38 Special vs 357: Key Differences Explained

By Wes Littlefield

Last Updated: Jul 27, 2026

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Wes Littlefield

Guns have fascinated Wes since pulling the trigger on his BB gun as a kid. He built a private gun range over a decade ago to keep his skills sharp. He loves breaking down complex ideas into understandable pieces for readers, with expertise in hunting and all aspects of shooting.

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If you quickly glance at 38 Special ammo and 357 Magnum ammo, you might not notice any differences and think they were the same round. Although they are close in overall length, the 38 Special and 357 Magnum are extremely different.

In this article, we’ll look at why 38 Special ammo can be fired in a 357 Mag firearm (but not the other way around), as well as compare the two rounds’ recoil, stopping power, self-defense viability, and cost.

Let's take a deeper dive into these two legendary revolver cartridges and discover what's so great about wheel guns!

What's the Difference Between 357 and 38?

The "38" in 38 Special comes from the diameter of its loaded case: .38 inches. Alternatively, the 357 Magnum is named after its bullet diameter, which is the more standard method of cartridge nomenclature.

A cartridge’s caliber often begins its name. Take the 45 ACP, for example, which fires a .45 caliber bullet, or the 40 Smith & Wesson (aka “.40 cal”).

Despite their different names, the 38 Special and 357 Mag both fire identical .357" diameter bullets.

(The 38 Special is frequently confused with the 38 S&W. See our 38 Special vs. 38 S&W comparison for the key differences between these distinct cartridges.)

The 38 Special and 357 Mag’s case dimensions are identical except in length. The 357 Magnum’s shell is 0.135” longer. That brings A LOT of new shooters to the question:

Can a 38 Special Revolver Fire 357 Magnum Rounds?

NO! You should NEVER fire a 357 Magnum round in a 38 Special revolver or carbine.

A 38 Special revolver is NOT rated to handle the higher pressure 357 Magnum produces. You can safely fire lower-pressure 38 Special in any 357 Magnum firearm, but the opposite is not true.

Which Is Right for You: Use-Case Comparison

38 Special vs. 357 Cartridge Spec Differences

Looking at the spec chart, you'll notice that the 357 Mag and the 38 Special are almost identical except for two major dimensions. The case length of the 357 Magnum is 1/8 of an inch longer and has a maximum pressure that is twice that of 38 Special. This is the reason that you should never fire a 357 Mag out of a 38 Special revolver because the chamber pressure of the 357 can cause a catastrophic failure that could damage the firearm and/or the shooter.

To prevent this from happening, Smith and Wesson elongated the 357 Magnum case so that it would not chamber in a 38 Special cylinder or in a 38 Special lever-action carbine.

As both cartridges headspace off the rim, you can load 38 Special into a 357 Magnum revolver without issue.

Recoil

The amount of recoil a shooter's wrists will have to endure will be dependent upon several criteria: handgun weight, muzzle velocity (FPS), and bullet weight.

As the 38 Special and 357 Mag fire the same bullet diameter, the bullet weight that each fires will be the same. Handgun weight is up to the personal choice of the shooter, as a lightweight Taurus 856 snubnose will have more felt recoil than a Smith and Wesson Model 629 6-inch barreled steel hunting revolver.

Therefore, the determining factor when it comes to recoil will be the muzzle velocity. And when it comes to being the King of FPS, the 357 Magnum takes the crown.

Modern 357 Magnum ammo is designed to fire a 158-grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1,235 FPS and a target-thumping 535 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. Compare that to the 38 Special, which fires the same bullet weight at 755 FPS and has a muzzle energy of 200 ft-lbs, which is less than a 45 ACP.

The ballistics numbers simply don't lie – 357 Magnum loads are high velocity and will have considerably more recoil than a 38 Special. Manufacturers like Remington and Hornady offer a wide range of 357 Magnum loads optimized for everything from target shooting to personal defense.

Because of this, many shooters opt to practice using the 38 Special cartridge as it has less recoil and is more comfortable to shoot, then load up for personal defense with jacketed hollow point (JHP) 357 Magnum rounds. For affordable practice ammo recommendations, see our guide to the best 38 Special ammo for target practice.

Recoil is felt hardest in a lightweight snubnose, where there is little gun mass to soak it up. If that's your carry revolver, our picks for the best 38 Special ammo for snubbies cover the loads that stay manageable out of a 2-inch barrel.

Stopping Power

Magtech 357 Magnum Ammo - 50 Rounds of 158 Grain SJHP Ammunition

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Shop 357 Magnum Ammo

Stopping power is always a subjective subject as it cannot be quantified. And if you want to talk about controversy, look no further than firearms forums and do a handgun caliber search. You'll find proponents of each caliber who are willing to come to digital blows to defend their favorite handgun cartridge.

However, when it comes to 357 Magnum vs 38 Special, the ballistics numbers tell the tale. Although it's not double, 357 Magnum loads simply outperform 38 Special in every category…and it does so by a country mile.

38 Special +P ammo does help close the gap, but even then, it's still not even close to coming to the raw, unadulterated power offered by the 357 Mag. The 357 simply has more muzzle velocity, energy, and better terminal ballistics compared to the 38 Special.

