Talk me out of this?

[fightingquaker13]

Use it until you get your hands one something better. But I'd look around for an inexpensive .38 Spl. or .357 mag. snubbie. Though nowdays you may have trouble finding one for $250 (Remember everybody's prices on guns have gone up.).

True, but you can get a keltec P-11 for $190 in 9mm on Gunbroker. Not my favorite gun, but it works, is accurate enough, and plenty of non-reloaded high quality SD ammo. Plus a slimer profile than any snubby. The point is, deals are out there.
FQ13

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=166523550

[ellis4538]

Reloades in a DH are seen to be a NO, NO.  Hard to defend in court.

FWIW

Richard

[tombogan03884]

My first solid objection is where will you find ammo, or components such as cases, (and primers for that matter ).
What I mean is, even if they are in the product line of a company , are they actually on the shelf some where where YOU can buy them ? Look at how spotty .380 and 44 special  are, or primers.

[ellis4538]

Probably get brass at Starline.  Primers are out there.  Zero bullets can be ordered at Roze Dist.  But reloads fro PD are still a legal No No.

Richard

[Ulmus]

I had a Kel Tec P-11 and while it fit my hand perfectly, the triiger was so stiff that I kept missing the 8" target at 5 yards where as I could get groups with the Colt.  It was very frustrating because the P-11 was going to be my "all around" defense gun.  Now my S&W is my "house gun".

That stinks about reloads being percieved as "bad" in court.  You'd think that a decent defense lawyer would be able to successfully argue that the reloads have less powder in them than factory .38 special rounds and that the bulltes themselves are the exact same ones that the factories use in their defensive rounds.

The reason why I don't want to go with a .32 or .327 is to try and avoid adding yet another caliber to the list.  (.22lr, .22 mag, .38 short colt,  .38 Special, .357 magnum, 380, 9 mill, and 30-30)  As you know the .38Special will fit in my .357 so I can use that as a sub at the range and when I finally get into reloading (one day) I can cut down the brass of the specials to short colt size.

Now the .38 snubbie seems like a good idea, but I'm not sold yet.  I like the "J-Frame" size, but I definitely want the barrel a tad longer.  (Blame Sherrif Jim Wilson and all his writings praising the 4" barrel as best for over-all use.)  I've also hear many writers say that the J-frame snubbie "hurts" to shoot.   (Massad Ayoob, Mike Venturino, and Michael Bane)  In Fact, Mr. Bane opined in one of his podcasts how he and many others had switched from J- Frames to Ruger's LCP for ease of carry and better recoil.

So having a .38 with less recoil, yet good bullet mass sounds good to me.  HAs anyone used "cowboy loads in their snubbie for self defense?  With 158 grains and a energy of 200 ft/sec it is a step up and would still allow for fast repeat shots due to less recoil.

[Sponsor]

[Walter45Auto]

A Steel framed J Frame isn't that bad with most loads (And Mine's a .357 Mag.). The only load I've shot in it that was painful were .357 Mag Winchester Silvertips, which were designed to hunt with. The Airweight/Ultralite/Aluminum framed guns are the painful ones to shoot. And S&W makes some of their J Frames with 2 & 1/2 or 3 inch barrels now. They even make the Model 60 (A Steel .357) with a 5 inch barrel.

[fightingquaker13]

As far as painful in a carry gun? Who cares? As long as its notso  bad you develop a flinch or have a hard time with followup, live with it. Its not a range toy. You're not going to firing that many rounds a session any way, once you go through the getting acclimitized period. Particularly a snubbie. Its an across the room gun. Practice is mostly going to be seven yards and a lot less. The plus of .38 or .357 is you can buy cowboy loads or load down.  My late lamented Bond Derringer in .357 was no fun with the magnums (well, it was fun, just uncomfortable. I never knew they made a flamethrower that small ), still I would only shoot about 10 .357 mags through it at a time. The rest were weak .38s. Just my .02. YMMV.
FQ13

[Walter45Auto]

.....As long as its notso  bad you develop a flinch or have a hard time with followup, live with it. ....Particularly a snubbie. Its an across the room gun.....

That's what I meant by painful. PAINFUL=FLINCH. You'd be surprised how accurate these things are at 25 yds though...... And THat's shooting DA.....

[tombogan03884]

Charter Arms  38/357's in 2" and 4" barrels.

http://www.charterfirearms.com/products/Charter_Mag_Pug_73540.html

[NS2]

Reloades in a DH are seen to be a NO, NO.  Hard to defend in court.

FWIW

Richard

Why?

Is there a precedent where a person was found to not be justified because the load was not from a factory?