OT - Shooting 38s in a 357 revolver

[Bob A]

I have never had a 357 mag or 38 sp revolver. Everything over the years has been bigger (45LC) or smaller (single six).
I'm thinking about getting a 38/357 just to play with; loading, plinking and target shooting. I figure most or all of this will be light loads with cast bullits.
So, the question is, is there any significant accuracy penalty shooting 38s from a 357? If so, would I be better off buying a 38 sp revolver or using light loads in 357 cases?


Bob A

[milton]

Depends on the gun or at least the chamber dimensions and quality of chamber finish.I have some .357 Rugers that will shoot 38's O.K. but they have slightly over sized chambers while I have Smith K and L frame guns that will shoot 38's as accurately as .357.I also have some Rugers that will shoot both fine but the chambers are tight and the finish is not as rough as others.

[Griff]

My personal opinion is, it depends on what your definition of accuracy loss is. If you're looking for the utmost in acuracy, then, yes, a .38Spl revolver is the way to go. Or, if plinking is your thing and you might want to have .357 capabilities, then it doesn't matter. The .38Spl will have an equal amount of bullet jump before it encounters the rifling in either a .38spl or a .357 revolver, it just won't have that 1/8th inch or so before it encounters the leade of the chamber. I don't believe you'd see the difference as a measureable amount on a target unless firing from a Ransom Rest or very stable bench.

Also, the .38Spl. only version of most any .357 revolver is very likely to carry a higher price tag, especially on the used market.

[C. Cash]

With my GP-100(357 Mag.), the most accurate load it shot was Israel Defense Industries 38 Spc SWC...super accurate. The most accurate loads in my Security Six have been 38 SWC's as well. You never know what your gonna get until you give it a try.

[bogus bill]

Unless you happen across a real good deal on a .38 special, I would just get a .357 for versatality. Usualy you wont tell the difference accuarcy wise. Since its the same principal as shooting .22 shorts in a long rifle, you might run into sticky cases trying to shoot mags in it after a lot of shooting .38 special. The answer is just clean it. I shoot far more 38s in my .357s than .357s. Just look at a bunch and buy what calls you.

[FWiedner]

JMO, but if you shoot enough .38's out of a .357, eventually you will be wasting your time trying to get the crud out of that cylinder.

If you want to shoot a .38, buy a .38.

[Pisgah]

I have owned .357 revolvers for 40 years. Probably 2/3 of the rounds I've fired have been .38s. Some observations:

-- Some revolvers will shoot the .38s more accurately than the .357s.
-- Some revolvers can be made to shoot .38s as well as, if not better than, the .357s with a bit of load-tinkering.
-- Some will shoot .38s almost, but not quite, as well as .357s.
-- Some won't shoot .38s worth a hoot.
-- There is no telling, without trying, which of the above types of revolvers you have. Even two seemingly identical revolvers will differ in their ability to shoot .38s. If yours won't shoot them, about your only option, if you want the accuracy, is to find one that will.
-- If you thoroughly clean your revolver with any regularity at all, any real damage to the cylinder or its ability to handle .357s will never happen.

[tman]

my tarus 669, which is a s&w 66 rippoff will shoot .38 wadcutters like a target pistol. it may like them better than the .357's; or i might be shooting .38's more accuratley ,due to the dramatic difference in recoil. whoknows, but it works for me

[Hobie]

I have owned .357 revolvers for 40 years. Probably 2/3 of the rounds I've fired have been .38s. Some observations:

-- Some revolvers will shoot the .38s more accurately than the .357s.
-- Some revolvers can be made to shoot .38s as well as, if not better than, the .357s with a bit of load-tinkering.
-- Some will shoot .38s almost, but not quite, as well as .357s.
-- Some won't shoot .38s worth a hoot.
-- There is no telling, without trying, which of the above types of revolvers you have. Even two seemingly identical revolvers will differ in their ability to shoot .38s. If yours won't shoot them, about your only option, if you want the accuracy, is to find one that will.
-- If you thoroughly clean your revolver with any regularity at all, any real damage to the cylinder or its ability to handle .357s will never happen.

This mirrors my experience(s).

[Ysabel Kid]

Probably the most accurate revolver I own is my Dad's old service revolver, a S&W Model 19, firing .38 Special wadcutters. Darn thing will make one small hole when I am doing my part. Everyone should have a .357 Magnum wheel gun in their repetoire - they are fun to shoot, and you can load anything from mouse-fanny burbs through screaming .357 Magnums if your gun can tolerate them.

[Bob A]

Thanks for all the good feedback.
I'm going to start seriously looking and we'll see what I come up with.

Bob A

[jazman]

I agree with Pisgah too. I have or have had Rugers, Smiths, and Colts in .357 and most have shot both .38 and .357 well. I am not a fanatic about cleaning, but haven't had much trouble with cylinder rings.