Does that mean the 38 Special is ineffective? Definitely not!

As mentioned before, 38 Special +P is an excellent personal defense round and it will stop the bad guy so long as you do your part.

However, the 357 Mag will just do it a bit better, so it gets the nod for stopping power.

Trajectory

Trajectory is not something that we often discuss when comparing handgun rounds. However, as the 357 Magnum can be used for longer-range shots, it's something that should be discussed. As the 357 Magnum has higher muzzle velocity, it has a flatter trajectory compared to 38 Special.

The high velocity allows the bullet to reach its target faster, reducing the amount of time gravity has to pull the projectile towards the earth. This makes 357 Magnum a potent hunting round.

Hunting

The 357 Magnum is an extremely capable hunting round, regardless of if it's fired from a revolver or a rifle.

It is more than powerful enough to take down a whitetail and even a black bear (though I'd prefer a 44 Magnum for this) with proper shot placement and bullet selection. If your state allows it, you can take your 357 Magnum revolver out into the woods for a different kind of whitetail hunt than you're used to.

As always, do your research on the ideal hunting round, as you want excellent penetration and expansion to ensure a clean kill.

Self-Defense and Concealed Carry

When it comes to carrying a concealed handgun for personal defense, there are many aspects to consider, including ease of carriage, accuracy, effective terminal ballistics (sorry, 22 LR), and reliability.

Many shooters rank those categories in different orders. However, I believe the most important thing you should prioritize is carrying a handgun that you will actually EDC consistently. Herein lies the problem many shooters don't like to discuss: the relationship between handgun weight and ease of concealed carry.

And trust me, I get it.

I'm sure there are some hardcore CCW permit holders out there who carry a medium to full-size revolver every day. If that’s you, I salute you. But it takes a lot of planning for your wardrobe and carry system to handle all that weight without printing when you bend over or sit down.

Although I believe the ideal choice would be to carry a 357 Magnum, it isn’t necessarily the better one. If you can't hit the broadside of a barn due to recoil anticipation, then a weaker round would serve you far better while your life’s on the line.

You need to be honest with yourself about your marksmanship and trigger discipline while firing 357 Mag vs. a 38 Special (or its more powerful variant, the 38 Special +P). If you are more accurate with the +P load – or don't have the skill to handle a full-power 357 Mag – then you should carry 38 Special +P with confidence.

For specific load recommendations in that role, see our guide to the best 38 Special ammo for self-defense.

For home defense, I thoroughly endorse using a 357 Magnum. When my family's life is threatened, I want as much power as I can handle to stop the threat as quickly as possible.

Some naysayers might contest that the 357 Magnum has a propensity to over-penetrate. This may be true with lead round nose (LRN), full metal jacket (FMJ), or semi-wadcutter (SWC) ammo. However, with premium hollow point ammo such as Winchester Defender, Remington Golden Saber, or Speer Gold Dot, you will significantly reduce (albeit not eliminate) the risk of over-penetration.

Cost and Availability

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When it comes to price, 38 Special is nearly always less expensive than 357 Mag.

357 Magnum ammo prices are about 50-75% higher (if not double) those of 38 Special.

This trend is consistent with handgun prices. Typically, 38 Special revolvers are about 50% cheaper because they have lighter construction (as the 38 is a lower-pressure round). In contrast, the high-pressure 357 Mag requires rigid construction and a stronger frame to handle its strong pressure and recoil.

Any revolver manufacturer should offer at least one model chambered for either cartridge. The 38 Special and 357 Mag are the two most popular revolver calibers. As such, you will not lack for options when it comes to handguns.

Smith and Wesson, Colt, and Ruger are two of the premier revolver manufacturers, and their prices reflect this heritage. For more budget-friendly revolvers, you can look to firearm companies like Taurus, EAA, and Charter Arms.

As for ammo, every manufacturer has multiple lines of 38 Special and 357 Magnum. You will not lack for options when it comes to factory loads for either cartridge.

Remember to check out our PMC 38 Special ammo and Fiocchi 38 Special ammo for more ammo options.

You can also shop by brand with our Federal 38 Special ammo and Winchester 38 Special ammo lineups, or stock up with bulk 38 Special ammo and bulk 357 Magnum ammo.

38 Special vs. 357 Ballistics

Our experts here at Ammo.com have compiled multiple manufacturers' ballistic data to share with you here.

As we've discussed in the article, the 357 Magnum outperforms the 38 Special in terms of ballistics in every category. However, it does this at the cost of significant recoil and higher pressure.

Let's look at those ballistic numbers and compare your favorite revolver loads!

38 Special Ballistics

Note: This information comes from ammo manufacturers. Actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from advertised ballistics. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load.

.357 Magnum Ballistics

Note: This information comes from ammo manufacturers. Actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from advertised ballistics. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load.

For a complete breakdown of how each factory load performs downrange, visit our guide to 357 Magnum ballistics. For load recommendations by use case, check out our guide to the best 357 Magnum ammo.

History of the 38 Special

As with many advancements in cartridge technology, the 38 Special cartridge was developed out of necessity.

