Eight of Nine or Five of 357 (harder to decide than you might think)

[TXDMERC73]

ill take 5 of .357 magnum over any amount of 9 anyday, .357 magnum is the ultimate stopping power!

LCR .357 magnum the best concealed carry snubby ever devised!

[Hawk]

ill take 5 of .357 magnum over any amount of 9 anyday, .357 magnum is the ultimate stopping power!

Not out of a 2" barrel. Check the ballistics compared to 9MM. http://ballisticsbytheinch.com/

[Glockman]

My research shows that the 100 grain Corbon PowrBall load is one of the best from from a short barreled 9mm. That's what sleeps in my LC9 and Glock 19.

[psweigle]

My vote is for the 357, a revolver is much more reliable. If weight are equal, the only down side to a revolver is width.

[psweigle]

Not out of a 2" barrel. Check the ballistics compared to 9MM. http://ballisticsbytheinch.com/

Hawk, I too use this sight for a starting point, however, I've noticed that over the years, a lot of times, my chrony reading and the ones they list are a good bit off, especially for 357 magnum. I would have to disagree with you on this. However, a 125 grain Buffalo Bore shot from a 2" 357 magnum is actually faster than any 357 ammo I've tested. I was very surprised with the results myself.

[eatmydust]

Both are good choices, however, I choose to carry the 9 rounds of 9x19 in my shield. Nine rounds of any Hornady XTP or FTX, or Federal HST are potent medicine for 2-legged varmints and dogs. I choose the capacity, thinness, and light weight of the Shield9 over my S&W model 60, 9 times out of 10. On the hottest, most humid days, I will sometimes carry the .357 with a speed strip backup.

[Gunsnwater]

If you were to look solely at the ballistics of the LC9s (3" barrel) in 9MM and the S&W 649 (2" barrel) loaded with .357, you'd see that the 357 comes up significantly less than the 9MM in both velocity and muzzle energy.
The felt recoil is another factor. I suspect the the LC9s having significantly less than the S&W 649 shooting .357. Because of this and the extra rounds in the LC9s (from my perspective) the LC9s wins hands down.

The 357 doesn't really shine until you use a 4" barrel.

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/9luger.html

Hawk is right. I would only add the G30s is what you should have bought.

[forby]

Of course, due to a semi auto 3 inch barrel being closer to 2 inches, the velocity for the Federal 124 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP would likely be closer to 1074FPS while the 357 mag in a true 2 inch barrel being closer to 949FPS. Best advice would be to get a 3 inch revolver if you want matched velocity to 9mm.

Reliability is another issue. reliability under stress is another. My perfectly reliable Sig 1911 C3 stove piped the other day. My revolver has surprisingly never done that.

As I get older(52 on Saturday), I am feeling as well protected with a revolver as I was with a 10 round semi. I'm moving to a SW 686 Plus 7 shot 3 inch gun. Who knows... maybe a cap and ball will be next.

[Fudmottin]

A Scandium 686 would be very nice. Plus sized for the seventh round. 3" uncompensated barrel. I could dig that. Weight is a bit more of an issue for me than size. Although even an L frame is starting to get large. It's too bad the J-Frame doesn't come with a 3" barrel variant. It sure would look odd, but that extra inch would nearly double the energy in a .357 Magnum round.

[RLS]

A Scandium 686 would be very nice. Plus sized for the seventh round. 3" uncompensated barrel. I could dig that. Weight is a bit more of an issue for me than size. Although even an L frame is starting to get large. It's too bad the J-Frame doesn't come with a 3" barrel variant. It sure would look odd, but that extra inch would nearly double the energy in a .357 Magnum round.

There are 3" barrel J-Frame .357 Magnums cataloged by S&W on their website.
https://www.smith-wesson.com/revolvers



Rick