Lost Sheep
New member
Nobody flinches on the first shot.
Nobody flinches on the first shot.
Followup shots are another thing.
Lost Sheep
Nobody flinches on the first shot.
Followup shots are another thing.
Lost Sheep
Is .357 Magnum Good for CCW?
- Thread starter WheelGunRealGun
- Start date
FairWarning
New member
The .357 Mag can function very well as a CCW, the problem is your hearing....or lack thereof...after shooting full house .357s with no protection.
Better to use .38 +P or one of the milder/slower 158 gr .357s if you are going to carry it. The ultra fast 125s combined with that particular barrel diameter are quite a loud combo, as you can see from decibel output comparisons.
Better to use .38 +P or one of the milder/slower 158 gr .357s if you are going to carry it. The ultra fast 125s combined with that particular barrel diameter are quite a loud combo, as you can see from decibel output comparisons.
IMO, weight is all about the holster. A good balanced pancake on the right hip is hard to beat!
You would want to load with a rapid expanding 125gr load.
I have shot 125gr 357's from a scandium 357 and didn't find it bad. After 15, I decided to try something else. Still, if they would have taken my 640 straight in trade, I would of that day. I'm glad I kept my gun. The recoil stroke of my magnaported 640 with 357's makes rapid fire easy.
You would want to load with a rapid expanding 125gr load.
I have shot 125gr 357's from a scandium 357 and didn't find it bad. After 15, I decided to try something else. Still, if they would have taken my 640 straight in trade, I would of that day. I'm glad I kept my gun. The recoil stroke of my magnaported 640 with 357's makes rapid fire easy.
There are lots of reasons why the 357 has been replaced almost entirely by LE. For 1 thing the ballistics quoted in print are from 8" test barrels. When fired from real 4" or less barrels the actual velocity you get will be much less impressive. In fact a 124 gr 9mm+p loading in a comparable size pistol will be within 50-100 fps of a 4" revolver shooting 125 gr bullets, and do it with much less recoil, noise, and muzzle blast. Go to a revolver with a barrel less than 4" and a 9mm will beat it.
Once LE officers started understanding this, and the fact that semi's in 9mm and 40 S&W hold 3X as many rounds the 357 became extinct as a LE handgun almost overnight.
I still own and like 357 revolvers, but they are best used with longer barrels, heavier bullets and used as outdoorsmans guns for hunting and longer range target shooting. As a personal defense gun they work as well as ever, but not nearly as good as other options.
Once LE officers started understanding this, and the fact that semi's in 9mm and 40 S&W hold 3X as many rounds the 357 became extinct as a LE handgun almost overnight.
I still own and like 357 revolvers, but they are best used with longer barrels, heavier bullets and used as outdoorsmans guns for hunting and longer range target shooting. As a personal defense gun they work as well as ever, but not nearly as good as other options.
This is a Pic of my favorite handgun my Ruger Speed Six 2 3/4 inch barrel 357 Mag...action /trigger job smooooth.... as silk absolutely the last revolver I'd ever let go ...and shoots 125 gr Remington hollow points point to aim....
Having said this ....this would be the lightest smallest 357 Mag. handgun i would own for self defense ... recoil of a 357 is hard to recover from for a quick follow up shot...
I do own a Charter 20 oz 357 Mag Pug , but its a for 38 Spl. use only
With the right holster the GP100 is a WONDERFUL choice
Having said this ....this would be the lightest smallest 357 Mag. handgun i would own for self defense ... recoil of a 357 is hard to recover from for a quick follow up shot...
I do own a Charter 20 oz 357 Mag Pug , but its a for 38 Spl. use only
With the right holster the GP100 is a WONDERFUL choice
I started my career as police officer with a 3" revolver loaded with 38 sp, it served me well trough many years. During all this years I've seen people get shot with 38, 45, 9mm or even 22... None of them died faster because of barrel length or hi tech magic bullet, they died because a bullet punched a hole in the bad place. You can use a 10" barrel with a 9mm super magic jhp if you miss a vital organ, a 22 lr fired from a 2" in the good place will do better, this is not gun magazine commercial reading, this is street reality.
Choose the caliber you shoot best with.
If you want to carry a 357 as defensive caliber, rent one, try it at your local shooting range and if you feel confident enough to rapidly place 2 shots on your target when you need it, go ahead
Choose the caliber you shoot best with.
If you want to carry a 357 as defensive caliber, rent one, try it at your local shooting range and if you feel confident enough to rapidly place 2 shots on your target when you need it, go ahead
Just posted in an SP101 thread too. My 13oz S&W 360 is no fun to shoot but I want it to be no fun. God forbid I ever have to use my 357 on someone but I want a round that performs. It's light so I won't dread carrying it everyday. I looked at a lot if ballistics reports and saw a big gap between 38 and 357. I know they were done with 6 or 8 inch barrels but all things being equal I will still pick the 357
jmr40 said:
Really? Not according to BBTI:
9mm Cor-Bon 125gr JHP +P.... 4" = 1226
.357 Cor-Bon 125gr JHP.... 4" = 1496
Not even close at 4". That is also 49% more muzzle energy BTW. A HUGE difference. Heck, if a .357 has a 4" barrel, then 9mm needs about a 12" barrel to be just as good, and if the .357 has a 4.5" barrel or longer then forget about it. 9mm doesn't even come close.
The .357 easily wins at 3" as well, though it is a little closer... And it wins with all 125 grain loads listed, as well as all other comparable loads from a 3" or longer barrel. It also does much much better with longer barrels.
The real story is that pistols tend to be smaller overall than revolvers (because the grip is below the action, not behind it), so a 9mm with a ~5" barrel can be carried just as easily as a .357 with a 3" barrel... And 9mm +P from a 5" barrel is just as powerful as .357 from a 3" barrel. Combine that with the availability of lighter guns (Glocks) that were very reliable, carried a ton of rounds, and could handled very hot +P loads, and 9mm was suddenly better overall and thus LEO switched over to it, or to other loads like .40 S&W.
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Tennessee Jed
New member
I think it all really boils down to what you are most comfortable with, and what you shoot best. I personally am most comfortable and shoot best with a big, heavy revolver. So my normal CCW is usually a large revolver.
I like the feeling of heft when I pull it out of the holster, and I shoot much better with a revolver trigger. Yeah, it's more effort to carry, but I focus more on what will I want in my hand if trouble ever comes a callin', and I know I'd feel better with a large revolver than anything else. Nothing wrong with a 9mm or other semi-auto. Both are fine choices.
I like the feeling of heft when I pull it out of the holster, and I shoot much better with a revolver trigger. Yeah, it's more effort to carry, but I focus more on what will I want in my hand if trouble ever comes a callin', and I know I'd feel better with a large revolver than anything else. Nothing wrong with a 9mm or other semi-auto. Both are fine choices.