Stopping power of a .38 special

[Cosmo_ac]

A question for the gun afficanados of the forum. I'm not a gun expert, but from what i know, .357 Magnum revolvers can fire both .357 Magnum rounds, and also .38 special rounds. From what i've read, the .38 is less powerful then the .357 and be effect can be fired more accurately then the .357 rounds in sucession do to less kick. The question i have, is how much stopping power the .38 special round has. Are we talking comparable to 9mm rounds, .45, or somewhere inbetween?

 

[Frowg]

It depends on the velocity of the round. Consider that the basic laws of physics apply; So, mass, velocity, surface area of impact etc. all have an influence on this. .357 slugs typically deliver between 870-960 joules (640-710ft-lbs) upon impact. This should be sufficient to stop a charging Andre the Giant. Of course, as logic would dictate, for the most part, larger slugs with higher velocities deliver higher impact. Taurus makes a very nice .357 that kicks quite minimally, and it holds 8 rounds, rather than 6 in the tumbler.
A .38 special, however, is considerably slower, and thus only delivers between 200-250 ft lbs upon impact. Barely enough to stop a charging Macho Man Randy Savage. Of course, for personal protection, I would suggest a 12 gauge pump action shotgun. All you have to do is rack the thing, and your "assailant" leaves a trail of smoke and piss in his wake as he speeds away. No one had to get shot, happier world.

 

[Frowg]

sorry, so to answer your question, less powerfull than a 9mm (380-520 ft-lbs), but can be more powerful than a .380 (@200 ft-lbs)

 

[tyf69]

I read a story about a cop that pumped 6 .38 caliber slugs into a guy that
was fucked up on angel dust, and it never phased him. Cop went to a .45
ACP after that. My weapon of choice.

 

[c7_assassin]

My philosophy is that you should choose a weapon you will be able to use quickly and accurately, and not worry as much about one-shot stopping power. Unless you really are going up against some dude on angel dust, it won't matter as much as being able to put rounds where you want them.

For me, that means a .45 is too much handgun; 9mm is more my speed. Figure out what works for you.

 

[Bugman]

You might also consider a .40 caliber. Plenty of stopping power (I didn't look up the numbers) but a lot of cops carry them. And the recoil is not that bad.

 

[Libertine]

James Bond used a .25 Beretta 418 in the earlier part of his career and still got laid a lot...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_James_Bond_firearms

 

[falcon]

You might also consider a .40 caliber. Plenty of stopping power (I didn't look up the numbers) but a lot of cops carry them. And the recoil is not that bad.

I agree here. An H&K USP .40 is what I use at work and off duty as well. Kind of big to carry concealed but I guess if they can see it and put two and two together as to what is under my shirt, the less chance I have of getting messed with. Also take in to consideration that your subject may be extremely high on specific drugs which block pain receptors, thereby making the subject harder to take down. In my opinion, go with a medium to high calibre round (.40 - .45).

 

[Deleted member 2452]

a little history, and personal opinion.

the u.s. army had used the .38 during the spanish american war. due to it's non-existant stoping power the greatest handgun ever made was developed! the colt 1911 .45 semi-auto. i carried this in the military.
i have carried both the .38, and the .357 on duty. i have seen .38's bounce off a cars windshield. i have seen one round from a .357 magnum stop a cta bus.
the 9mm is a european sissy cousin to the .38. useless in combat.
if you want a gun that can get the job done get either a colt python .357, or one of the 1911 .45 varients.
steve

 

[stroker]

James Bond used a .25 Beretta 418 in the earlier part of his career and still got laid a lot...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_James_Bond_firearms

Thats cos he had a 12 gauge pump action cock as a backup.

 

[Bugman]

the u.s. army had used the .38 during the spanish american war. due to it's non-existant stoping power the greatest handgun ever made was developed! the colt 1911 .45 semi-auto. i carried this in the military.
i have carried both the .38, and the .357 on duty. i have seen .38's bounce off a cars windshield. i have seen one round from a .357 magnum stop a cta bus.
the 9mm is a european sissy cousin to the .38. useless in combat.
if you want a gun that can get the job done get either a colt python .357, or one of the 1911 .45 varients.
steve

Yeah, the .38 is pretty much useless for anything. I would not want to bet my life on its "stopping power". Now the 1911 Colt, that's an iconic American firearm. Had one myself for years but had to sell it. 🙁 I also had a Ruger 9mm that I liked but it was strictly for traget shooting.

This needs to be said. If anyone is buying a firearm for the first time for any reason respect it, get to know it, and practice practice practice. Be a responsible owner. Some people seem to think they can buy a firearm, stick it in a closet or dresser drawer and forget about it until they need it. That mindset can get you killed in a hurry if someone is coming through a door or window at 3 a.m.

Edit: Also, find out what the laws say in your state or province about self-defense. They can vary quite a bit I understand.

