The Speer GD 135 grain .357 SB load should answer questions aboot the recoil and blast of 9mm in a 13 oz. launcher with a 2 in. barrel.
And is ballistically in the ball park of a low to mid level 9mm.
Shootability in the lightweight revo is not good.
For the same ballistics the 9mm is less blasty and less recoily.Originally Posted by Navin Johnson
That’s why I like 9mm small revolvers.
IMO it is more harsh than Critical Defense. I admit I didn't shoot a bunch of it, but I didn't need to shoot much of the GD to know I didn't like it...
In the scandium guns I carry wadd cutters..... Anything else is difficult for follow-up shots especially SHO or WHO...... Use short barrel GD or Hornady CD for reloads as wadd cutters don't feed well.
If one wants to use 135 GD plus p short barrel The 357 LCR with the added weight seems like it would work well.
A friend told me 9 mm kicks more than 38 plus p...... His experience.... In lightweight revolvers.
The Smiths had extraction issues in 9 mm not sure if they ever resolved that. (Again according to my friend who was really into that stuff)
9mm kicks more than 38+p but less than 357 for similar short barrel ballistics to the 357.
I know some people like wadcutters for heavy bullets but I kind of like 9mm minimum for a carry gun unless I’m saying eff it. But then I carry my NAA and know that I have a noisemaker without much bite.
VERY important when measuring velocity in revolvers, to be able to make meaningful comparisons between guns, loads and barrel length is TO MEASURE BARREL-CYLINDER GAP!
Today it is common to encounter new S&W revolvers with cylinder gaps of 0.008-0.010" which today are said to be within specs, but which would have been rejected 20 years ago.
When I was QA manager for Rugers Newport, NH facility, minimum gap was 0.003 pass and 0.004 hold. Tighter than that the gun will bind up when it gets hot and fouled. Mean Assembly Tolerance after proofing was 0.005 pass and 0.006 hold. Customer Service Max was 0.008 pass and 0.009 hold. The usual "fix" to repair an "open front gage" condition was to refit a "+" cylinder which was 0.005" longer, which would be done after any endshake was corrected.
In standard-pressure .38 Special lead ammunition the expected Delta-V is 10 fps for each 0.001" change in cylinder gap from Mean Assembly Tolerence. This means that a 2-inch gun at Min. may produce higher velocity than a 4-inch gun at max. The difference may be greater in +P or .357 ammunition, depending upon bullet type ( lead or jacketed) and powder loading. Most +P .38 Special loads are optimized for 3-inch or longer barrels and velocity really falls off in a 1-7/8" S&W with the large gaps they now ship.
LCR 38 + pinnacle = 14oz 9mm snubby
https://pinnaclehighperformance.com/cylinder-work
Same could be done with a 3” LCRX in 38, I imagine.
Poorly drawn concept sketch 2.0:
Thats very tempting to do with my 340.
Do you know, are there any ammo limitations (ie 'no +p' etc) with the conversion? And do they remain backwards compatible with .38/.357?
One thing I think influences this is the grips selected, IMO boot grips make a hard to shoot gun harder to shoot. My pockets are too small for much pocket carry, my J-Frame use is more elastic pants primary. So I have been using these from Altamont:
Yeah, I love me the 38/357 but when you think about it, we are discussing a black powder cartridge that is too long for smokeless powder, that was then made LONGER to prevent chambering in the shorter chamber, no wonder why it doesn't perform well in a short barrel...
Thanks for another connection, I knew about TK Customs, but will admit the cost pushed this plan farther down the to-do list.
Also, if this can work with the 38 gun that intreguies me. I have also been curious about the LCR, and with five J-Frames I don't need one, but thought about the 9mm, but they are always substantially more $. Maybe snag the next 38 LCRx I trip over and shoot it in 38 to confirm I like it, and then...
Another scheme I have is to do my 637 that is mostly for range practice, that way I can wrap up my Sunday sessions with some of the same 9mm rounds I have just been shooting. If I like it, then maybe do the 360PD to match?
I have always read that you can still shoot 38/357, but you might not want to plan to reload those cases after you do (but I have no experience).
This is from the Pinnacle site:
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