Snubby chrono day: LCR .357 and 442

[Joe Mac]

Shooting Chrony F-1 @12'
Weather: 52 degrees, cloudy

Ruger LCR .357

Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel Magnum 135 gr.
(5 shots)
High 1070
Low 1038
Avg 1055
ES 32
SD 13

Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel .38 +P 135 gr.
(5 shots)
High 914
Low 875
Avg 895
ES 39
SD 13

Hornady Critical Defense .38 +P 110 gr.
Only two shots registered: 956, 962. Couldn't spare more of it to get five shots...


S&W 442-1 .38

Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel .38 +P 135 gr.
(5 shots)
High 882
Low 835
Avg 857
ES 47
SD 16

Hornady Critical Defense .38 +P 110 gr.
(5 shots)
High 998
Low 910
Avg 952
ES 88
SD 28

[JCN]

That’s consistent with published testing and a reason why 9mm snubbies rule.

They’re easier to shoot and ballistically similar.





380 revolvers aren’t bad in snub either.

[MGW]

@JCN is there that much difference in recoil?

[JCN]

@JCN is there that much difference in recoil?

Humongous. It’s ridiculous how much difference in noise, fireball and recoil for the same ballistics.

People really think they’re getting a stout “357 magnum” but they’re getting basically micro-compact 9mm ballistics without the shootability benefit.

Plus you get a large benefit in ease of reloading with 9mm/380 revolvers if that factors into your calculus.

[JCN]

https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/lcr9-vs-p365.1716804/

https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/mp...-g19x.1717990/

[03RN]

That’s consistent with published testing and a reason why 9mm snubbies rule.

They’re easier to shoot and ballistically similar.





380 revolvers aren’t bad in snub either.

I wish you had a .357 LCR to test.

[JCN]

I wish you had a .357 LCR to test.

Before this goes down our usual discussion pathway:

1. Greater than 2” barrels start favoring 357 ballistics.
2. Greater than 25 ounces helps mitigate recoil.

I’d have no problem carrying 357 in my 3” 686+ or my 4” 66.

But for a sub-2” snub at around 14-18 ounces, shootability, reloading and reliable commercially expanding hollow point ammunition all favor 9mm heavily.

[JCN]

@03RN

For example for shootability I’m talking about passing stringent semiauto COF with snubs including reloads.



Here’s Bakersfield done with the 7” circle with all time parameters met.

With a 380 snub pocket draw.

The ammo malfunction turned out to be a chamber to throat shelf not letting bullets fully seat in three chambers. That was fixed with a Dremel touch up.

Please run the COF with your current revolver setup and post video in the Bakersfield thread.

[Joe Mac]

People really think they’re getting a stout “357 magnum” but they’re getting basically micro-compact 9mm ballistics without the shootability benefit.

Thus Speer's short barrel magnum load, which has 9mm ballistics from the start -- it's quite mild. No surplus thunder & lightning.

I have a lot of past experience with full-house magnums in steel frame 640s and SP101s. It's do-able, but more trouble than it's worth. The Speer 135 in the LCR isn't much trouble.

[JCN]

Thus Speer's short barrel magnum load, which has 9mm ballistics from the start -- it's quite mild. No surplus thunder & lightning.

I have a lot of past experience with full-house magnums in steel frame 640s and SP101s. It's do-able, but more trouble than it's worth. The Speer 135 in the LCR isn't much trouble.

I know, your testing is very consistent with what others including myself have found.



But did you know that the 147+P HST from a 9mm LCR9 is much easier to shoot than the 135 short barrel while having better ballistics?

It's not even a small difference in shootability.

That's why instead of a 357 mag snubbie I'd pick a 9mm every day.