Which .357's are compatible with .38 sp?

ChaseA · February 18, 2011, 10:01 AM

I'm borrowing an old .357 tomorrow. I don't know the make and model of it yet, but I was wondering can all .357's can use .38 specials or is that mostly just the newer guns? If so, when did they start doing this? How would I find out if I can use .38's on his gun?

kraigwy · February 18, 2011, 10:04 AM

Yes any 357 revolver will also fire 38 spls.

virg · February 18, 2011, 10:23 AM

Yes any decent quality .357 magnum will handle all .38spl loads, even +P .38's. .357's generate approx 35000 cup (copper units of pressure) and .38's are limited to around 16000 cup so shooting .38's in a .357 mag is no problem. The only problems ive encountered is after shooting extended amounts of the shorter .38's, especially lead wadcutters, you have to clean the cylinder walls really well so the longer .357 shells will go into the cylinder again.

Webleymkv · February 18, 2011, 10:29 AM

Any .357 Magnum revolver or single-shot handgun in good condition can safely fire .38 Special or .38 Special +P. The only two issues with doing this are that because the .357 chamber is longer, accuracy may be somewhat less than from a .38 Spl-only gun and doing so will leave carbon buildup in the chamber that, if left uncleaned for a long period of time, can make extraction of .357 Magnum ammo sticky. Using .38 Spl ammo in a .357 Magnum has been a common and accepted practice since the .357 Magnum was introduced and so long as you don't fire a copious amount of .38's without cleaning the gun you shouldn't have any serious issues.

.357 Magnum semi-automatics like the Desert Eagle and Coonan on the other hand most likely will not function reliably with .38 Special ammo. Also, .357 Magnum lever-action rifles can sometimes have feeding issues with .38 Special ammo due to its shorter OAL.

shortwave · February 18, 2011, 10:50 AM

+1 Kraigwy.

ANY .357 revolver that will safely shoot the .357 rd. WILL shoot/handle the .38 spec.

Doesn't matter the age. Its been that way since the beginning of the .357 revolver.

My advice would be (since you're not familiar with gun) is clean/inspect the pistol, buy a couple boxes of your preferred 38spec.ammo and shoot them to make sure gun likes your preferred brand. Especially if you'll be using it for SD.

Doing this, you won't be checking to see if the 357 can shoot 38specs., thats a given, it will, you'll be checking the basic mechanics of the gun itself. Too, there is a very good sticky by Jim March on here discussing how to check the basic functioning/wear of a revolver before shooting it that may be worth your while checking out.

ChaseA · February 18, 2011, 11:03 AM

Great! Thanks so much for all the help you guys. I'll definitely check out that sticky too.

I'm borrowing my grandad's .357 tomorrow and I wanted to learn as much as I could beforehand. There is a very good chance that he's going to just flat out give it to me.

2damnold4this · February 18, 2011, 11:29 AM

Be safe and have fun : )

Kreyzhorse · February 18, 2011, 01:57 PM

Quote:

There is a very good chance that he's going to just flat out give it to me.

Congrats. .38s are a great option for any .357. It will allow you to get the feel for shooting it without as much recoil.

February 18, 2011, 10:01 AM	#1
ChaseA Member Join Date: January 27, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 24	Which .357's are compatible with .38 sp? I'm borrowing an old .357 tomorrow. I don't know the make and model of it yet, but I was wondering can all .357's can use .38 specials or is that mostly just the newer guns? If so, when did they start doing this? How would I find out if I can use .38's on his gun?

February 18, 2011, 10:04 AM	#2
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	Yes any 357 revolver will also fire 38 spls. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

February 18, 2011, 10:23 AM	#3
virg Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2010 Location: SE KY Posts: 131	Yes any decent quality .357 magnum will handle all .38spl loads, even +P .38's. .357's generate approx 35000 cup (copper units of pressure) and .38's are limited to around 16000 cup so shooting .38's in a .357 mag is no problem. The only problems ive encountered is after shooting extended amounts of the shorter .38's, especially lead wadcutters, you have to clean the cylinder walls really well so the longer .357 shells will go into the cylinder again. __________________ Virg... Last edited by virg; February 18, 2011 at 10:32 AM.

February 18, 2011, 10:50 AM	#5
shortwave Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2007 Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO Posts: 5,970	+1 Kraigwy. ANY .357 revolver that will safely shoot the .357 rd. WILL shoot/handle the .38 spec. Doesn't matter the age. Its been that way since the beginning of the .357 revolver. My advice would be (since you're not familiar with gun) is clean/inspect the pistol, buy a couple boxes of your preferred 38spec.ammo and shoot them to make sure gun likes your preferred brand. Especially if you'll be using it for SD. Doing this, you won't be checking to see if the 357 can shoot 38specs., thats a given, it will, you'll be checking the basic mechanics of the gun itself. Too, there is a very good sticky by Jim March on here discussing how to check the basic functioning/wear of a revolver before shooting it that may be worth your while checking out. Last edited by shortwave; February 18, 2011 at 11:39 AM.

February 18, 2011, 10:29 AM	#4
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	Any .357 Magnum revolver or single-shot handgun in good condition can safely fire .38 Special or .38 Special +P. The only two issues with doing this are that because the .357 chamber is longer, accuracy may be somewhat less than from a .38 Spl-only gun and doing so will leave carbon buildup in the chamber that, if left uncleaned for a long period of time, can make extraction of .357 Magnum ammo sticky. Using .38 Spl ammo in a .357 Magnum has been a common and accepted practice since the .357 Magnum was introduced and so long as you don't fire a copious amount of .38's without cleaning the gun you shouldn't have any serious issues. .357 Magnum semi-automatics like the Desert Eagle and Coonan on the other hand most likely will not function reliably with .38 Special ammo. Also, .357 Magnum lever-action rifles can sometimes have feeding issues with .38 Special ammo due to its shorter OAL.

February 18, 2011, 11:03 AM	#6
ChaseA Member Join Date: January 27, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 24	Great! Thanks so much for all the help you guys. I'll definitely check out that sticky too. I'm borrowing my grandad's .357 tomorrow and I wanted to learn as much as I could beforehand. There is a very good chance that he's going to just flat out give it to me.

February 18, 2011, 11:29 AM	#7
2damnold4this Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2009 Location: Athens, Georgia Posts: 2,526	Be safe and have fun : )