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Posted by M1Rifle30-06: The .357 goes 30-50 fps faster with 10 more grains, but is that really enough to make a difference? These two loads seem to perform about the same. That .357 load is one of the most respected for stopping power, so does that mean that that 9mm +p+ has about equal power? It would seem so.
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Stopping power in handguns is a function of penetration, diameter of the permanent wound channel, and, of course, where the bullet goes after entering the target.
Given adequate penetration--penetration that will put the bullet into something vital--and the same permanent wound channel, one .356 or .357 dia. bullet, expanded, is as effective as another.
What the bullet hits is a function of skill and with a moving target, luck. One shot may well fail to stop quickly. Or the first shot may not do the job, and the second or third may do so.
But speed may be of the essence, if an attacker is bent on mayhem. Getting four shots into the target in less than a second will likely be a lot more difficult with a firearm that recoils violently.
For that reason, a +P+ load, or a .357 Magnum, may not be the most effective choice for defense. Another reason, if home defense is the objective, is the excessive muzzle blast and noise.
Contrary to myth and folklore, the .357 Magnum was not adopted to replace the .38-44 heavy duty, and the latter was not selected to replace the .38 Special high velocity, because of "stopping power." The reason had to do with penetrating car bodies.
That's something that most civilians will have difficulty justifying.