you will probably shoot more / but a few hours in the shop reloading is a good time to talk to kids too. I did it with my kids - and now the grandkids.
 
Yesterday, 10:00 PM #6

KUHIO wrote:


If this is your first handgun, and will be a 'training' piece/target gun for you and your boys I'd recommend a .38 special. Factory ammo in .38 will be MUCH more gentle than 357 (which can be intimidating and/or difficult for first time handgunners). Learning to shoot a handgun is much easier and more enjoyable with a manageable firearm. I would go for a .38 that is +P rated, this signifies that the revolver is able to handle ammunition loaded to high pressures than a standard .38. It is a convenient option to have if you decide to give your revolver double duty as a home defense weapon. You may also find yourself wanting to take up reloading later down the road, which can significantly decrease your shooting costs! A +P gun will allow you to 'brew' a wider range of custom loads, from very light powder puffs to fire breathers.

Best of luck to you and your kids. If you have any more questions this is the place
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If this is true, why not just buy the .357 magnum revolver. It will shoot the .38, .38+P AND .357 magnum loads. If your reasoning applies to the .38+P, I'm wondering why it would not apply to the .357 magnum also.
 
As already noted if ammo price is that much of an issue get a .22LR – revolver or semi.
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+1. I would suggest starting out with a .22LR revolver. Speaking from personal experience, IMHO a K frame S&W .357 such as a Model 13, 19, 65, or 66 loaded with full-power Magnum loads is too much for most n00b handgun shooters to handle. It will probably make you flinch, which can be a difficult problem to overcome. If you must fire .357s rather than .38s, you should start out with a heavier and more controllable gun.

A double-action (DA) .22LR revolver will teach really good trigger control and is quick to reload, but a quality double-action .22LR will set you back quite a bit- $350+ for a decent used S&W, Colt, or Ruger, or $600+ for a new S&W, which is the only manufacturer offering one right now. (DA .22LR revolvers are also offered by Taurus and Charter Arms, but both have a reputation for quality control problems, and I'll leave it at that for now.) Compared to a .357, the extra cost of quality DA .22 will pay for itself in ammo once you fling several thousand rounds downrange. :)

Another option is a single-action (SA) revolver, which are slower to reload and can't be shot double action (duh!), but are still lots of fun and are much less expensive to buy. The standard by which all SA .22s are judged is the Ruger Single Six. However, the cheaper Heritage Arms Rough Rider gets lots of good reviews, although it's not as pretty and probably won't last as long as the Ruger.
 
The 9 might be a little cheaper but you can get some pretty good prices on .38 spl to use in the .357. if it's between the 9 & .357 I'd definitely teach the kids on a revolver. you should train them on a .22 though.
 
9mm is cheaper/round, but I always end up blasting thru more of it than I do .38spl. It seems I shoot at a slower pace with the revolver because I have to reload more, and it seems more enjoyable.
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Yep, that's the ticket. With a 15-round 9mm, it is way too easy to go through 15 rounds in 15 seconds without concentrating on fundamentals.

With a revolver, reloading takes time, and it encourages you to make each shot count.

Also good advice on the .22. I shoot about once a week and always start off with 50-150 rounds of .22, followed by a 50-round box of centerfire (most often 9mm, .38, .357, or .45 acp. If I am going to shoot a centerfire revolver, I bring my S&W M-18 K-frame DA revolver. If I'm going to shoot a centerfire pistol, I bring my Ruger MkII. I'm pretty sure they've paid for themselves in ammo cost savings alone.
 
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