Newbie tried to school me on the .357 mag vs .45acp

N

nefprotector

Moderator
Well last night at work. The subject of handguns got brought up. I told everyone that I was in the market for another .357 mag or a good inexpensive .45acp. This young guy spoke up and yelled out get the .45 it has much more stopping power and better range than a .357 mag. Im looking at him thinking to myself yeah right. And he began telling these wild stories like one would read in a novel about the .45 and it's remarkable stopping anti tank and airplane shots. lol! I advise him that Im just looking for a Self defense carry gun not a super weapon. I mentioned the Ruger 345 .45acp and he said NO! that is junk buy an ATI 1911. I will admit I have never heard of an ATI 1911 until he mentioned it. But I see that they are made in the SE Asia. While my new Ruger will be made in the USA. Other choice will be the Springfiel XD 45. .357 mag choices will be a Ruger GP100. Your thoughts or story book adventures.
 
45 stopping a tank

The only way a 45 is stopping a tank is if you throw it into the tracks and it hangs up somewhere that's about it LOL
 
One on top is a S&W 4506

threeSWS.jpg
 
Mis spoke myself... I have only three .357s now... sold a colt trooper and a ruger security six awhile back... still have S&W19-5, S&W586-3 and S&W686-4
 
This is one of the most debated topics. If the gun is for self defense or general target shooting, I'd recommend you decide whether you prefer a revolver or an auto. If a revolver, go with the .357. If the auto, go with the .45. In the real world, "stopping power" is roughly equivalent between the two. If you plan on doing any hunting, the .357 is probably a better choice. The GP-100 is a near-perfect all-around handgun, with lots of flexibility in ammo choice depending on what you want to do. If you like the autos, unless you are a 1911 nut, check out the Smith and Wesson M&P in .45 auto. Very sweet. Then there is always the big Smith and Wesson 625 revolver chambered for .45 auto using moon clips. Nice gun.

Hope this helps.
 
In terms of manufacturers, I'd stick with the mainstream and, when possible (which is almost always) I buy American. I'm a huge fan of both Ruger and S&W. My 45acp is a Kimber which is amazing (but pricey). I don't own a 357, being drawn more to the bigger bore stuff, no doubt to make up for deeply seated insecurities! But it's hard to argue the 357 is not a great personal defense weapon. If I were to buy one, and I've been thinking lately that I "should", I'd get the Mountain Gun in 357 (not longer in production but available used). I have the Mtn Gun in 44mag/stainless and it's perfect for hiking, though a tad heavy for daily carry. I'd also look at the S&W ultralites with the light-weight alloy (scanadium?) frame. Was handling one this week in a gun shop and loved the hand feel. For the right price I'd pick up either or both of those without a thought.

That said, my latest acquisition was the S&W 610 10mm/40S&W, having ound a good deal recently at the Reno Gun Show. This gets some of the best reviews and several credible authors have called it the most accurate revolver in its class. I've not yet shot mine as I needed to order moonclips and they've sadly not yet arrived!
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the .45 have even less range and penetration than 9mm by a bit due to it's slower travel? And isn't the .357 magnum roughly the size of a 9mm in diameter but heavier and travelling much faster? I've seen a .357 magnum out penetrate a .223 going through an old truck. What was this guy thinking?
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the .45 have even less range and penetration than 9mm by a bit due to it's slower travel?
Click to expand...

The 9mm might be faster, but the typical 230gr .45 packs more energy even traveling at a slow speed and likely more penetration as a result.
 
Last edited:
Anyone who is a serious student of handguns knows that the answer to the "45ACP vs. 357Mag" debate is "yes" - in other words, they're both highly respected.

I think the 357 when loaded balls-out from a full-size gun has a slight edge in stopping power, however the 45 has advantages in controllability and firepower while being no slouch in the stopping power department. The 45 (like several other big-bores such as the 44Spl, 45LC and 44-40) can be a very effective stopper with subsonic loads. The 357 can match or beat them but only by going massively supersonic and with more energy - so you get more recoil and a hell of a lot more noise without a massive gain in stopping power.

