.327 Mag, or .38 Spl?

As a child, my wife broke both of her wrists. As a result, she does not handle recoil well. Currently, she is carrying a .22 semi-auto for self defense. We want to upgrade her to something more powerful. I'm leaning toward an SP101 in either .327 Mag, or .38 Special. 357 Mag is not an option, due to recoil.


What do you think?

I would go 357 and use 38s. Not a fan of the newer Rugers, though.

Usually I would say .327 over .38 but in this specific case I have to agree with BearBio. Get the .357 in 3" or 4" (for the extra weight and performance over the snubby .38) and then shoot .38s from it. +P if she can tolerate them. .38s from a 3" SP-101 are very easy on the hands.

Also, while I love the ballistics of the .327 for hand loading, the factory offerings are pretty sparse and for some of them recoil is still pretty nasty. And then, you can find .38 and, in an emergency, .357 ammo just about anywhere while .327 is not stocked as commonly.

Either will work.

The .38 Special there would be more factory ammo available. Can use the 125g bullets instead of the 158g to reduce recoil. Been a standard for SD for years and most people can handle the recoil.

Now, the .327 can also shoot, .32 H&R Magnum cartridges which are much like shooting the .22, but with a bigger heavier bullet (100g vs 40g). Not that much more recoil than a .22. Personally, I'd stay away from the .327 cartridge for this purpose.... The only problem is if you don't reload, ammo (.32 H&R and .327) isn't as available as the .38 Special. My .32s are both Single Actions (baby Vaquero and Single Seven).

Your call.

I could be wrong, but the SP101 in .38 Special might be a little cheaper to buy, as well. My chances of finding a used .327 are slimmer than finding a used .38 special.

What would be wrong with a LC9s Pro?

Recoil is low, trigger pull would be less than almost any DA revolver, and plenty of ammo available that will get the job done every bit as well as either of the above.

With the Hornady 115 gr. Critical defense ammo, I am getting an average of 1025 velocity at 12 ft. 8)

We like revolvers?

Huhwhat? said:

We like revolvers?

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As did I----in the past. But I find the lC9s to be easier to pack than the 642 and the ballistics are on a par with the .38 Sp.

My wife thinks the SP101 is pretty. She thinks the LC9 is ugly. If I buy it, she will hate it, and not carry it.


'Nuff said.

I see where you are at on that.

So...buy the SP101 and after about a month when she complains about the weight, then buy the LC9s... :lol:

And she will still hate it, and not want it. You don't know my wife.


On top of which the weight isn't all that much different - 17oz. vs. 26 oz., and the extra weight will help with recoil, which is the issue with my wife.

Huhwhat? said:

And she will still hate it, and not want it. You don't know my wife.


On top of which the weight isn't all that much different - 17oz. vs. 26 oz., and the extra weight will help with recoil, which is the issue with my wife.

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Maybe you could have it nickel plated or something.... :?:

Or get one with a pink frame.. :lol:

No thanks. Not in the market for an LC9 now, or in the foreseeable future.

An SP101 38 or 357 loaded with .38 special target wadcutters would be a good choice. My picks would be the SP101 with the excellent Novak sights or the 4.2" with the adjustable sights.

As far as which round is better just times the bullet weight by speed.
Flexibility of ammo goes to the .38 from 100gr at 700fps to 158gr +p at around 1000
Availability of ammo goes to the .38 (I have only seen a few boxes of .327)
.38 is cheap while .327 went for $20/20 when I saw it.
No idea how .327 recoils.
The 'FBI load' has a good track record. Havnt seen any stats on the .327.
You get an extra round with the .327

Get the SP 101, shoot .38 specials and don't look back.

327 Fed. Just my choice.

I will join those saying get the .357 SP101 and just use 38's in it. There's little advantage to a .38 only SP101 these days.

To those talking about carry weight... I am aware of the numerical difference between a fully loaded .357 SP101 and something the size of an LC9s. I have a Shield 9mm which is very close in weight. Carry weight on the hip results in very little felt difference. The real difference is how much easier the Shield fits into an iwb holster.

If the wife is dead set on not getting a semi auto, then a revolver she will carry is better. A gun she will practice with is also better.

I have both .38 and .327 in the Sp101 revolver. Recoil is about the same, probably a little sharper in the .327, which is definitely louder. Ammo might not be as easy to find in .327.

Rpger30 said:

...Carry weight on the hip results in very little felt difference. The real difference is how much easier the Shield fits into an iwb holster.
...

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+1000 - this is overlooked far too often. For concealed carry you want the firearm "high and tight" and with a properly designed IWB holster and a decent belt the weight of the weapon becomes a non-issue even for the petite (which I am decidedly not LOL).

I carry a Glock 26 and an SP-101 depending on whether I am on the bike or not. I've had people who carry a G26 say things like "isn't the revolver really heavy?" That's when I have to 'splain that with a loaded magazine the Glock is within less than an ounce of my loaded 3" SP-101...and a snubby would actually be lighter than the Glock!

I previously carried an LC9s. While it was definitely easier to carry from a "doesn't print" standpoint, the fact that it was lighter than either of my current carry guns didn't really have much bearing.

Open carry can be another matter. Weight becomes far more noticeable when the weapon is carried lower and further from the body. The same is true if you are doing pocket carry.