I was asked by a good friend to share this information on 38 Special ammo that I was discussing elsewhere. I have recently loaded all my 357s with 38 Special ammo due to fears of hearing loss should I fire a round inside during a SD situation. My first choice has been the Remington 38 Special +P 158 gr. HP. The +P all lead HP is regarded as the best 38 available for SD by many who study shootings on the street and in lab tests. These loads have been called the FBI load. It may not matter which brand you choose but the Remington has the softest bullet, Winchester is the hardest, and Federal is in the middle. Studies have shown this load to compare well with the GI 45 hardball round. No difference has been found with regard to barrel length with the reading I have done as this question has also been asked.
Defense 38 ammo
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That's my favorite .38 load....I bought a box of the new 135 gr. Gold Dots...but find myself carrying the Rems instead...proven potent.....I give the Gold Dots to folks who have wadcutters or RNL in their guns...it's a step up....the last 3 bx. I ordered were $28.50 for 50---who knows what they are now?!!!!
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I keep my SP101 loaded with 158 grain JHP Blazer Brass ammo. I've never really given any thought to hearing, but have thought about the flash if the gun were to be fired in the dark. I should load up something that'll flash a little less and maybe not crack quite so loud. Now you've got me thinking Stoble.
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Huh? What'd you say? My hearing went south on about the 3rd box of .41 mag SP(1500fps) back in '69---helped by a 158gr. Norma JHP from a 2 1/2" M19 inside a squad car....and a few years of Skilsaw....I've read a lot of accounts of night shootings...never heard anyone say they were unable to see because of the flash...wonder if it's kinda muted by the emgcy. response network like the auditory is???? I don't know the body well enough...now I try to use head-type ear protection on these floppy old ears....fine time to close the gate, right???!!!
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the 38 +p 158 swchp has ben the ole' stand-by for years and there's a good reason--it works....
technology is a wonderful thing givin' us new guns and bullet designs, but sometimes i wonder, just how much improvin' on somethin' needs to be done? do we really need to re-invent the wheel..........
years of service with the
125 gr jhp 357
158 swchp 38
45 acp
have provided consistant results in gettin' the job done. it ain't fancy, it ain't high tec, just put the hammer to the nail and get'er done. Not to bad mouth the latest and greatest in designs, but time will tell if these great computer technology scientific designs are really any better than the older "tecnnology" that leo's have been usin' for years and winnin' gun fights with...........
technology is a wonderful thing givin' us new guns and bullet designs, but sometimes i wonder, just how much improvin' on somethin' needs to be done? do we really need to re-invent the wheel..........
years of service with the
125 gr jhp 357
158 swchp 38
45 acp
have provided consistant results in gettin' the job done. it ain't fancy, it ain't high tec, just put the hammer to the nail and get'er done. Not to bad mouth the latest and greatest in designs, but time will tell if these great computer technology scientific designs are really any better than the older "tecnnology" that leo's have been usin' for years and winnin' gun fights with...........
Bountyhunter I also have heard the concern of night flash for the 357 which would cause temporary blindness. I'll put this question up on the CCW section as a separate question and see who has had experience with this problem. I was carrying Federal 125 gr. JHP for all my 357s and recently got concerned about what would be left of my hearing from a shot done inside the house or car/truck. With the proven track record of the +P 38 mentioned above I decided to go with it for a while. One shot from the 125 gr. 357 is suppose to do real damage to one's ears if shot indoors without hearing protection.
Gotta love those 357s! And feel affection for the 45. They get the work done the best I believe. Naturally nothing is a miracle when it comes to a pistol since a rifle or shotgun is the true stoppers.
Gotta love those 357s! And feel affection for the 45. They get the work done the best I believe. Naturally nothing is a miracle when it comes to a pistol since a rifle or shotgun is the true stoppers.
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When I see an old bull in Ft. Worth carrying a M19 with a lot of blue rubbed off but no rust...I know I'd never wanna tangle with him....have more of the proper kind of fear of that one than the young warrior riding with him with a shiny new semi-auto and a fistful of mags....the old man knows what to do with that revolver....
