I have an SP101 in a 3-inch barrel. I'm a bit concerned about the temporary loss of night vision and hearing if I ever have to use a .357 caliber magnum load in it during a self-defense situation at night. Is there a good .357 Magnum factory load that can be used that does not give up much power but has less flash and noise?
Is there a good light-flash, light-noise .357 caliber load?
- Thread starter Pinger
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There may be different 357 ammo that you could tell a difference in flash and blast with testing equipment, but with your eyes and ears they are all going to be BRIGHT AND LOUD. Going to 38 Sp would help a small amount, but firing inside at night it is still loud. But in a self defense situtation I would not be worring about flash or noise.
ra
ra
contender
Ruger Guru
Due to a revolver's design and the Sp's size,, you will not get away w/o some flash,, nor the noise. Especially indoors & if it were dark.
Here's a few thoughts; Get a good quality flashlight to accompany the firearm. That way,, you can both blind an attacker, (hopefully) and more importantly identify your target before you fire. Total darkness will cause momentary flash blindness,,, but are you SURE of your target? Another thought is to train to be able to shoot while holding your firearm along your side,, slightly in front of you,, using both hands, so as to NOT place your off hand in front of the muzzle. Plus,, if the firearm is close to you,, and not stuck out in front of you,, there is a lesser chance of an attacker grabbing it & taking it away from you. If you choose to use the "low firing SD stance," one handed,, you can keep your flashlight up alongside your head to keep your hand away from the muzzle,, and control where your light is going.
In short,, you are not going to find ammo that would do the things you request,, AND be an effective man stopper. It is better to train for SD tactics to make the outcome of an assault in your favor.
Here's a few thoughts; Get a good quality flashlight to accompany the firearm. That way,, you can both blind an attacker, (hopefully) and more importantly identify your target before you fire. Total darkness will cause momentary flash blindness,,, but are you SURE of your target? Another thought is to train to be able to shoot while holding your firearm along your side,, slightly in front of you,, using both hands, so as to NOT place your off hand in front of the muzzle. Plus,, if the firearm is close to you,, and not stuck out in front of you,, there is a lesser chance of an attacker grabbing it & taking it away from you. If you choose to use the "low firing SD stance," one handed,, you can keep your flashlight up alongside your head to keep your hand away from the muzzle,, and control where your light is going.
In short,, you are not going to find ammo that would do the things you request,, AND be an effective man stopper. It is better to train for SD tactics to make the outcome of an assault in your favor.
GP100man
Buckeye
Even a 22 is loud inside !!!!
I handload 357 (I know , ya supposed to use factory) with 800x powder down to 1,000 fps or so , very low flash & just a little louder than 38spc., which is still loud !!!
For factory loadings you`ll probably have to drop back to 38 loadings, which with todays bullet technology & loadings makes the 38spc. a very viable choice for HD/SD !
I was typing the same time as contender was & he hit on some very good HD/SD basics!! Good flashlite is a must & IDing your target & hopefully considering what`s beyond .
I handload 357 (I know , ya supposed to use factory) with 800x powder down to 1,000 fps or so , very low flash & just a little louder than 38spc., which is still loud !!!
For factory loadings you`ll probably have to drop back to 38 loadings, which with todays bullet technology & loadings makes the 38spc. a very viable choice for HD/SD !
I was typing the same time as contender was & he hit on some very good HD/SD basics!! Good flashlite is a must & IDing your target & hopefully considering what`s beyond .
Jimbo357mag
Hawkeye
No, but most ammo manufactures with a personal defense line will claim that they use a low flash powder. The 38special+P self-defense ammo is your best choice for low flash and noise. IMHO. 
...Jimbo
...Jimbo
Leucoandro
Single-Sixer
You could go for Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel
http://www.speer-ammo.com/ballistics/de ... adNo=23917
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?p ... ber=121256
It is really just a 38 spl load in a 357 case. (357 in name only).
Charlie
http://www.speer-ammo.com/ballistics/de ... adNo=23917
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?p ... ber=121256
It is really just a 38 spl load in a 357 case. (357 in name only).
Charlie
You're talking about a high velocity cartridge which was originaly meant to be used by hunters and police in a heavy, long-barreled 6-gun. About the only way I know to launch a full-powered .357 with enough "less flash and noise" to matter is to trade that 3" pocket pistol in on a Marlin or Rossi levergun.
That's all I know about that.
DGW
That's all I know about that.
DGW
batmann
Single-Sixer
I've had the best results with the Cor-Bon 125 gr HP.
WESHOOT2
Hunter
Winchester, Remington, Federal, Speer, and others all use powders designed to provide some of that 'other stuff' you seek, so start there.....
WESHOOT2":2ndzkawv said:
+1 for WESHOOT2
Most of the major ammo companies make some CCW ammo, with low flash powder, but I don't know about the noise levels. I wouldn't use full power .357 ammo for CCW anyway. Besides the flash, and noise, the chance of a .357 going clean through somebody, and taking out an innocent spectator, in the Walmart parking lot, isn't worth the trouble. I don't expect to be in any gang shootouts. .38 Sp. +P should be sufficient for anything close to 'normal' self defense. We can all dream up, 'what if' scenario's, but most of us will never be called on to defend against a small army of well trained Spec. Ops. troops, let alone the odds of even needing to draw your gun.
EarlFH
maxpress
Buckeye
i dont think anything will make someone exit your house better than a 3 foot by 2 foot fireball coming out of the end of a revolver.
cheaper than dirt used to sell ammo from a company that speacialized in low flash high power ammo and it came in a pretty plain brown cardboard box. havnt looked at a catalog since they became the most expensive so i dont know if they still carry it.
cheaper than dirt used to sell ammo from a company that speacialized in low flash high power ammo and it came in a pretty plain brown cardboard box. havnt looked at a catalog since they became the most expensive so i dont know if they still carry it.
