Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 26

Thread: LCR in .38 Special or .357 Magnum?

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Hattiesburg, MS

    LCR in .38 Special or .357 Magnum?

    Hey all,

    Looking for a good BUG, and I think I've settled on the Ruger LCR, but just wanted to get everyone's opinion on .38 Special or .357 Magnum. I'm thinking .38, as I would imagine the .357 magnum would be pretty uncontrollable in such a small pistol, but that's just my guess. Any opinions or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Max

  2. #2
    Member Wheeler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Jawja
    I have an LCR in .38 Spl +P. I personally wish I had held out for the .357 Mag version to make use of the longer ejector rod. I would still carry .38's as I don't believe your gaining much advantage shooting .357's out of such a short gun.
    Men freely believe that which they desire.
    Julius Caesar

  3. #3
    I'd get the .357 and only shoot .38's
    1. Longer ejector rod
    2. Built heavier and you'd probably never have to worry about it wearing out
    3. Even less recoil

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Middle TN
    I’ll go against the trend here and recommend the 38 Special LCR instead of the .357 Magnum. My methodology is, one is slightly smaller and lighter than the other. What this equates to is less weight in your pocket or on your ankle. A BUG is meant to be with you all of the time, regardless of climate or outerwear, it’s quibbling to be sure but it makes a difference.

  5. #5
    Murder Machine, Harmless Fuzzball TCinVA's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Virginia
    DocGKR can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe .357 loads offer any better ballistics out of small revolvers than good .38 +P loads, so there's no real terminal ballistics advantage to buying the .357 revolver. If the .357 LCR is bigger, that would be a deal breaker to me.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Hattiesburg, MS
    According to the Ruger website, the .357 model is 17.1 oz, while the .38 model is 13.5 oz

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Middle TN
    Quote Originally Posted by MadMax17 View Post
    According to the Ruger website, the .357 model is 17.1 oz, while the .38 model is 13.5 oz
    Thanks Maxer :-) I knew it was a noticable weight difference but not how much it was.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by TCinVA View Post
    DocGKR can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe .357 loads offer any better ballistics out of small revolvers than good .38 +P loads, so there's no real terminal ballistics advantage to buying the .357 revolver. If the .357 LCR is bigger, that would be a deal breaker to me.
    Absolutely right. No distinct ballistic advantage offered by the .357 mag except a bigger blast and harder to control recoil, plus it's heavier. Go with a .38 Special +P loaded with either the hard to find 135gr Gold Dot Short Barrel or the 110gr DPX as recommended by Doc GKR for .38 snubbies.

  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Merced, CA
    http://www.snubnose.info/docs/38-snub_vs_357-snub.htm

    At least as far as velocity/ME go, .357 is giving you more bang.

    whether the projectiles correctly utilize this energy, or the terminal effects are any different/better is beyond the scope of my understanding, but there is definitely more bang.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by TCinVA View Post
    DocGKR can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe .357 loads offer any better ballistics out of small revolvers than good .38 +P loads, so there's no real terminal ballistics advantage to buying the .357 revolver. If the .357 LCR is bigger, that would be a deal breaker to me.


    Actually, you are completely correct. This was a raging subject on RugerForum, with the contenders being a bunch of SP101 users who were arguing over which was better for CCW'ing .357 magnum loads, the 3 1/16" or the 2 1/8". After a bunch of testing was done it was determined that a .357 fired out of the 2" or less barrel offered less acceptable ballistics out of the shorter barrel than .38's out of the same. 3 1/16" SP101 was discovered to be the bare minimum acceptable for .357 magnum usage, and then only really with the heavier 158 and 180 loads. Even with the 110's and 125's, too much propellant was escaping in barrel blast for the rounds to reach advertised velocities.


    If you want a snub, get it in .38. Anything else is a waste of money.

User Tag List

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •