Posted on 12/10/2005 1:02:11 PM PST by Melinda in TN
My husband is giving me a revolver for Christmas. I have my choice between a 357 Magnum Taurus model 605 or a 38-Special undercover police special. He says I can't hold the 357 magnum when I pull the trigger. I currently carry a .380 semi-auto and I know they are both much more powerful than that. He said he will carry the one I don't choose. Both guns have a 2" barrel. Is the 357 magnum really that bad? Opinions? Here are pictures. The 357 is a much better looking gun but I want something I can handle.
This is the 357 Magnum
This is the 38-Special
I don't start a thread very often so if I did this wrong, please forgive me!
So you can just buy a handgun in Tennessee? You don't need to go through hell in order to buy/get a license like in NY?
Which one matches your handbag?
Even if you DID do it wrong,
I wouldn't have the cajones to tell you.
Get the Mag. You can shoot any .38 ammunition in it. After you have shot it a while then you can try the .357 variety at some time and place where you are not under stress.
I've pinged a few folks that can help you!
Mylife and Lady Jag..
Gun PING!
Ms.B
The short-barrel 357 revolver will have a sharp kick rather than a powerful kick, but the noise will be deafening.
Go with the 38 Special and change the grips to whatever fits you the best. This will be more than adequate for your purpose.
38 LADYSMITH. 5 SHOT LIKE THE CHIEF SPECIAL. VERY LIGHT. I'VE BEEN USING ONE FOR A POCKET PISTOL SINCE THEY FIRST CAME OUT. ALSO HAVE ONE IN A BOOT HOLSTER. USE HOLLOW POINTS. MOST OF THE TIME WHEN USE IS CALLED FOR IT WITHIN 20'. AT THAT RANGE THE SHOOTEE WILL NOT LIKE IT.
LOL! We have a winner!
"DING DING DING! What do we have for her, Johnny?"
No kidding...what a great spouse, eh?
Have you fired either?
Remember, the guy at the other end of the barrel won't care as long as he's dead. What you can handle safely, quickly and effectively should be the decision maker.
Both are more effective stoppers than a .380 auto.
(Why not ask for both, a woman can never have too many handguns. ;^) )
Melinda,
yes......get the .357 Mag as you can shoot all .38 Special ammo in it...in fact, much cheaper to practice with the .38 ammo and then fire some .357 at the end of practice to get the feel of it.....however, shooting a .357 out of a 2 inch barrel is going to have quite a bit a kick and muzzle flash. Anyway you can get the 4 inch barrel?.....that would be the best of all worlds unless of coure you are going to get a CCW to carry it.......I personally do not like 2 inchers.....you lose alot of power, velocity and accuracy with those....unless of course you are gonna gun down someone at close range.......*wink*
Do I understand correctly that you are being offered only the choice between these two, and no other options are possible?
I have a Taurus for a handful of years now, and from all I've heard Taurus makes a very reliable handgun.
Tennessee is a great place when it comes to buying guns. They don't have to be registered unless you buy from a licensed dealer. We can buy and trade from individuals all day long and it's fine. We can legally buy them at yard sales, out of newspapers, etc. Have you given any thought to moving South? :-) Our carry law is not even a concealed carry. We can carry them unconcealed if we want to.
The .357 is not "that bad" assuming you have some weight in the gun. If you don't, even a .38 will hammer you a bit. I have a Taurus lightweight .38 5-shot that I can only run through 3 reloads or so at the range as it gets a little unpleasant after that. But remember, that's strictly range work. Firing a few rounds wouldn't be a problem.
You can shoot both .38 special and 357 magnum out of a 357 [same diameter. The 357's a longer round]. The reverse is not true. So the 357 gives you more flexiblity. Will it kick more? Sharper, for sure, and expect more muzzle flip and flash. If you're going 2" on the barrel, I'd say .38. You burn a lot of powder [and waste it] in a 2". Have you considered something like a Ruger SP 101 in 3"? It's a five shot-great little gun, and accurate as hell!. Smith and Wesson does a 357 with either a 7 or 8 round capacity, but I don't know the barrel lengths available, and the frame is probably too large for a concealed carry for you.
I've had a carry permit for about five years and currently carry the .380. Both of these revolvers are physically smaller guns than the .380 and a little lighter.
My husband is going to read all the replies. He really wants me to take the .38 special because he thinks the .357 will damage me some way. LOL The part about shooting .38 ammo in the .357 is interesting. He showed them to me and they look exactly alike.
Well, he has a Ruger 9mm that I could probably get but it's huge. I know I'm not man enough for that one. Besides, it wouldn't match the handbag. :-) Just kidding. It wouldn't even go in the handbag.
LOL........your hubby is right.....I love the 9mm Ruger P series.....and even though the .38 9mm and .357 are all really the same diameter, that .357 in a lighter revolver is gonna be tough to handle.....plus, since in a 2 inch barrel most of the gunpowder ignites outside the barrel creating quite a flash....nothing you'd want to fire in the house at night.....it would blind you for sure.....
......plus the lighter the gun as you know, the sharper the kick....but hey......still go with the .357 cause you can always just shoot .38 ammo and never use the .357 ammo. Most likely is a sturdier revolver as well.....Check out the Ruger Revolver....there is a GP-100 which is a large frame revolver....too big for you....but there is an SP-100 which is a lighter frame....and might come in smaller barrels then 4 inch....
Good luck.....
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