Newbie to revolvers---------shooting .38s/.357

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NE20quail

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Newbie to revolvers-----shooting .38s in .357?

Ok, a little back ground. I have hunted since a small boy, so I have shotgun experience. I also have an old 1911 that I shoot ocasionally. I am looking to get a wheelgun for plinking and posible cary. I am looking at about a 3" barrel. As I understand you can shoot .38 special in a .357 mag. If I plan on only shooting .38's, can/should I still get a .357? Will this damage the gun down the line, or will accuracy not be as good? From looking on Ruger and S&W's sites there aren't too many options in just .38 special. I have heard all the political issues about these two companies too, so leave those out please. Any recomendations would be great. I have read that a used S&W 19 would be good, do they make them in a 3" barrel? thanks.
 
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Going out on a limb

I am also intriqued by a 3" barrel. In a new gun, you are limited mostly to a S&W Model 60, a Ruger Gp-100, or a Ruger Sp-101(3 1/16" ).

Most people say that for re-sale flexibilty, you are better off getting a .357.

It is my understanding that it is possible to damage a gun if your cylinder and the barrel don't line up exactly, because when shooting a .38, the cartridge is shorter, so the bullet is forced to 'jump' to reach the barrel, meaning an alignment problem can cause damage to the entrance of your barrel. In a higher quality firearm(S&W, Ruger) this is not normally much of a problem.

Hope this helped.
 
.38 jump

Well, every gun I have bought I have kept, so resale value doesn't concern me. It looks like I should look for a .38 spl only somewhere if I want to keep the gun in good working order. The Ruger catalog says theGP100 model KGPF-840 is a .38 spl with a 4" barrel, and the SP101 models KSP-821X and KSP-831X are listed as caliber .38+P with 2 1/2" and 3 1/16" barrels respectively. The S&W 60, 360 kitgun, and 368 all have a 3" barrel, but are .357 mag. So for now since I will be shooting .38's, I am leaning towards the Ruger KSP-831X.
 
Shooting .38's in a .357 will NOT cause you any trouble whatsoever. In fact, it is fairly common practice. As to the "jump" I think priv8ter may have misunderstood something he read somewhere.

In most every revolver the bullet has to jump the cylinder gap. That is the small space between the front of the cylinder and the rear of the barrel. The gap is usually only a few thousandths of an inch. The bullet will travel out of the cylinder into the forcing cone and down the barrel.

If there is any problem with "jump" it will be the result of a poor alignment between the cylinder and the barrel, and is generally unheard of in modern revolvers. The shorter .38 case has nothing to do with it.

Still, if buying used, have a good smith check out the revolver to make sure the timing and alignment are correct. Rest assurred, using .38 in a .357 will not cause your revolver any damage.

Happy shooting.
 
I would highly recommend the S&W model 19 as a perfect compromise gun for the person that wants a .38 and would like the option of shooting the occasional .357 Magnum.

As far as the "bullet jump" issue is concerned it is not a problem if the revolver is in good working order and properly timed. There is some truth though to the term "jump".

One aspect of "jump" is the slight difference in length between the .38 Special and .357 Magnum.

When a revolver chambered for the .357 is shot a lot with the shorter .38 cartridge, fouling can accrue in the cylinder and cause the revolver to not want to chamber the .357 round. If not noticed and properly cleaned, in extreme cases this could lead to corrosion and permanently interfere with .357 use.

Also "Jump" is used to indicate how the .38's shorter case will allow a bullet to hit the shoulder of the chamber cut for the .357. If fired from a .38 chamber the case is up against the the shoulder and the bullet has less chance of "yaw" when it hits the forcing cone. This phenomenon will affect accuracy but not to the extent your average person would ever notice.

In the old days of PPC revolver shooting at 50 yards, this would affect the best marksmen. I however never got to that level that I would notice.
 
I have an SP and only shoot 357's thru it. If you want to shoot 38's thru it on a consistant basis, the only thing you need to do it clean it well and often. You can use a fired 357 case to clean out the build up around the cones from the 38's as the case is longer and does a great job. Any good modern revolver shouldnt give you troubles as stated earlier. Seriously look at the 60 or the 101 they will do you well.
Shoot well
 
Thanks

Jim, I have read your post many times! I will definitely use it when I make my purchase. I will probably get a new gun unless I stumble accross a really good deal.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on guns I should check out? I have heard of Taurus and Dan Wesson, but don't have any experience with handling or shooting them.

So would not getting a .357 be a mistake even if I would be shooting .38's most of the time? Just for utility purposes/options would the .357 be a smarter buy? I clean all of my guns well and regularly, so if the only problem comes down to cleaning and treatment, I don't think it would be a problem.
 