You're well-armed with either one.

I've gone to the 357 for three reasons: I like wheelguns, I'm willing to pack one big enough (42oz) to soak up the recoil and I think there's a "psychological edge" to the outrageous noise the 357 puts out. See Grossman's "On Killing" for his thoughts on that subject. Put simply, if I'm up against three goblins and hit one with a full-house-and-then-some 357, the other two are more likely to remember a sudden root canal appointment across town :).
 
Anyone who is a serious student of handguns knows that the answer to the "45ACP vs. 357Mag" debate is "yes" - in other words, they're both highly respected.
Click to expand...
+1. This is the classic Slow Heavy Bullet vs. Fast Light Bullet argument. In addition to what has already been said...

The Slow Heavy Bullet has more momentum and will carry more energy at long range, but it will have a more curved trajectory. At long range, the flatter trajectory of the .357Mag is generally preferable because you're more likely to hit a small target when the range is not precisely known. OTOH both cartridges have a flat enough trajectory to easily hit center mass at typical SD ranges, i.e. inside 25yds. (FWIW the 10mm Auto was designed to give automatic pistol shooters a cartridge with comparable power to .45ACP but with a much flatter trajectory to make it more practical for hunting.)

The .357Mag has been often called the Handloader's Dream because the huge case volume accomodates a large variety of bullet weights and dampens pressure spikes, making it less likely to cause a gun-destroying kB! in the case of a small error in bullet seating depth with a hot load. The big case is also very easy to handle and the thick brass is very durable. The fact that it's largely a revolver cartridge means that you don't have to worry about oddly-shaped bullets feeding properly, and since the action is cycled manually rather than by recoil, the shooter can experiment with a wider variety of powder charges and burn rates. The cartridge can also be used in long-barreled revolvers and carbines, allowing it to hit even more ridiculous velocities. :)

Speaking of the revolver platform, .357Mag guns will also fire .38Spl for low-recoil practice. OTOH capacity is limited and there's generally a poorer trade-off between concealability and shooting comfort than the classic .45ACP M1911; easy-to-shoot .357s are generally massive guns with fat hard-to-hide cylinders, while small concealable .357s are often painful to shoot. (FWIW the .357Sig was invented to offer the performance of a lightweight-bullet .357Mag load in a smaller, lighter, slimmer, higher-capacity, easier-to-shoot automatic platform; it does this quite well, although it does not offer the .357Mag's ability to handle heavier bullets and heavy loads of slower powder to take advantage of long barrels.)
 
the .45 will kill a man 100% dead with a well placed shot. the will kill a man 150% dead with a well placed shot. both guns are great but the .357 has quite a bit more power. my buddy who carries a .45 and i always get into arguments over who's caliber is better. you just gotta ask yourself, would you rather be shot by a 230 grain bullet going 800 fps or a 125 grain bullet going 1400 fps? the .45 will penetrate around half a foot in a human and make an inch plus sized hole. the .357 will penetrate a foot or more and will make a half inch plus hole. anyone who hunts or has shot a person will tell you it's not the size of the hole that matters but the damage the bullet does, and while the .45 does more than enough damage the .357 does a LOT more.
 
iirc an Italian tank was stopped by a soldier with a Thompson. So the .45 has stopped a tank.

If speed and power down range are your goal, then the .357 is way ahead of even .45 +p.

I prefer the .45. I can get more aimed shots off quicker with a my 1911 than I can with a .357. Rapid fire my groups are better with the .45

I like the heck out of the Sig P220 in .45. If you want a 1911 I recommend Colt.

If you opt for the .357, then I'd suggest a S&W K frame. The model 19 or 13 are a bit easier to conceal than a N frame but the absorb recoil better than a J frame.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top