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>.357 (revolver) is one of the most lethal personal defense choices.

Old wives' tale completely unsupported by actual FBI and NJI field data.

.357 is nothing more than a .38 Special with a little more powder. Exactly same bullet. .38 Special bullets are actually 357/1000 of an inch in diameter. In any shory barelled weapon, it is all flash and noise. Very bad at night.

Round suffers from extreme overpentration problems. Bullet that goes in and out again does far less damage, especially instant, incapacitating damage, than does a round that enters body cavity and remains.

357 myths came from advertising campaign when it was introduced, about how it would penetrate an engine block, etc. If it can penetrate an engine block, then it can certainly penetrate a perp, exit and hit the little old lady coming out of church three blocks away.

Regarding the combat effectiveness of the system, friends don't let friends take revolvers to gunfights. The chances of encountering multiple targets and perps needing multiple hits due to body armor, misses, etc. demand quick reload capability. Wheelguns don't cut it.

In any shorty barelled weapon, it is all flash and noise.

Interesting take on 357.

I had a Rugger SP-101 357 with 2.25 inch barrel, and found that half my HP rounds would not mushroom at 15 paces. Apparently not enough muzzle velocity (I'm not a ballistics expert, just a guess). Anyway I got rid of it.

Bullet that goes in and out again does far less damage, especially instant, incapacitating damage, than does a round that enters body cavity and remains.

I believe it was Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch who, talking about rounds going completely through the bad guy, said "Good, now he's bleeding through two holes".

Seems hard to disagree with that.