Home Defense, 9mm vs 38special

[rodblder]

I have Glock 9mm pistols and S&W revolvers.
I don't hear much about many folks using the 38 for home defense, many more seem to use their 9mm(only comparing these 2)

I realize I have 10 rounds in my Glocks and ONLY 8 rounds in my S&W. But the 38 sp round is much bigger than the 9mm.

Which has more stopping power? I'm assuming defense rounds for both.

thx

[PoorRichRichard]

Not sure, but I use both.

[sigmanx]

I have Glock 9mm pistols and S&W revolvers.
I don't hear much about many folks using the 38 for home defense, many more seem to use their 9mm(only comparing these 2)

I realize I have 10 rounds in my Glocks and ONLY 8 rounds in my S&W. But the 38 sp round is much bigger than the 9mm.

Which has more stopping power? I'm assuming defense rounds for both.

thx

Generally speaking 9mm has more muzzle energy. That's about the best comparison I can make.

Sent from my 2PQ93 using Tapatalk

[sealocan]

Even once you consider different bullet designs you can have with only a revolver or any possible reduction in velocity you get through the cylinder gap loss, you still have to consider the biggest factor in my opinion ...


which gun do you shoot the best, quickly.

Next time you're at the range do some jumping jacks and then pick up both handguns and do some quick point shooting / instinctive style shooting and then decide which might work better in an hurried emergency situation for you.

[Joezamboni]

I have the same dilemma, it boiled down to this for me.

Federal HST 147g +p muzzle energy=360lbs
Remington HTP 158g 38 Special +p LHSWC=278lbs
Buffalo Bore 158 38 Special +p =351lbs and very difficult to get

The diameter is the same and the HST has much better expansion and operates at a better power factor than the easy to find Remington ammo and not much worse than the hard to find and very expensive Buffalo Bore.

I'm also better with my shield than my LCR and while heavier the shield is narrower, is less obtrusive in the waistband, faster follow up shots, more capacity and has nicer sights.

Full size to full size though I would still go with the semi auto 9MM.

[Jimmy's]

2 pigs in a blanket.

[artb]

Funny.
I have a Glock 9mm and an 8 round Ruger revolver loaded with .38 Special plus other revolvers for home defense.
The one I grab first will be the one I use. ...

[EMR]

I had this same question myself a few months ago. I found this website with interesting information: http://www.ballistics101.com/9mm_vs_.38special.php

9mm has higher pressures and muzzle velocities across the board. Since your original question only addresses caliber comparison, the 9mm has a slight advantage overall. But the .38 does come in a heavier grain.

I'll save the auto-loaded vs revolver argument for a different day.

[Win231]

I have Glock 9mm pistols and S&W revolvers.
I don't hear much about many folks using the 38 for home defense, many more seem to use their 9mm(only comparing these 2)

I realize I have 10 rounds in my Glocks and ONLY 8 rounds in my S&W. But the 38 sp round is much bigger than the 9mm.

Which has more stopping power? I'm assuming defense rounds for both.

thx

The 38 Spl. round is not "much bigger" than the 9mm. The brass case is longer, which makes the cartridge appear more powerful but the bullet is only two thousandths of an inch larger in diameter -
.357 for the 38 Spl. .355 for the 9mm. (For comparison, a sheet of paper is four thousandths of an inch thick.)

The 9mm is more powerful because of the difference in velocity.

[baih777]

Most people can reload the 9mm faster.
9mm is cheaper to practice with.

[bounty1]

one or the other long as you can dot the eye with it...

[jeremiah12]

I realize I have 10 rounds in my Glocks and ONLY 8 rounds in my S&W. But the 38 sp round is much bigger than the 9mm.

The diameter of the .38 special bullet is 0.357 in and the diameter of the 9 mm bullet is 0.355 in.

I would not say the 38 sp round is much bigger than the 9 mm.

The hottest Underwood 9 mm hollow point is rated at 465 ft/lbs while the hottest Underwood .38 special hollow point is rated at 400 ft/lbs. That gives a slight edge to the 9 mm, depending on your view.

Both have a proven track record for SD so either will work. It comes down to a preference of revolver or semi-auto.

Learning that Ruger makes an 8 round revolver in .38 sp has peaked my interest in revolvers for SD in CA. It is close enough to the 10 round mag limit imposed on us. When outside of CA, I have pocket carried my G42 with a Ghost +2 mag extension giving me 8+1.

[ChuckDizzle]

I think he meant "bigger" by a longer case length.

OP .38 spc was designed right at the end of the black powder era and as such was never designed to withstand the chamber pressures that would be present if the shell was fully loaded with modern smokeless powder. So it has extra case length for no real purpose today.

[doggie]

One in the head from either one will give the same result.

[MrOrange]

2 pigs in a blanket.

Aye, a.k.a. six of one, half dozen of the other. In real world factory loadings, in real world actual shootings, there isn't a whit of difference between the two.

For hardcore reloaders, you can get the .38 up to .357 Magnum levels (after all, that's how the .357 got bornt), but even in that case I sure wouldn't want to use it in self-defense, for legal reasons.

Then there are the 9mm +P+ loads which are more than enough for defensive use, and available OTC.

Hate to admit it, but the 9mm is basically a more modern, practical, and efficient equivalent of the .38 Spl.

Come to think of it, it's more like six of one, ten plus one of the other!