.357 for Home Defense?

[FairWarning]

I wouldn't use full house .357 for home defense. That's the realm of 12 GA and hi-cap 9mm for me. It's important that I survive and have intact hearing afterwards.

[Shotgun693]

The only and only object of a gunfight is to survive it. I have some hearing loss but I walked away from 6 gunfights at least in part because I used the best gun I could with the best defensive type ammo available.

[warningshot]

If you are concerned about the noise and flash .357 magnums make in very dark bedrooms late at night...just ask the BG to hold on a minute so you can throw a blanket over the gun so as to not disturb the neighbors before you start hosing down the area..

[Webleymkv]

While I try not to make a habit of it, I have fired a .357 Magnum without hearing protection before, including once in low light, and also been present when one was fired indoors. While it will certainly make your ears ring and the flash is noticable, it is not the "Wrath of God" that many make it out to be. In none of the cases that I fired or was near a .357 Magnum being fired without hearing protection was the report so deafening that I could not hear normal conversation immediately afterward nor was the flash so blinding as to impair my night vision. I've also suffered no noticable long-term hearing damage though to be fair my hearing was never all that spectacular to begin with.

[Steve_NEPhila]

I have no problem shooting 125 grain full house magnum loads in my carry revolver. The recoil is not perceived as much more than a 158 grain +P .38 load as far as I can tell.

Spend some range time with the .357 loads and find out for yourself.

[iamdb]

Are there really people suggesting the 12ga, 9mm, .45 are just as loud as a .357? We have some serious smoke blowers here. No offense guys, but you obviously don't know what your talking about. I almost dropped my 357 when I pulled the trigger and noticed I forgot to put on ear muffs. I was checking for blood coming from my ears. Meanwhile I shoot 12ga and 9mm often with no ear protection and no pain. Granted my 357 has a 2" barrel

[buckhorn]

A 2" barrel anything is going to be louder! My wife can tell from inside the house whether I,m shooting a rifle or revolver. I live in the sticks so I can shoot anywhere on my property. I have to admit, though, I sold a .357 taurus 6" barrel because I just didn't enjoy the blast. And yes, a 12guage, 18 1/2 barrel is on the limits for me, both kick and noise-wise.

[themalicious0ne]

Ok lets I guess take it in to context. How old is the OP because age and hearing do make a difference as the hair inside your ears over time do begin to lay flat and offer less protection. Of the posts ive seen here, people say they have had major hearing problems after which baffles me to be honest, but if they were elderly at the time is the only thing I could understand. I HAVE fired a .357 magnum Federal 180gr Power-shok JHP in an appartment before. beyond that lets not get into why or what were you thinking, an accident, partly my fault, not completely... Anyways it was not at night so I can not account to the flash but from what Kevk, I believe, said before that sounds minute. I had absolutely no such hearing problems after, ringing in the ears for maybe 10 min. My girlfriend was with me and beyond both our shock we were absolutely fine. At the time I was maybe 20 or 21, maybe that is a considerable difference. I have no hearing loss and my ears did not bleed and neither did hers. Beyond that actually no police came to our appartment, which surprised me actually as we lived in a nicer neighborhood. So in conclusion your age may be something to consider but I am sharing this embarrasing story to tell you it is not, I repeat NOT severely damaging to your ears if you are young at least. That is all I can account for.

[buckhorn]

The Malicious-- You're right, I'm 59 and find I can't quite handle the recoil and blast that never bothered me when I was 18. When I started shooting in the '60s, no one except pros used ear protection. We used to wander the woods shooting 12 gauges and then laugh when our ears were ringing. We would go to the range and shoot our 30-30's and never think a thing about it. Then we would come home and Listen to "Don't Fear the Reaper" at full blast. I'm paying for it now, I think I need one of those ear trumpets the old guys used!

[Dragline45]

Of the posts ive seen here, people say they have had major hearing problems after which baffles me to be honest, but if they were elderly at the time is the only thing I could understand.

So leme get this strait, you cannot understand how a younger person can suffer damage to their hearing and ears from a gunshot in excess of 165db indoors, and this baffles you? Talk to a few young combat veterans who were exposed to IED's and constant barrages of .223 rounds going off next to their heads. I was 25 at the time of my incident, was the first time I ever shot anything without ear protection, and one single shot of a .357 and I suffered high frequency hearing loss and tinnitus, my left ear still slightly rings 24/7. Age has nothing to do with it, anything in that decibel range will damage your ears, a good part of it is what is to your left and your right, hence what is going to bounce the sound waves back into your ears.

[Don P]

The last thing I am concerned with is my hearing in a home invasion scenario.
Doesn't matter what caliber gun, shoot till the un invited guest is down regardless of noise. Rather be deaf than dead, what he say??????????

