.357/.38Spl questions

[Phirebug]

Is it true that any .357 will also shoot .38 Special loads, or does the pistol have to be designed to do this and specially designated such? also...what's a good .357? i'm looking real hard at the S&W 620, but I know almost nothing about revolvers. what are some things to look for when deciding? which are your favorites?

thanks!
james

[XO3319]

The .357 will shoot .38 Special and that is a good way to shoot with less recoil

A .38 will not survive shooting .357 so don't do that

If you want to shoot both go with the .357

[Norton]

The 357. mag won't fit in a 38. Spl as it is slightly longer by design. When it was introduced they were afraid it would get fired in older Colt and S&W revovlers either on purpose or by accident. You can get them to fit in the cyclinder but it will not spin as the nose sticks out and hits the frame.
I don't know about those 357 mag lever actions or a single shot pistol.

[tanstaafl4y]

The only "negative" about shooting .38 in a .357 is a gunky deposit left in the cylinder. If left unchecked this can make chambering .357's difficult if not impossible. Nothing a good brushing can't take care of. I use a .40 brush to clean the cylinder.

/As a reloader I often make .357 cased light loads (near .38 powder loads) for target practice

[tanstaafl4y]

I reccommend buying something chambered in .357 for the versatility. If you are looking for a carry-gun a small .357 can be a real pain in the web to shoot. My SW M-60 (2" J-frame steel .357) is almost unbearable after to rounds but In a defensive situation Id only expect to fire one. Conversle my M-63 (4" K-frame steel .357 is bearable up to 50 or so rounds.

The airweights and other light alloy small frame revolvers are nice to carry but painful to shoot (full strength loads) Point of impact diffrence at "combat range" is negligible (4 inches or so) so I'll practice with light loads and finish the session with 2 cylinders worth of full strength (also helps to clear the lead from the barrel)

[tanstaafl4y]

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57816

Excellent post about buying a used revolver

[M1 Tanker]

For years I shot .38 special from my S&W Model 19 .357. Remember, .38 is actually .356 :)

As Tanstaafly said, .38 special is shorter then .357 and will leave a ring in the cylinder, but as long as your clean them well it will be fine. I purchased my model 19 from someone that had carried it for 20 years and shot probably over 10,000 rounds though it. It still shot both .38 and .357.

[okie shooter]

The first of the line was the .38 s&w or .38 colt new police, then they lengthened the round by about 1/8 inches so the new stuff couldnt be chamber in the weaker pistols, and called it the .38 special. Then they lengthened the case again for the same reason, and made the .357 mag.

There was a simular progression with the .44 mag, with the .44 russian, then the .44 special, then the .44 mag.

[bullseye]

First of all, will this be a carry piece, hunting gun, or range toy? That will determine a lot up front. I have a Ruger GP-100 6" .357 and at that size it is a little too big to carry, but makes a great range toy. The wife has a 2" EAA Windicator .357 that will hit a quart oil bottle @ 50' with my 38+P reloads in 357 brass. I have quit using 38 brass for my 38 loads in my 357 revolvers, I use 38 loads in 357 brass and save the 38 brass for my 38. From my limited experience with revolvers, I can easily recommend the Ruger GP-100. Ruger SP101, and the Smith 686. Barrel length will determine what you will do with it mostly. The Ruger GP-100 and Smith 686 are 6-shot and the Ruger SP101 is a 5-shot. They come indifferent sizes from 2 to 6+ inches.The Sp101 is a great carry piece in 2 inch as is the 686. Like the others, I'd recommend a 357 as you can shoot both in it and a 38 would limit you to only 38.

[Longhorn789]

what's a good .357?

My favorite is the Colt Python...but since they stopped making those and now people want one MILLION dollars for one....I'd say go with a S&W seven shot 686.

You can pick one up at Academy for cheap.

You should own one just out of principal...