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Having "heard" a Norma 158gr. JHP go off from a 2 1/2" M19 at 3' range inside a patrol car, and having heard nothing else for three days after, I can tell you that within an enclosed place, it's horrendous....outside, somewhat less....I won't be carrying .357 loads unless I'm trying to stop a car...and have nothing else but that...the Rem 158gr LSWCHP+P is my load for defense in my .38 and my .357-preferred even over the Gold Dot Short Barrel loads....
Last summer I performed a test of my own with various ammo I had in the house.
I took a wet phone book, threw it down in the woods and commenced shootin at it.
I used a bunch of different cartridges. The 357 magnum Remington 125 gr. JSPs were the only ones to shoot completely through the phone book. I used Corbons, Pow’r Balls (the ones with the plastic ball that are supposed to penetrate windshields) Golden Sabre 38 Spec. +P, Hollow point 39 Sp and a bunch of others.
Yeah the 357s are a hell of a lot louder. I found out the ‘designer ammo’ as I call it, didn’t cut the mustard. Hopefully anything you have loaded up will do the job if called on in an emergency and I pray that none of us will ever have to use it. But please, check out my signature.
I took a wet phone book, threw it down in the woods and commenced shootin at it.
I used a bunch of different cartridges. The 357 magnum Remington 125 gr. JSPs were the only ones to shoot completely through the phone book. I used Corbons, Pow’r Balls (the ones with the plastic ball that are supposed to penetrate windshields) Golden Sabre 38 Spec. +P, Hollow point 39 Sp and a bunch of others.
Yeah the 357s are a hell of a lot louder. I found out the ‘designer ammo’ as I call it, didn’t cut the mustard. Hopefully anything you have loaded up will do the job if called on in an emergency and I pray that none of us will ever have to use it. But please, check out my signature.
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My SP and GP are loaded with the old FBI load that you mentioned. I used to use 357's in 158gr JHP but thought the noise would be a real issue in a home. For carry I don't change as the 38's will do the job if I do my part and if I don't a 500 S&W won't help
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Only other round I'd shoot in up to a 4" .38 is the 130 gr. Gold Dot short barrel load...unless the shtf...then I'd shoot anything I could stuff in it!!! +1 on not loading up with .357 for carry...no need to ...controllability yields accuracy yields a lot better stop than the noise of rounds whistling by your ear...about half the people who carry .357 Mag can handle it...the rest just wish they could...a LOT of pros download to .38+P and the gains are great...now I don't want to hear from the 50% who can...I wasn't talkin' 'bout you!!!
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I pack my 3" SP101 with 158 grain 357s and it's really not that bad. I think in a situation where I'd need to shoot it at a person I'd be able to hang on to it just fine. I rolled some 125 grain JHPs thinking they'd be a little easier on the wrist, but they are pretty damn snappy. 9 grains of Unique wil ldo that I guess. :?
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You're very much in shape and muscled in the arms...you're one of the cans...I'm one of the can'ts...one or two shots, but not very effective from a lightweight snub or even my M65 3", which is fairly heavy....more power to you, literally!!!
deputy125, I've been a bad boy a lot in my life, but not bad enough to punish myself shooting magnums in an airweight, scandium, ti, or anything else light like that...I prefer the weight of steel in all my revolvers....
deputy125, I've been a bad boy a lot in my life, but not bad enough to punish myself shooting magnums in an airweight, scandium, ti, or anything else light like that...I prefer the weight of steel in all my revolvers....
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I have never fired one of the Scandium J Frames but at 12 Oz I imagine they are a handful. I haven't read anyone that says they aren't painful with full power 357's. The SP has more meat on it's bones and even with full horse loads aren't uncomfortable to me as the grips fit my hand better than any other handgun I own. As to control I definitely experience muzzle flip but in a stress situation I would imagine you would clamp down a little tighter than you thought you could. I did switch to 38 +P's old FBI load for in the home because I figured the sound of 357's out of a short bbl would damage the hearing.
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I wouldn't want to shoot 357 loads thru a light weight revolver. My SP is a bit heavier and that's ok, but.... :?
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