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Thread: .357 vs 9mm

  1. #1
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    Default .357 vs 9mm

    For stopping power how does a .357 stack up to a 9mm? Discuss...

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    Default Re: .357 vs 9mm

    357 is the power round ,but as far as stopping power goes, well I dont subscribe to that theory personally

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    Default Re: .357 vs 9mm

    yeah, i've never been able to figure out just what stopping power is either...

    ...but, whatever it is, .357mag and .357sig both have more of it than 9mm.

    (i carry a 9mm, btw).

    .357 mag is more comparable to 10mm than 9mm.

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    Default Re: .357 vs 9mm

    There's a guy on the S&W forums that has this as his sig line:

    "Shot-placement is king. Adequate penetration is queen. Everything else is angels dancing on the heads of pins."

    There's a lot of truth in it.

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    Default Re: .357 vs 9mm

    Academically the .357. In the real world...well I would have to say it depends on the shooter.
    FUCK BIDEN

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    Talking Re: .357 vs 9mm

    I can stack .357 and 9mm about 20 levels high then they all come crashing down.
    "Having a gun and thinking you are armed is like having a piano and thinking you are a musician" Col. Jeff Cooper (U.S.M.C. Ret.)
    Speed is fine, Accuracy is final


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    Default Re: .357 vs 9mm

    9MM measures .354 in inches so there is a .003 difference. for reference a human hair is .004 on an inch.

    Damage Control
    Last edited by Damage control; December 10th, 2007 at 09:56 AM.

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    Default Re: .357 vs 9mm

    It is my understanding that all service calibers work "about" the same. Some slightly better than others but not enough for it to TRULY matter. As far as the .357 vs 9mm argument goes, you are dealing with two almost identically sized bullets. The difference is the .357 moves faster. In my opinion if 9mm has more than adequate penetration than .357 is bordering on over penetration. With that said I own and shoot both, but stick with 9mm for range and carry for the most part.

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    Default Re: .357 vs 9mm

    Quote Originally Posted by Log9mm View Post
    It is my understanding that all service calibers work "about" the same. Some slightly better than others but not enough for it to TRULY matter. As far as the .357 vs 9mm argument goes, you are dealing with two almost identically sized bullets. The difference is the .357 moves faster. In my opinion if 9mm has more than adequate penetration than .357 is bordering on over penetration. With that said I own and shoot both, but stick with 9mm for range and carry for the most part.
    Do you happen to know the comparative "average" velocities?

    This whole "caliber" thing is something on my mind from time to time.

    I carry a 9mm.

    From what you are saying here, a 9mm JHP that penetrates and expands won't do any less than a .357 that does the same? (but the .357 may leave an exit wound where the 9mm might not?).

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    Default Re: .357 vs 9mm

    Quote Originally Posted by Philadelphia View Post
    Do you happen to know the comparative "average" velocities?

    This whole "caliber" thing is something on my mind from time to time.

    I carry a 9mm.

    From what you are saying here, a 9mm JHP that penetrates and expands won't do any less than a .357 that does the same? (but the .357 may leave an exit wound where the 9mm might not?).
    It's going to turn more on bullet construction and where you hit the target. Your standard 125 gr. JHP .357 Magnum doing 1400+ fps out of a 6" revolver will very likely frag and not exit on a cross torso shot. This is part of what led Fackler to conclude that the foregoing load wasn't effective, despite conclusions reached by other researchers.

    A 127 gr. Winchester Ranger 9mm +p+ or a 124 gr. Gold Dot +p at around 1200 fps will actually out penetrate (in gelatin, at least) the classic 125 gr. JHP .357 load, because they mushroom, don't frag, and continue penetrating.

    And I don't even want to touch the "temporary" v. "permanent" cavity or energy dump stuff. But if those are real, I can't see how the .357 wouldn't have an advantage.

    Anyway, all I know is that it's close enough that I'd rather have 15 rounds of 9mm than 5 or 6 of .357 Mag. And, more importantly, when I shot only tuned-up revolvers, I got pretty damn good with them. But I never could shoot as fast or accurately with a revolver as I could with a box stock Glock or 1911. The heavy trigger pull, combined with a high bore axis, and non-reciprocating action (to lower felt recoil) kept me from hitting the same level of performance.
    Last edited by Rule10b5; December 10th, 2007 at 12:02 PM.
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