.38 or 357?
I'll be new to owning a personal defense weapon (to carry on my person). I grew up shooting my dad's old guns, namely a .22 six-shooter and later a .38 S&W snubnose. I shoot my Glock Model 17 9mm and an old Colt Woodsman .22 for fun at the range (and because I can afford the ammo).
So long story short- I am deadset on a revolver for concealed carry. God forbid I ever have to use it, but if so I want it to work. I really like the .38 snubnose S&W I grew familiar with growing up, and I am particularly fond of the newer airweights that are out now. I only wonder if there are any 357's comparable in size and weight? Any pointers on ther guns I should consider before buying an airweight are greatly appreciated! Oh- and I also prefer a hammerless or shrouded hammer design. Thanks again,
Justin C.
CHS,SC
So long story short- I am deadset on a revolver for concealed carry. God forbid I ever have to use it, but if so I want it to work. I really like the .38 snubnose S&W I grew familiar with growing up, and I am particularly fond of the newer airweights that are out now. I only wonder if there are any 357's comparable in size and weight? Any pointers on ther guns I should consider before buying an airweight are greatly appreciated! Oh- and I also prefer a hammerless or shrouded hammer design. Thanks again,
Justin C.
CHS,SC
0
-
You may want to look at the S&W 340PD and the S&W M&P340. These get you to the 357 Mag in the 13 oz weight range. I prefer a heavier revolver when shooting the 357, and you will want to put a box of your chosen 357 defense rounds through one before you decide carry with them. (A non-flinching 38 +P is a much better defensive round than a full load 357 with a flinch.) 0 -
The smith model 340PD is an airwieght snubby in 357mag with a fully enclosed hammer. They kick pretty hard and the flash is not insignificant when shooting the 357 round. 38s tone it down considerably for practice, but you will want to practice with what you intend to carry.
The model 640 nearly doubles the carry weight, but it's still only 23oz. and is significantly cheaper as well.
Either one makes a fine choice for carry IMO.0 -
Don't even think about buying a airweight in .357 before test firing. They are ugly guns to shoot. Even with plus P .38 specials, unpleasant. Your talking about a revolver that weights between 12 & 14 ozs. Unless your planning to have all your shoot outs in telephone booths one of these ultra lightweight .357's leave a lot to be desired. If your familiar with the G 17, go with a G 26 it's baby brother. Way more practical then 14 oz .357. 0 -
Yup, the .357 J frames are brutal, and the lighter the frame the sharper the kick. Like anything. they can be controlled and even shot well, but the man who can do that has a higher tolerance for hand slapping than I do. I'm good for 10-15 shots max, and that's not good enough to become competent with full-house loads in a short barrelled gun. Even plus-P .38 loads can be snappy, and require a good bit of practice to be competent with.
Try to locate a range that has a variety of these guns for you to try out, and give it a go.0 -
quote:Originally posted by caldwellj1
I'll be new to owning a personal defense weapon (to carry on my person). I grew up shooting my dad's old guns, namely a .22 six-shooter and later a .38 S&W snubnose. I shoot my Glock Model 17 9mm and an old Colt Woodsman .22 for fun at the range (and because I can afford the ammo).
So long story short- I am deadset on a revolver for concealed carry. God forbid I ever have to use it, but if so I want it to work. I really like the .38 snubnose S&W I grew familiar with growing up, and I am particularly fond of the newer airweights that are out now. I only wonder if there are any 357's comparable in size and weight? Any pointers on ther guns I should consider before buying an airweight are greatly appreciated! Oh- and I also prefer a hammerless or shrouded hammer design. Thanks again,
Justin C.
CHS,SC
First of all, I think your choice of a hammerless snubnose revolver for concealed carry is excellent.
That said, if you really like the snubnose you used while growing up, there is nothing wrong with carrying the same gun now! The old-school blued steel Smith and Wesson model 36 is still a perfectly viable carry gun. Just swap the original thin grips for some boot grips for better grip, and you're good to go. Bobbing the hammer is also possible, though optional. In my opinion, its perfectly fine to fire occasional +P rounds through these older all steel guns for practice, and to carry the same.