In 1897, the American forces involved the Spanish-American War and subsequent Philippine-American War discovered that their 38 Long Colt revolvers were ineffective against the Philippine Moro warriors. The 38 Long Colt lacked the power to penetrate the hardened wood shields wielded by the Moro soldiers, and an order was sent to Smith & Wesson to develop a new, more powerful revolver cartridge.

Using the 38 Long Colt as the parent case, in 1898 Smith and Wesson introduced their new cartridge: the 38 Special. The 38 Special is also known as the 38 S&W Special, 38 Smith & Wesson Special, 38 Spl, 38 Spc, and internationally as 9x29mmR.

The 38 Spl is a rimmed, straight wall, centerfire handgun cartridge that was developed for high velocity (at the time) for increased penetration and stopping power. The original design utilized black powder as the propellant. However, within a year of introduction, manufacturers switched to smokeless powder.

The original 38 Special round was loaded with 21 grains of black powder (3 gr more than its predecessor) and offered a 100-150 FPS increase in muzzle velocity over the 38 Long Colt, giving soldiers the penetration needed from their Smith and Wesson M&P revolvers.

Since its introduction, the 38 Special has remained the most popular revolver cartridge around the world. Although the 38 Special was not the primary US sidearm cartridge for a long time, being replaced by the 45 ACP, the 38 Spl was issued to multiple military personnel during both World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam.

The 38 Spl was the standard issue sidearm cartridge for the majority of law enforcement departments in the US from the 1920s all the way into the 1990s.

Although the 38 Special is no longer in service for the military or police, it is still favored by numerous recreational and competitive shooters around the world. With its low recoil and versatility of bullet choices, the 38 Special is an ideal choice for target shooting, USPSA competition, and Cowboy Action shooting.

The switch to smokeless powder early in the 38 Special's life meant that there was a lot of unused space inside the cartridge, as smokeless powder requires less volume to achieve appropriate pressures. As a consequence, many reloaders and wildcatters would often push the limits of the 38 Special to see what they could come up with.

One such reloader was Elmer Keith, who developed the famed 357 Magnum from the 38 Special.

History of the 357 Magnum

Regarded as the Father of the Modern Magnum, Elmer Keith is credited with the development of the 357 Magnum, and later the 44 Magnum and the 41 Magnum.

Keith, in conjunction with Phillip Sharpe, worked on increasing the power of the 38 Special by dosing it with a bit more powder. To accommodate the increased powder charge, the 38 Special case was elongated by about 0.15", preventing it from chambering in a 38 Special revolver.

The resulting cartridge was submitted to Smith and Wesson in 1934, and thus the 357 Magnum was born.

The new cartridge was primarily marketed to law enforcement who needed a more powerful handgun round to combat bootleggers and the mafia. Criminals of the Prohibition Era were wearing early ballistic vests and using cars for cover, and the 38 Special was simply not enough to defeat these defenses. However, the new 357 Magnum offered the penetration police needed to defeat these threats.

Seeing its effectiveness, almost every police department across the United States switched to the 357 Magnum until the onset of the reliable polymer-framed semi-automatic handguns in the 1990s. In the civilian market, the 357 has remained popular for self-defense and target shooting. It has also established itself as a viable hunting round for whitetail and black bear with proper loadings.

Final Shots: .357 Magnum vs 38 Special

When it comes to personal defense, it is hard to beat the 38 Special or 357 Magnum. 38 Special ammo, especially the +P variety, is well known for its low recoil and has a distinguished track record as being a superb self-defense round. Revolvers chambered in 38 Special are relatively inexpensive, and ammo is plentiful in a variety of loadings to suit your shooting needs.

But if you want pure strength and power, the high-velocity and higher-pressure 357 Magnum is the handgun caliber for you. Known for its incredible stopping power, the 357 Magnum has proven to be a potent personal defense round that can handle most any two- or four-legged threat you might encounter in the wild. However, all this power comes at the cost of considerably higher recoil and monetary cost to the shooter.

Understanding what you can handle in your EDC handgun is a deeply personal decision and one that you need to be honest with yourself about. You should not feel undergunned if you opt for 38 Special +P, nor should you feel obligated to carry 357 Magnum if you don't feel you can handle the higher pressure and recoil. Many shooters also evaluate 38 Special vs 380 ACP when choosing their EDC cartridge, as the 380 offers even lower recoil in more compact semi-automatic platforms.

Purchasing a 357 Magnum revolver offers shooters the most versatility, as you can shoot both 357 Mag and 38 Spl from it. However, if you purchase a revolver chambered in 38 Special +P, you are limited to that ammo type as it cannot handle the higher pressure of the 357 Magnum.

When it comes to picking a handgun caliber, knowing what you shoot best is the most important aspect of the choice. Therefore, it's high time you got out to the range and found out, as neither the 38 Special nor the 357 Magnum will let you down in any self-defense situation.

The 357 Magnum is not the only cartridge the 38 Special gets compared to. Our 38 Special vs. 38 Super comparison covers another pairing that shares the 38 name.

Written by

Wes Littlefield