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Dan Wesson has been around along time....very accurate wheel guns. Taurus is another long time maker of guns...Both are first rate guns and gun companies.
But if you want a 3" barrel, your best bets are the Ruger and S&W.......Shoot well
 
If you regularly practice with .38 specials in a .357mag......

Carry a handfull of FIRED .357mag cases in your range bag. As soon as shooting is over and BEFORE you leave the range.....chamber the mag cases. Then reload with specials.

That way, even if you don't clean it right away, the crud ring will be cut out of the chambers and firing the longer rounds will work just fine if needed.

Let the crud ring build up enough and it can inhibit the bullet release from a magnum cartridge......hence higher pressures with an already high pressure load.

Sam
 
NE20quail - I think you've actually answered your own question when you said, "So would not getting a .357 be a mistake even if I would be shooting .38's most of the time?" Although that statement is a little contradictory, but based on it, I would say go for a .357 model from a reputable maker of your choice. If you don't, you will be shooting .38's all the time not most of the time. If you should ever want to shoot any .357's you'd have to find a friend with one. The cleaning aspect of shooting mostly .38's in a .357 is a non-issue with your stated cleaning practices and the good advice from Sam, et al. (Hold on, let me check the thread ... nope, my mistake, Al didn't post on this one.)
 
I don't believe that inserting mag cases is sufficient to clean up after firing .38 Specials. It may help a little with the residue build-up on a temporary basis, but a good scrubbing after each firing session is still in order for best performance.

Speaking of which, after some testing I have found that .38s suffer when fired from a Magnum. Accuracy declines as does velocity. I assume it is due to the larger chamber. If you plan mostly .38 shooting I recommend a .38 revolver. Cheaper to buy, less strenuous cleaning required, better accuracy and performance from the cartridge. I think the .38 with proper loads is a good choice for self-defense. The Magnum is better in some ways, but good placement with decent .38 loads will do the job, too.
 
With all due respect to Saxon Pig, the chamber size for both 357 and 38 special revolvers should be equal. The only difference is in length, since the case of the 357 is longer.

I like Mal's response--if you get the 357, at least you will have the option to shoot 357s out of it. It's simply more versatile.
 
I pack a .38 special snubbie. For fun I shoot a S&W 686 4" . the 686 is a medium frame revolver suitable for .357. Its a real pussycat when shooting standard load .38 spl loads.

The difference is frame size. I can not find a large frame .38 but there are plenty of medium and large frame .357's out there.
 
Inserting fired mag cases is not a substitute for cleaning.
It is to make firing mag ammunition safe prior to cleaning.

Sam
 
Does anyone have any other suggestions on guns I should check out? I have heard of Taurus and Dan Wesson, but don't have any experience with handling or shooting them.
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Don't know the Dan Wessons except from reputation (which is good). I love the Taurus revolvers, though I'd stay away from the titanium guns for a while (though that is true of the S&W titanium and scandium guns too). I had a Taurus 82 (4", medium frame .38) that was a great gun and my Taurus 605 (2" small frame .357) is a great gun as well.

So would not getting a .357 be a mistake even if I would be shooting .38's most of the time? Just for utility purposes/options would the .357 be a smarter buy? I clean all of my guns well and regularly, so if the only problem comes down to cleaning and treatment, I don't think it would be a problem.
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Well, if you don't think you'll shoot much .357 ammo a .38 could be a good gun to consider. First, there are many good .38s out there that you shouldn't rule out (the Taurus 82, S&W Model 15, and S&W Model 10 come to mind). Second, in many .357 guns people find them a little less accurate when shooting .38s (not always the case, and certainly not a major difference). A new .38 is usually 10-20% less expensive than a .357. Last, there are many good deals on used .38s out there (they were cheaper when new and typically keep less of their value used as well). Unfortunately, these are mostly 4" guns (some of the used Smiths may have 3" barrels) but for most purposes a 4" will probably conceal as well as a 3" and if you really have to have a 3" many gunsmiths can take an inch off the barrel for you.

If you will consider a .357 and want a 3" barrel be sure to also check out the S&W 65LS. These are probably the best of the lot of the current crop of Smith revolvers. Also, the Taurus 605 is made with a 3" barrel.
 
If you want a good revolver without spending alot of money look for a good used Ruger Security Six in .357 magnum(like any .357, you can shoot .38's) or a good used S&W M10 (.38spcl only). You'll get a good gun and spend less than $200.
 
.357

Well I think I am going to go with the .357. It will be more versitile down the line and if I clean it like the rest of my guns I should be fine. I have narrowed it down to a S&W 60 and a Ruger KSP-331X (both are 3" barrels). Thanks.
 
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