 

[Cosmo_ac]

Thanks much for the words of advice and info for all. The reason i ask about the .357 is the adaptability of it, where one can go from an easily controlled, minimal kick/damage round, to something that could take the head off a bear. On top of this, both rounds can be used in a .357 hunting carbine rifle, making the it fairly cost effective.

That being said, at this point this info is more for story research then personal purchasing. From what i've read at other sites, a .44 magnum would be the better way to go, as you can also get .44 special rounds and they are also usable in .44 hunting carbines.

 

[Bugman]

Thanks much for the words of advice and info for all. The reason i ask about the .357 is the adaptability of it, where one can go from an easily controlled, minimal kick/damage round, to something that could take the head off a bear. On top of this, both rounds can be used in a .357 hunting carbine rifle, making the it fairly cost effective.

That being said, at this point this info is more for story research then personal purchasing. From what i've read at other sites, a .44 magnum would be the better way to go, as you can also get .44 special rounds and they are also usable in .44 hunting carbines.

The .357 and .44 are both fine weapons in my opinion. Now if I might encounter a bear or something I'd rather have a .44 Magnum in hand. If you want to talk real stopping power, see here. 😀

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.600_Nitro_Express

Not a pratical firearm for most people of course but I'd love to shoot one sometime. Years ago I was at McBride's, where most serious hunters in Austin shop and they had a 20s era model on display. The price tag was $18,000. Today, a vintage rifle in top condition can fetch $100,000 or more.

 

[Libertine]

Drool Away, Guys- Holland and Holland, London.

Each part of each rifle or shotgun is handmade to measure for the client commissioning it, lock, stock and barrel, so no parts are interchangeable. Something basic in rifles will run you about $35,000, the best double-barrelled shotgun starts at $156,000 and if you really let them loose with the engraving and gold inlay, it really gets eye-watering.

http://www.hollandandholland.com/

 

[Bugman]

Each part of each rifle or shotgun is handmade to measure for the client commissioning it, lock, stock and barrel, so no parts are interchangeable. Something basic in rifles will run you about $35,000, the best double-barrelled shotgun starts at $156,000 and if you really let them loose with the engraving and gold inlay, it really gets eye-watering.

http://www.hollandandholland.com/

The finest craftsman in the world at that sort of thing, hands down. They don't produce mere firearms but functioning works of art.

 

[dusttick11]

Though I don't care for the .38 I wouldn't go so far
as to say it's a bad/inadequate round for home defense
situations. The .38 of old was a terribly weak round,
but it still killed a lot of people. The new .38+P rounds in
modern bonded hollow-point offerings are pretty nasty and
would definitely mess an attacker up if not kill them. It would
be better than trowing rocks.

I believe there was an incident a few weeks ago where a beauty
queen shot intruder 4 times with a .38 and killed him.

All that being said, I still prefer the .40 or .357sig. I also
like the .45 and .357mag, but my pistol calibers of choice
are the .40 and .357sig.

Practice and shot placement are paramount. That and stress
control.

 

[dusttick11]

the u.s. army had used the .38 during the spanish american war. due to it's non-existant stoping power the greatest handgun ever made was developed! the colt 1911 .45 semi-auto. i carried this in the military.
i have carried both the .38, and the .357 on duty. i have seen .38's bounce off a cars windshield. i have seen one round from a .357 magnum stop a cta bus.
the 9mm is a european sissy cousin to the .38. useless in combat.
if you want a gun that can get the job done get either a colt python .357, or one of the 1911 .45 varients.
steve

I hate to dig this thread up again..but I had to comment on
areenactor's post. Yes the colt python is an awesome
.357, but they stopped production on them many
years back and that revolver is extremely hard to come by now.
So if anyone finds one at a gun shop, pawn shop, show etc. and
it's in decent condition, I suggest you buy it. It has high collector
value, so you could re-sell it for the same price or more if decide
not to keep it.

 

[Deleted member 2452]

thanks for the updated information.

I hate to dig this thread up again..but I had to comment on
areenactor's post. Yes the colt python is an awesome
.357, but they stopped production on them many
years back and that revolver is extremely hard to come by now.
So if anyone finds one at a gun shop, pawn shop, show etc. and
it's in decent condition, I suggest you buy it. It has high collector
value, so you could re-sell it for the same price or more if decide
not to keep it.

i have been told my python was worth a suprising amount of cash, and didn't know why. thanks for clearing that up.

steve

 

[Morpheus72]

Also realize that the type of load you are using for home defense is important. It doesn't make much sense to buy a bigger caliber weapon if you mistakenly buy a box of target loads to keep next to it in the drawer. Any reputable gun shop will get you what you need.

Not specific to the question, but for home defense, the 12-gauge shotgun with a 5-8 round magazine is probably the best option. Loaded with shells containing #1 (21 pellets) to #4 (30 pellets) shot, this weapon allows for perhaps the most common problem in defending your home, namely the inaccuracy that comes with fear.