[Phirebug]

guess i should have clarified...this will be a home defense/range toy, so carry size/weight isn't an issue. i'm definitely getting a .357, i just wanted to make sure they could all shoot both loads and not just some of them. i've got a shooting times buyer's guide with all the new pistols listed in it, and some of them are marked .357/.38 special and some are just marked .357. sorta confusing. thanks for the help!

[DAA1]

Tarus makes a 357 for a reasonable price. I have a marlin lever action rifle that shoots 357 and 38, difference is the recoil and noise. with the 38 special load you pretty much get away without hearing protection (for the rifle). With handgun loads the 38 does not recoil as much, makes for an easier day shooting, but I don't shoot a lot of 38 special.

The 357mag loads seem to function better in the Colt king cobra, and I don't advocate using 38 special in the 357 desert eagle. The DE needs the additional power for operation.

Buy a pistol in 357 mag, do your initial practice with 38 special loads, then use the 357 loads for final practice and self defense. If you ever want a decent rifle get the marlin 1894 lever action carbine, a very fun rifle to shoot, and almost like a bb gun with 38 special.

YMMV

[cma g21]

I reccommend buying something chambered in .357 for the versatility. If you are looking for a carry-gun a small .357 can be a real pain in the web to shoot. My SW M-60 (2" J-frame steel .357) is almost unbearable after to rounds but In a defensive situation Id only expect to fire one.

Trust me, if you ever have to fire in a defensive situation, you'll never even notice the recoil. :2pistol:

Now, at the range is another matter entirely. :eek:

[jlpskydive]

Just another plug for the Ruger GP100 it's my favorite pistol in the safe

[Norton]

Here is one of mine that I think fits the bill. It is Simple, clean, rugged and not to big.
A 1970s Smith and Wesson Model 64 in 38 special

A 38 Plus P round has almost the same power as a 357 mag. It is perfectly safe in modern Colt and S&W revovlvers

[Cavalryman]

Here is one of mine that I think fits the bill. It is Simple, clean, rugged and not to big.
A 1970s Smith and Wesson Model 64 in 38 special

A 38 Plus P round has almost the same power as a 357 mag. It is perfectly safe in modern Colt and S&W revovlvers

Smith and Wesson stopped making the K framed revolvers in .357 several years ago because they tended to loosen up if fed a steady diet of magnum rounds. The original thought was that police officers (the primary end-users of S&W revolvers at the time) would mostly practice with 38 special ammo and shoot very limited amounts of .357 magnum rounds. However, the philosophy of police training changed, and also plenty of the K frames got into the hands of civilians and the K frames began to get a lot of magnum use. Consequently, the current K frame revolvers are only available in 38 special.

However, there's nothing inherently wrong with the original philosophy of using lower-powered loads for training as long as you shoot a little of the "real" stuff to have the feel of it. In my opinion, the K frames are the perfect compromise between power and portability and are still my favorite shooters. Some manufacturers make a cartridge called the "38 special +P+" which is ballistically identical to a .357 magnum. This cartridge came about in the day when police departments carried revolvers and was used specifically so that police administrators could tell the media with a straight face that their officers did not carry "magnum" cartridges.

The S&W K framed .357 magnums are still pretty common and affordable on the used market and the 38 special (or 38 special +P+) versions are still available new. You might consider something along that line.

[Cavalryman]

Here's an interesting trio of Smith and Wesson K framed revolvers:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/kelton01/4-24003.jpg

Top is a Model 18 in .22 rimfire, middle is a Model 15 in .38 special, and bottom is a Model 19 in .357 magnum. I really like .22 versions of full-size combat firearms and I can shoot the .22 all day for a few bucks while getting practice that helps with my technique for the .357.

[Norton]

. Some manufacturers make a cartridge called the "38 special +P+" which is ballistically identical to a .357 magnum. This cartridge came about in the day when police departments carried revolvers and was used specifically so that police administrators could tell the media with a straight face that their officers did not carry "magnum" cartridges.

.

Wow as Johnny Carson used to say " I did not know that"