We've had this discussion before about noise. Looked it up once, and a .357 is ~10db louder than a subsonic round such as .45 Colt or .44 Special. That is a huge difference ... if you 'plan' on living through the experience and want to keep some of your hearing. That's why I go with the subsonic round. I still think a 'big' slow (800fps is slow?) bullet will take down an attacker just as efficiently as a zipping tiny bullet..... You are not looking for 150 Yard shots here either... so flat shooting isn't a concern
. My two cents....Pal Val
Buckeye
Never mind hearing a loud bang or losing your night vision for a while. Worry about stopping the threat. Let the EMT take care of your headache after they pick up the dead burglar.
I have an SP191 ready to go for home defense. The only .357 mags I don't load in it are my heavy hunting loads.
I have an SP191 ready to go for home defense. The only .357 mags I don't load in it are my heavy hunting loads.
Pal Val":194lhf62 said:
Excellent plan...but tell me....what do you think happens if the first shot from that magnum pocket gun misses or aint enough or if there's more than one bad guy, only now you can't see nor hear no more?
I'll tell ya what happens.....you'll find yourself deaf, blind, afraid, and thinking "dern, I wish that I could see....or at least still hear".
Just something to chew on.
DGW
Pal Val
Buckeye
Life is full of chances. I figure I'll take mine. At least, I can say I'm better at shooting than at typing. My "SP191" typo is proof. Anyway, I know of only one gun that has no flash or bang, and I'm not ready to use a speargun for home defense.
One of the reasons urban police forces stick with the 9mm is the low flash&bang. Problem is that they usually need 3 or 4 hits to stop a threat.
One of the reasons urban police forces stick with the 9mm is the low flash&bang. Problem is that they usually need 3 or 4 hits to stop a threat.
maxpress
Buckeye
at least everybody in the room is in the same situation. its not really funny but i think it would be comical in a movie. i can just picture a bunch of blind deaf guys with concusion shock trying to figure out how to get the upper hand. lol
Leucoandro
Single-Sixer
I think that flash blindness is over rated. I have shot more than a couple 357 rounds out of my SP101 over the years durring the early night hours. What I found that I was able to put 5 rounds into a pie plate at 15 yards in 4-5 seconds.
In nice daylight conditions I can put 5 rounds into an 8" circle in under 3 seconds.
I never noticed any flash blindness or night blindness when shooting at night, and I probibly shoot 25-45 times durring night training.
With night shooting, I always maintained enough vision to make out a human target to shoot it.
In a night shooting senario at home, I will be taking my surfire with me. If I am adjusted to that light, and the BG is not, he will be disoriented, not me. Remember, it is also home turf. Shining a light on a person will also aid in identification before I shoot. (I do not want to shoot at silhouettes in my house. It could be a family member, my dog, or even a coat rack.
In a night shooting senario on the street, I suspect that I will not have a light nor will I have time to employ it. I will be in a situation where a person is coming towards me that I know is intent on causing me harm. Also, chances are that I will be in a location with some form of lighting (street lamps?), so any impacts from handgun flash would negated by lighting in the region.
As to noise from the 357 (or just about any round), in an enclosed location, yes you will notice it, but not until after your adrenoline has settled down. In an open area, you will notice it, but not as much.
I would suggest that people talking about flash blindness actually try shooting at night to see what impact it has on vision. I have tried it out, never noticed the impact at self defense ranges myself.
Charlie
In nice daylight conditions I can put 5 rounds into an 8" circle in under 3 seconds.
I never noticed any flash blindness or night blindness when shooting at night, and I probibly shoot 25-45 times durring night training.
With night shooting, I always maintained enough vision to make out a human target to shoot it.
In a night shooting senario at home, I will be taking my surfire with me. If I am adjusted to that light, and the BG is not, he will be disoriented, not me. Remember, it is also home turf. Shining a light on a person will also aid in identification before I shoot. (I do not want to shoot at silhouettes in my house. It could be a family member, my dog, or even a coat rack.
In a night shooting senario on the street, I suspect that I will not have a light nor will I have time to employ it. I will be in a situation where a person is coming towards me that I know is intent on causing me harm. Also, chances are that I will be in a location with some form of lighting (street lamps?), so any impacts from handgun flash would negated by lighting in the region.
As to noise from the 357 (or just about any round), in an enclosed location, yes you will notice it, but not until after your adrenoline has settled down. In an open area, you will notice it, but not as much.
I would suggest that people talking about flash blindness actually try shooting at night to see what impact it has on vision. I have tried it out, never noticed the impact at self defense ranges myself.
Charlie
Leucoandro
Single-Sixer
maxpress":geoepajj said:
It is a handgun going off in an enclosed space, not a concussion grenade.
When I was stupider and 21, I put 40 rounds down the pipe of my SP101 in short order in a very small enclosed space, without hearing protection. I did not suffer any concussion shock or disorentation from the firearm.
I do have a ringing in my left ear to this day some 10 years later though. As I said I was younger and stupider.
Charlie
patcannon
Single-Sixer
My theory is, the effect on me of the flash and bang is going to be insignificant compared to the effect on the other guy.
Well, except for the permanent hearing loss (since he's dead). I admit I'm seriously thinking about switching to a .44 or a .45 ACP or something for at home for that reason.
Well, except for the permanent hearing loss (since he's dead). I admit I'm seriously thinking about switching to a .44 or a .45 ACP or something for at home for that reason.
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