[iamdb]

Very good point Don. But if you can get a lower pressure round to stop a home invader than why not save your life and your eardrums? That being said, 357 is plenty gun for home defense provided use of a longer than 2" barrel.

[Don P]

Very good point Don. But if you can get a lower pressure round to stop a home invader than why not save your life and your eardrums? That being said, 357 is plenty gun for home defense provided use of a longer than 2" barrel.

If truly worried about hearing loss, toss the guns and have 2-3 attack dogs that will kill/mame an intruder with no loss of hearing. Could even have the dogs vocal chords removed an be real evil

[Dragline45]

The last thing I am concerned with is my hearing in a home invasion scenario.

I agree with iamdb, I can get the job done just as well with a 9mm or .45 and still save my hearing. Hearing loss I could really care less about, but when your ear rings 24/7 than you might change your mind. Thankfully I have a very slight case of ringing, but there are plenty of people out there where it is so loud it borderline drives them crazy. I have no intention of exposing my unprotected ears to a .357 round ever again, I swear those suckers are louder than my fathers big ol' .44

[OldMarksman]

The last thing I am concerned with is my hearing in a home invasion scenario. Doesn't matter what caliber gun, shoot till the un invited guest is down regardless of noise.

Most of us would rather minimize hearing loss, and I'm sure that no one would discount the importance of being able to hear right after the shots to understand and react appropriately to family members, to the intruder's accomplices, and to arriving first responders.

Rather be deaf than dead, what he say??????????

Why is it a choice?

For those who prefer a double action revolver, a .357 is a good choice for home defense--with .38 Special loads.

One's ability to stop an attacker will depend on one's ability to put an adequate number of adequately sized projectiles far enough into the attacker to damage something vital and to do so very quickly, under circumstances in which the attacker is most likely moving fast.

That requires adequate power and rapid fire.

Bullets of .356-.357 diameter will do it if they hit in the right place and penetrate far enough. The .38 will do that. Since hitting in the right place quickly on a moving target is an iffy proposition, rapid fire becomes important.

The problem with the recoil is not one of pain or discomfort, but how much it impairs the defender's ability to fire several controlled shots and hit the target several times in a second. Don't think range shooting.

Personally, I prefer a .45 semi-auto or a 9MM.

The advantage of the .357 Magnum is penetration--penetration of auto bodies for the highway patrols of the old days, and penetration for the hunting of game. Excessive penetration is a disadvantage in home defense. And the alleged "knock down power" is a myth.

And yes, electronic muffs are a good idea.

[Doug S]

Have to agree with some of the comments above...if you won't use a 357 (possibly one of the best defensive calibers) for home defense, you probably ought to get rid of all your firearms, because they are all loud enough to cause hearing damage...and no I don't think my 357 is oh so much louder than any of the other defensive guns I might use.

[iamdb]

if you won't use a 357 (possibly one of the best defensive calibers) for home defense, you probably ought to get rid of all your firearms,

No offense, but that is an ignorant statement.

and no I don't think my 357 is oh so much louder than any of the other defensive guns I might use.

the 357 is almost twice as loud as a .45acp and louder than a 30-06 w/ an 18" barrel. Could you be anymore wrong?

[cookie5]

The 357 mag is really loud and has recoil that seems excessive. What would a 357 do that a 38+p can't do at home defense distances?

[Shotgun693]

The .357 Mag has a sharp crack to it that my other handguns, mostly .45 Colt, just don't have. Shooting a .357 out of a 6" barrel seems easier on my ears but not by a lot. I do not want to shoot a .357 out of a barrel shorter than 4"

[ScottieG59]

I have gone to placing electronic hearing protection by the bed with my Glock 20. It enhances sounds I want to hear while muffling gunfire blast. I do not want to deaden my already diminished hearing with standard passive ear protection.

My concern with defending against an attacker at night is starting behind the power curve. I have to wake up, recognize something needs to be investigated, get my gear, identify a threat and react accordingly. I have 6 kids in the house as well. This is a very difficult scenario even without the kids. You cannot count on the intruder to be too drunk to fight.

A 357 would do fine as a defense weapon. Police loved the cartridge and it earned a great reputation over the years. But nothing is magic. Personally, I do not know of cases where people failed to shoot again just because things were too loud.

I would want familiarity with the gun. The first time I fired my little 357 was when I was 21. It was no big deal, but I remember thinking something that loud should be exploding like a grenade. In time, the blast was no big deal, unless you were a shooter next to me. I can only assume the blast is worse from the target's perspective.

