Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Shooting .38 in a .357

ItGoBang
Do you have any loss of ACCURACY, when you shoot .38's in a .357 gun?

It will hurt you, More than it will hurt me..

Life Member..NRA,
American Legion, MECU, MWCA, SMSC, NASDS, IDPA
Thanks for all the help!

IN GOD WE TRUST! *And don't use Pay Pal!
0

Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • punchie
    I do not see any appreciable loss of accuracy, but yes, there is some. The extra freebore of the cylinder (in a lot of revolvers but not all the cylinder is shorter on the 38 guns) and the possibility of the bullet entering the forcing cone ever so slightly off center causes this. Unless you are shooting some serious bullseye work this loss is not enough to blame the gun instead of the shooter.

    Cartoon_truck.gif

    AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY
    0
  • bpost
    I shoot 38's in my .357 all the time. I shoot a 148gr. flat based wad cutter in 38 and 357 brass. I can't tell the difference in accuracy between the 2 loads. I do try to match the velocity based on the loading handbook.
    0
  • 22WRF
    Shoot 148 gr DEWC and 158 gr SWC 38 Spl and 357 cases with light 38 Spl powder loads keeping the MV at around 900-950 fps in my Mdl 19.
    It seems to like these loads better than a full 357 Mag load

    xmas21.gif


    body.jpg
    0
  • nmyers
    Interesting to note that Colt made a version of the Python chambered for .38 special ONLY. The twist rate was different than the .357 mag version.

    Neal
    0
  • mpolans
    Prepping loads for the Bianchi Cup back in the early 90's using .38s in a S&W 686 showed no measurable drop in accuracy. YMMV.
    0
  • Sir Martin
    is it possible to shoot a 357 in a 38?

    Martin Janczak
    0
  • David Nunn
    Sir Martin, it is POSSIBLE, in some guns, to get a .357 Magnum cartridge to fully seat in a .38 Special chamber. There SHOULD be a step in the chamber to prevent this, but in some older inexpensive guns, particularly those of European manufacture, this step may be absent.

    It happens even in American guns of recent manufacture. I saw a non-gun-savvy sheriff trying to load his S&W Model 10. He got two cartridges in, but the other four would not fully seat. He was loading .357 Magnums in a gun chambered for .38 Special. He COULD have fired the two rounds that chambered fully.

    While it may be POSSIBLE in some rare cases, it is NOT ADVISABLE in any case. The .357 Magnum develops a lot more pressure than the .38 Special. The cylinders, therefore, may have been subject to different levels of heat treatment to withstand the pressure.

    If you could get the cartridges in, you could blow up the gun while shooting it, which is surely not fun.

    I believe one of the 10 Commandments of Shooting says something about using only the correct ammunition for your gun.

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com the best gun auction site on the Net! Email gpd035@sbcglobal.net
    0
  • Sir Martin
    thank you
    0
  • 22WRF
    .357 158gr will be in the neighborhood of 33,000 psi
    38 Spl +P 158gr 17,500 psi
    38 Spl 158 gr 15,000 psi

    xmas21.gif


    body.jpg
    0
  • ItGoBang
    Thanks guys for all your help! [:)]

    Hope you all have a Good CHRISTMAS!

    It will hurt you, More than it will hurt me..

    Life Member..NRA,
    American Legion, MECU, MWCA, SMSC, NASDS, IDPA
    Thanks for all the help!

    IN GOD WE TRUST! *And don't use Pay Pal!
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity