Non +P .38spl defense cartridge recommendations?

[bubba in ca]

I use Hornaday critical defense in an older lightweight Colt snubbie. It doen``t kick bad and the bullet should expand because of the design and materials of the bullet. What ever it may or may not do, I choose it on purpose because of better stopping power than a .380, all other things being equal.

Keep in mind, however, that this is a SD gun designed for normal SD ranges (most under 10 feet) and I live in warm climates where a BD will probably be wearing a tee shirt. If I lived in a cold climate and still had the snubbie I would probably be looking at a copper jacketed ball ammo for the penetration.

Keep in mind how anemic handguns are as a SD weapon. For good stopping power, plan on 3 torso or head shots.

.357 is the best commonly used defensive handgun ammo because it has the muzzle energy and penetration that you will never get out of .38s or 9mms. If you choose not to use .357 for any reason, get the upgraded ammo, hit the right targets, and use multiple shots.

 

[bubba in ca]

I use Hornaday critical defense in an older lightweight Colt snubbie. It doen`t kick bad and the bullet should expand because of the design and materials of the bullet. What ever it may or may not do, I chose it on purpose because of better stopping power than a .380, all other things being equal.

Keep in mind, however, that this is a SD gun designed for normal SD ranges (most under 10 feet) and I live in warm climates where a BG will probably be wearing a tee shirt. If I lived in a cold climate and still had the snubbie I would probably be looking at a copper jacketed ball ammo for the penetration.

Keep in mind how anemic handguns are as a SD weapon. For good stopping power, plan on 3 torso or head shots.

.357 is the best commonly used defensive handgun ammo because it has the muzzle energy and penetration that you will never get out of .38s or 9mms. If you choose not to use .357 for any reason, more reason to get the upgraded ammo, hit the right targets, and use multiple shots.

 

[marcclarke]

Was considering a Rossi M841, now probably going with a Taurus M82 that will handle +P...

Col., yes, get a decent gun. That is, get at very least a .38 Special +P revolver, and much (!) better still get a .357 Magnum revolver. A .38 Special is a very low pressure round. A .38 Special +P is another very low pressure round, with just a tiny bit more pressure than the anemic .38 Special. A .357 is a high pressure round (lots higher pressure than a .38 Special) and will serve any self-defense need. You simply can't make a low-pressure .38 Special or .38 Special +P into a high pressure .357 Magnum with a magic powder or a magic bullet.

You can, however, make a .357 Magnum into a low pressure round by loading a .38 Special or a .38 Special +P cartridge into the cylinder of a .357 Magnum revolver. So I respectfully encourage you to get a .357 Magnum revolver and to load it with .38 Special or .38 Special +P for practice and plinking, and with a good self-defense .357 Magnum round for serious social intercourse (a polite euphemism for a serious gunfight).

 

[PabloJ]

Hey y'all,
Considering a .38spl revolver not rated for +P but would like to know if there are commercial defense loads available that pack a similar wallop.

Basically I'd like to be able to get something like .38spl+P/.357 terminal ballistics for an older revolver not rated for +P.
Hoping to shoot cheap stuff for fun and have good defensive capability if needed.

Thanks in advance!

Try some Hornady 158gr JHPs. These had not a lot of flash or recoil and were very accurate out of 2" S&W Model 12 (weapon weight about 19oz).

 

[snooperman]

I like the Federal Nyclad 125gr.

 

[KODB]

148 gr standard recipe wadcutter handloads for my Jframes backed up by 2 speedloaders with 158 LSWC- simply for ease of reloading. They all poke about the same hole and all have essentially the same (relatively poor) incapacitation potential unless CNS shot.

Bob