If you need something newer, I think the gun you probably want is a Smith 642, which is a lightweight (15 ounce) alloy frame hammerless snubnose in .38 special +P. If you don't like the silver color, the identical gun is available in a dark finish as the model 442.
This gun is easily concealed within a pocket and light. For good reason, it also happens to be Smith and Wessons most popular revolver, and pretty much every other gun-maker offers its own version.
Yes, Smith does make a Scandium alloy .357 magnum version of the exact same gun that is an ounce or two lighter (called 340PD), BUT:
a. Recoil is absolutely brutal in these light guns with .357 magnum loads. So is muzzle flash. Frankly firing even one round with this thing is like having a hand grenade explode in your hand. (Big grips do help with recoil over conventional boot grips).
b. Gun is MUCH more expensive (say $850 for the .357 vs $450 for the .38).
IMO, if you want a lightweight gun, the aluminum alloy .38+P is the way to go (rather than the .357). Smith also makes a Scandium version in .38+P, though again IMO, the 1-2 ounce weight savings is not worth the extra $400 in cost.
Yes, the .357 is the better round, but I always consider snubnoses to be a close-range (eg less than 10 feet) gun, and at that distance, you should be able to place the shots pretty well and a .38 should be enough. Harsh recoil of .357 lowers followup shot speed, which is another thing to think about.
If you are convinced you MUST have a snubnose .357 because you prefer the ballistics of the round, I'd also suggest the stainless steel version of the same gun, the 640. Its a lot heavier than the Scandium gun, though recoil is SIGNIFICANTLY reduced and the gun is also much cheaper (around $500).
As a last piece of advice, and I alluded to it above, the two-finger boot grips that come stock with these guns are great for concealment, but they tend to magnify recoil. Swapping for a conventional three-finger full grip makes the gun harder to conceal (especially in a tight pocket) but in my experience significantly reduces recoil.0 -
There are many options out there, many slightly larger frames are available to that can still be used as CC. I really like the ruger sp101, slightly larger than many other options you can find, however it has a hammerless model, larger grips than most snubnose models and can handle the .357 easliy with its added weight, and if not you can always shoot the .38 ( also makes it easy and fun to shoot at the range). Ive checked a few out latley and i beleive its my next purchase.
Good luck to ya.0 -
It's kind of like selecting your underwear ---- everyone likes something different, & you want to choose your own. Good thing is, everyone is right, & no one is wrong.
My preference is a Model 60 with this:
Neal0 -
caldwellj1---I agree with just about every thing said here, especially wvhunt. EXCEPT---I don't want a hammerles model, I want the option of shooting my first shot single-action, if time allows. I think all of us shoot better in that mode rather than double action. I just cover the hammer with my thumb when drawing, and cock in one smooth motion. I some times carry a Ruger SP-101---3", with hammer. I shoot .357 loads. It's a hand full but very doable.
As always, it's personal opinion. P.S. I also put a set of Hogue grips on it immediately. HAWKSHAW0 -
I don't know much about airweights, but you can get some light weight .357s. .357 is my favorite handgun round. I am sure a .38 will do the job, a .357 will blow a big whole in anything. 0 -
Yes, the .357 carries a lot more energy than a +P .38 Special- but very hard to use all of the powder in a 2 inch bbl- and they DO kick severely. A shrouded hammer revolver like the Model 38 S&W gives you the option of using the hammer or not. The snubbies are sometimes referred to as a "Doctor" gun- stick in his ear, nose, or throat. Myself, have carried a Mdl 36 for years, and do not see a reason to change. Mine does wear a set of Pachmayr grips, and I can put five rounds of .38 Special in center mass while some Magnum shooters are getting off their second shot. But some folks like chocolate, some like strawberry. 0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
10 comments