[TedH]

You say that it will mostly be light loads with cast bullets. With that statement I'm assuming that you're handloading? If so just use 357 brass and load as light as you wish. Then you don't have to worry about crud in the chamber or excessive bullet jump and resulting accuracy loss, no matter how slight it is.

FWIW, the most accurate load from my 357 is a full wadcutter bullet loaded in 38 spl brass with 3.0 gr. of Clays. That bullet has a loooong jump before it hits any rifling.

[Bob A]

You say that it will mostly be light loads with cast bullets. With that statement I'm assuming that you're handloading? If so just use 357 brass and load as light as you wish. Then you don't have to worry about crud in the chamber or excessive bullet jump and resulting accuracy loss, no matter how slight it is.

FWIW, the most accurate load from my 357 is a full wadcutter bullet loaded in 38 spl brass with 3.0 gr. of Clays. That bullet has a loooong jump before it hits any rifling.

TedH, Yes I will be handloading for this revolver. The idea is to have a cheap to shoot and hopefully accurate plinker. No store bought ammo and no plans for hunting.

Thanks for your input

Bob A

[Lastmohecken]

The way I look at it, is I would get the gun that is closest to the weight and size desired. If you want a model 60 smith or some other J-frame size gun then I would probably go with a .38 special. However, if you need a fairly large revolver, then get the .357, I shot competition for years with a 6 inch barreled 586 Smith and Wesson L-frame, .357 mag and I hardly ever shot a .357 round in it. As far as I was concerned I didn't even need or want a .357 and I made major in IPSC competition with that L-frame using .38 special brass, and so did a lot of my shooting buddys.

We preferred the .38 case because it was shorter and was faster to speed load, and being shorter cleared the cylinder faster when ejecting the fired brass. To make the major powerfactor of the time, (it was back in the 80's), and the power factor was 175,000 which was for me, getting a 175gr cast lead flat point up to 1000ft per-second. That ain't no cowboy load!

I did that with 5.4 grs of Winchester 231, and a standard small pistol primer. I copied that load from a fellow combat shooter, who told me it was not that accurate but would make major. Funny, though, it was quite acurate in my revolver, and I used the same load, for NRA Hunter Silhouette, where I had to shoot the rams at 100yds.

I shot many thousands of those cast bullet rounds, plus many more using 158 gr semi-wadcutters behind 3.5 grs of Bullseye and I never had a problem with build up in my chambers. In fact, I rarely cleaned my guns, until I was forced to, but then again I shot way too much to keep a gun clean for long.

[jhrosier]

I shot many thousands of very light 38 special loads through my GP100 when I was shooting the Steel Challenge matches. The accuracy was about as good as the 357 loads.
I liked the shorter cases as they ejected easily when reloading.

Jack

[20cows]

When I was looking for a S&W K38 a year ago or so, I found that 38s could be had for less than half of what used .357 cost.

[Glenn]

Last weekend, at the age of 78, my dad decided he should own a gun. The most he ever shot was my pellet rifle 35 years ago. I took he and Mom shooting and let them try a .22 and a .38. They liked the .38, so we went to the local gun emporium, and ended up deciding between two Ruger GP-100s. One was a fixed sight .38 Special, the other an adjustable sighted .357 Mag. The .357 had a full-underlug barrel and so was a little heavier, so they went with that. Both were new, and both carried the same price tag, $470!
Glenn

[ceb]

I've shot thousands of 38spec through .357 revolvers. Can't say I've had any real problems with accuracy. Do remember a time back in the late '70s when I was shooting a bunch of PPC matches with my 6" Ruger Security-Six, this with .38 wadcutters, I went to do some groundhog hunting and was unable to load .357 rounds . Guess I should have cleaned more often.

[marlinman93]

I've got an old Model 19 S&W that I've shot both .38's and .357's in for over 30 years. Most of that has been .38 ammo, and I've never had a problem with chambering .357's at any time, even with a dirty chamber after shooting .38's. Not sure where the myth started that you'd get corrosion or build up of crud from the shorte .38, but it just isn't true with modern powders and ammo.
Accuracy has always been excellent with either round with the right loads. I've found more accuracy issues with the wrong bullet/powder combination, than with shorter or full length cases.

[stretch]

I'm with Lastmoecken and marlinman93. I've shot thousands of 38 Special in my S&W 66 with 4" barrel.
One year I placed 5th in the State of Maine shooting bullseye postals with that setup. Accuracy was terrific.
If you're worried about lead/powder residue buildup using 38 cases, put your cleaning rod in a lathe or
cordless drill with a bronze brush and plenty of solvent at a slow speed. Use that setup to clean your cylinder
and you won't have any trouble with 357 Mag cases. I used a 158 gr. LSWC over 3.1 gr. of 231. It's a really
light load, but accurate and consistent at 50 feet. Obviously you can load it hotter, but I never felt the need
to for indoor bullseye. 50 yards outdoors is another matter.