Anyway, if you can identify and engage a target first, you have overcome the many disadvantages you started with. It is rare they will stick around for extra shots, but you need to be ready. And remember bad guys often are not alone.

[SHR970]

A posted stated that a 357 is twice as loud as a 357. Allow me to put some simplified math here so as many as possible can understand this.

Every 3dB gain is 2X as much, every 10dB gain is 10X as much.
The difference between 140 and 143 dB is 2X as much.
The difference between 140 and 150 dB is 10X as much.

100dB is a jackhammer.
130dB is the Pain Threshhold
140dB- 150 dB is standing 10 feet from a jet engine.
170 dB is having someone crack off a 30-06 with the muzzle 1 meter from your ear directly to the side.

A measurement of a particular caliber from a standard weapon 1 meter from the muzzle in either the wide open or an acoustics chamber only gives you the base value. A near by thunderclap rates 120dB and that alone can cause permanent damage. That is 1% of a gunshots Sound Pressure Level (SPL). Remember 10dB is 10X as much and 20dB is 100X.

Resonance can change these numbers. Being close to a wall can add 3-6 dB (2-4X) depending on the surface, distance and angle. A corner can add 9 dB (8X). A narrow hallway can really jack the numbers up. Crack a short barrel 22 off in a hallway and you WILL be over 140dB. That is a low pressure round without a lot of powder behind it. You will be in permanent hearing damage territory.

Then add in muzzle flash. If your chosen ammo can make you see spots in an indoor range, imagine what it can do when you are half awake and in the dark. Those wonderful loads of Blue Dot that you have fun with at the range will be blinding at night. When I go to the desert for some R&R, I like to practice some night fire; especially when there are Noobs present. My SP101 3" with 125 gr. pills behind a suitable dose of W296 are real attention getters. You get 2-4 feet of bright flame out the front and about a 1 foot cylinder gap flash out the sides. It pretty much matches my SBH 7 1/2" with 240 gr. loads. You would also be surprised what several popular semi auto loads produce. My 12 ga. 20" with 3" mag.s has been described to me as squeezing a bright orange beach ball out of the muzzle. Personally, I blink when I squeeze at night so I'm not blinded like the rest of them.

If possible, I recommend some night fire / low light exercises so you understand what you are bound to experience. As to hearing loss; personnaly I can deal with that. If I am alive and the threat is neutralized; that to me is an acceptable trade off. You may not have time to put glasses on, muffs on, get your gun, and get ready. Remember, you may be awakened by someone coming in your bedroom window.

The picture is one frame from a P&S camera video but it should shed some light on night time muzzle flash.

[Strafer Gott]

A .357 mag is like a twofer. You get a smoking projectile, and a flashbang.
Unfortunately, you have to eat the flashbang!

[Doug S]

No offense, but that is an ignorant statement.

Quote:
and no I don't think my 357 is oh so much louder than any of the other defensive guns I might use.

the 357 is almost twice as loud as a .45acp and louder than a 30-06 w/ an 18" barrel. Could you be anymore wrong?

Maybe I should have just kept it simple and said what I was really thinking...if someone is trying to kill you, how loud your 357mag is, just really isn't your problem. The better question is, if someone is trying to kill you, what works best at stopping that someone? If 357mag is what a person has to stop that someone, use it. How's that for simple logic?

[Eagleks]

I can't believe the things people are saying.....

1. If they are worried about their hearing, they are assuming they will win the gunfight over the BG ..... if the BG wins, you wont' have to worry about your hearing.

2. You probably won't even remember hearing it.

3. It wont' damage your ears ..... if you aren't doing it all of the time.

4. The flash and noise, is a positive to me ..... as it disorients and distracts the BG, giving me another advantage. Gives him another reason to turn and run.

5. Shoot what you are good at, will do the job, and allow you to be still alive to make the call to 911 and to your attorney.

Anything else, is just a distraction from the goal that you want to be able to accomplish, stopping a threat and surviving first. All else is secondary.

[iamdb]

I don't think anyone implied it won't work. What some of us are saying is, we have first hand knowledge of the question asked. There are much better choices for inside work. And, yes excessive muzzle blast can and will affect follow up shots. Conjecture has no ground to stand on here. Hd is best suited for low pressure rounds.

3. It wont' damage your ears ..... if you aren't doing it all of the time.

Thanks for the lesson doc, but there seems to be some dissent by your colleagues.

Dr. William Clark, Ph.D. senior research scientist in charge of the NOISE LABORATORY at the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis, the damage caused by one shot from a .357 magnum pistol, is more than sufficient to cause sudden hearing loss with complications.

If it's all you have, so be it. But it's possible the blast will affect your shooting negatively. There are much more appropriate choices out there.