What advantage is lost in the short barrel?
1. Velocity
2. The much greater recoil makes followup shots more difficult.
I didn't say they claimed the guns were made entirely (or nearly so) of Scandium. But they did their best to create that impression. Let's face it -- they call the guns "Scandium." What else is that supposed to convey?[QUOTE-74A95]I don't think S&W ever claimed the guns were made almost completely out of Scandium. From my memory S&W had always been clear that only trace amounts of scandium were required to make it as strong as steel.
I think the .357 makes more sense out of a snub nose than the .38 as it is usually able to still generate some meaningful velocity. JMHO.The 357 is much, much faster than a 38 Special out of a snubbie, like around 400 fps faster.
I didn't say they claimed the guns were made entirely (or nearly so) of Scandium. But they did their best to create that impression. Let's face it -- they call the guns "Scandium." What else is that supposed to convey?[QUOTE-74A95]I don't think S&W ever claimed the guns were made almost completely out of Scandium. From my memory S&W had always been clear that only trace amounts of scandium were required to make it as strong as steel.
That would be a tungsten framed model.I am waiting for the lowrecoilium.
I'm starting to consider that myself. The trick is finding the right balance of handgun weight, ergonomics and a lower recoil 357 load. 357 ammo runs a wide range of bullet weights and power levels. You can't just pick any random 357 and expect it to do well in a snubbie.The 357 is much, much faster than a 38 Special out of a snubbie, like around 400 fps faster.
One should in theory get compact semi-auto 9mm +P level ballistics out of a 357 snubnose with the right ammo. The question is can one control it as well as a compact 9mm semi-auto?
That's exactly it. It's not an all or nothing proposition with .357Yeah, recoil from 357s in the snubbies can be brutal. Ballistics of a full power 357 in a 2" barrel push a 125 grain bullet to 1250 fps (and that's what I get from Remington 125 SJHP 357 Magnum ammo from my 2" Colt Magnum Carry), which is as good or better than a 124 grain 9mm +P from a 4" barrel. There are lighter 357 loads available to help keep recoil down.
Felt recoil is generally less with larger mass weapons.I am waiting for the lowrecoilium.
Old wives tail.. Velocity
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2018/9/5/snubbie-ballistics-38-special-vs-357-magnum/Regardless, don’t let anyone lead you down the wrong path. I don’t care if they live behind a gun-shop counter, are some sort of Internet expert or are a gun writer extraordinaire. Facts are facts; .38 Special +P ammo is marginally more effective than .38 Special, and .357 Magnum loads are substantially more effective, even when fired from short barrels. Funny thing about facts; they’re hard to argue.
The chart is eadier to read in the article.Barrel Length 1.875″ 2″ 2.125″ 2.25″ 2.5″ 3.16″ 4″ 4″ 4.2″ 6″ 17″
load avg avg avg avg avg avg avg avg avg avg avg
Federal .38 Spl
130 gr FMJ 762 793 764 807 832 844 763 828 852 885 1041
Winchester .38 Spl
148 gr Wadcutter 698 713 701 722 709 741 746 740 764 763 896
Federal .38 Spl
158 gr SWCHP +P 754 788 804 820 797 872 917 882 892 921 1135
Speer .38 Spl
135 gr Gold Dot +P 853 863 884 886 894 927 874 945 987 982 1084
Magtech .357 Mag
158 gr SJHP 1008 1031 1063 1030 1043 1192 1190 1105 1210 1288 1711
Winchester .357 Mag
110 gr JHP 1160 1188 — 1187 1183 1273 1234 1265 1330 1304 1725
Hornady .357 Mag
135 gr Critical Duty 1116 1144 — 1181 1177 1242 1257 — 1272 1319 1459
Remington .357 Mag
125 gr Golden Saber 1077 1100 — 1133 1125 1232 1277 — 1
The 357 is much, much faster than a 38 Special out of a snubbie, like around 400 fps faster.