Is a 357 Magnum the same as a 38 Special?

38 Special and . 357 Magnum are exactly the same in width. It's only when looking at their length that you'll notice a difference. Many handgun owners shoot one or both of these rounds, and while the cartridges have a common heritage, these bullets perform in strikingly different ways.

Can my 357 Magnum shoot 38 Special?

No; . 357 Magnum was specifically designed so it cannot be fired from handguns chambered in . 38 Special, but you can shoot .

Is a 38 Special the same diameter as a 357 Magnum?

38 Special and . 357 Magnum would seem to be different diameter chamberings, they are in fact identical, as at 0.357 inches (9.07 mm) they both have the same bullet diameter. The .

What is the difference between .357 Mag and .38 Special?

Modern 357 Magnum ammo is designed to fire a 158-grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1,235 FPS and a target thumping 535 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. Compare that to the 38 Special, which fires the same bullet weight at 755 FPS and has a muzzle energy of 200 ft-lbs, which is less than a 45 ACP.

How much more powerful is a 357 Magnum than a 38 Special?

38 Special has a muzzle energy of 208 foot-pounds, while the . 357 Magnum logs a muzzle energy of 539 foot pounds. The comparisons we've given have the same bullet sizes, making it clear that the . 357 Magnum is more powerful.

357 MAGNUM VS 38 SPECIAL VS SHEET METAL

What bullets can you shoot out of a 357 Magnum?

357 Magnum can safely and readily shoot the following rounds: . 38 Short Colt, . 38 Long Colt, . 38 Special, .

Why do they call it 38 Special?

Despite its name, the caliber of the .38 Special cartridge is actually .357 inches (36 caliber/9.07 mm), with the ".38" referring to the approximate diameter of the loaded brass case.

Is .357 bigger than 9mm?

The . 357 Mag case is a little over half an inch longer than the 9mm and the overall length slightly less than half an inch. This increase in length allows the . 357 Mag to hold a greater amount of powder to launch a similar caliber bullet.

What's the difference between 38 and 38 Special?

There's no difference between a . 38 and a 38 special. The former refers to a caliber with a . 357 inch bullet diameter, while the latter is a cartridge variant under the .

Is 38 Special more powerful than 9mm?

Standard pressure . 38 Special only produces 264 foot-pounds of force (147-grain bullet at 900 feet per second out of a 4-inch barrel), while standard pressure 9mm can produce 365 foot-pounds of force (124-grain bullet at 1,150 feet per second). This is 38.25% more energy at the muzzle in favor of the 9mm.

What is the most powerful hand gun?

The Smith & Wesson Model 500 has held its rank as the world's most powerful handgun since it was first introduced in 2003.

What has more stopping power 45 or 357 Magnum?

The . 357 has more stopping power when aiming at targets further away, while the . 45 ACP provides higher stopping power when shooting targets at shorter ranges.

Is 357 Magnum good for concealed carry?

Is a 357 good for concealed carry? The 357 is actually the gold standard for concealed carry. This caliber is perfectly suited for the compact and mid-sized guns suitable for keeping on your person. It's powerful, but not to the point of derailing the gun.

Can Ruger SP101 357 Magnum shoot 38 Special?

The Ruger SP101 holds five rounds of . 357 Magnum or . 38 Special.

Are 9mm and 38 caliber the same?

38, . 357, . 380 auto and 9mm ammunition are all the same caliber. (Caliber is the size of the projectile, or bullet.)

What makes a gun a Magnum?

TLDR: Magnum ammunition comes with extra propellant (gunpowder) and/or a more generous projectile. Unlike other firearm terminology, “magnum ammunition” is both specific and vague. This can cause some confusion when you need to give a character a firearm with some extra oomph.

Is there a difference between 357 and 357 Magnum?

357 Magnum wins, because full power ammo pushes a 125-grain bullet 100 f.p.s. faster than the . 357 SIG in barrels of the same length. It's that simple. Comparing full power .

Can a 357 lever action shoot 38 Special?

357 Magnum, a . 38 Special round can be safely fired in a . 357 Magnum revolver or lever gun. So to sum up in one sentence: You can shoot .

Why is the 357 so popular?

The . 357 Magnum is renowned as an accurate cartridge. So much so it is popular with silhouette shooters who reach out to 100 yards, or more, to knock down small steel targets. It is more than accurate enough for close-quarters battle and hunting at reasonable ranges.

What is Dirty Harry's gun?

The now iconic revolver carried by Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) in the film is a Smith & Wesson Model 29, chambered in . 44 Magnum.

What is the deadliest pistol caliber?

The . 500 S&W Magnum is considered the most powerful commercial sporting handgun cartridge by virtue of the muzzle energy it can generate.

What is the difference between .38 Special and .380 ACP?

38 special is designed for use in revolvers and the . 380 ACP is used in semi-auto pistols.