.38spl S&W vs. .38 Taurus.

Opinions? Anyone happen to own either gun?

Or screw it all and get a .45?

I shot a .38 special a few times. Gotta be honest, never shot a .38 taurus before. i can probably figure out what the caliber is but never even heard of it. did taurus make a revolver in something other than .38 or .38 special?? do you have an inside track on a revolver that will shoot the .38 taurus at a good price??

if not, just stick with the .38.

to be honest though the .38 is old technology. u can easily get a 9mm for a similar price and get better ballistic results. i wouldn't screw it all and get a .45 because you are talking about extreme ends of the spectrum. there's a lot of top of the line sizes in between the two u asked about.

the 9mm is top of the line.
the .40 cal is top of the line.
the .45 cal is top of the line.

what is your goal here. semi-auto? revolver? male or female carry? nightstand protection?

anyway, i carry a .45 acp and leave a 9mm on my nightstand next to my 12 gauge shotgun. i also leave a .45 acp near my 9mm while i sleep.

what's your goal here cuz i can help u better if i know what your looking for.

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Hey Roddy, thanks for being of such help.

I've tried a few different kinds at the local range, but since they're a bit pricey when renting, I'd like to go in there with specific models in mind this time. I get sidetracked with the machine guns...

I'd say the goal would be a bedside protector for both my Husband and I, with a good mix of quality with phenomenal ballistics results (and rapid recovery) vs. recoil. I'm unusually strong (I'd get an M60, if they were under $20k...). I honestly cannot handle a .357 magnum, but I have tried. That would be my ideal handgun.

I own a 12 ga. Mossberg 590 w/tactical scope stacked with 00 buckshot that I adore, but it's not really that useful within the confines of a home, in hallways, etc. It's a comfortable shoot for me.

Short-range, I'm relatively comfortable with a .45 (I've tried a Colt only), but after about 10 ft, I really begin to feel the bite, and begin shooting a bit too high. Practice could help, certainly, but I don't know how much I can stretch it.

I've heard horror stories about 9mms. jamming, and I tried my friend's Sig Sauer, and I wasn't crazy about it. I tried another brand's 9mm, and the body felt "plastic-y". It seems like they are the less-desired guns of the bunch always...but I could be wrong.
I've heard about the reliability with the .38, and that's what drew me to it. I've never tried a .40.

Any further insight would be appreciated.

let me just say that the caliber has nothing to do with either jamming or reliability. based on what you've said, i'm starting to think that you associate reliability with revolver and jamming with auto pistol. i can understand that. but realistically that's an unfair association. i exclusively carry and rely on auto-pistols. i do have revolvers though, and it is a realistic carry gun.

my bedside is frequented by a mossberg 500 in 12 gauge. i also keep a .45 auto, or .45 auto colt pistol, of .45 acp, while i sleep. let me tell you that it's a bigger caliber for most people. i prefer it because of the velocity. i mostly own Glocks (low cost range) but also rely on Kimbers (high cost range) for every day carry. .45 acp for me is my preferred caliber. i also keep 9mms because of cost for training and for my wife. For her it is reliability, performance, and an acceptable amount of kick.

A .40cal is an excellent option. For me it isn't because I prefer the .45 and my wife prefers the 9mm.

The reason you've heard of the .38 being reliable is because most auto-pistols don't come in .38. Revolvers are much much more reliable. Thus, an auto-pistol 9mm is more prone to jamming than a revolver. That isn't to say that a 9mm or auto-pistol isn't reliable. I trust my life to auto-pistols. Caliber is not a realistic gauge on what is reliable and what is not. The gun itself is the judge. Smith and Wesson (S&W) for revolvers and Glocks, Kimber, Springfield, and Sig Sauer for auto-pistols. That's just my opinion. I pick those for cost and results.

Anything is better than nothing. 2nd amendment rights is something we should all exercise.

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I am no expert by all means. The main reason I have a .38spl S&W is because I inherited it from my grandfather. It is a great revolver, but I do believe it is a bit more costly to buy new today.

A few of my friends have really enjoyed their glock 9mm.

Like I said my knowledge is slim but just throwing my 2cents in from what I DO know heh. I think Roddy's got you covered for the most part though ;-)

most gun jams are caused by a dirty reciever or your using cheap ammo. Use cheap ammo to get use to your gun. But buy a couple of boxes of the ammo your going to carry around with you for self defense and shoot that as well. you'll notice a difference in the quilty of ammo you shoot.
Personally i wouldnt buy anything under .40 for self defence. When most people have to you use a handgun for self defense its done in less then three feet from there attacker. 9mm just puts small holes right through them and dosnt do enough damage for my taste. A .38 would just piss someone off if you didnt hit them just right. remember you probably wont have time to aim and your shot will probably come from the hip. So i'll go with a caliber thats going to make bigger holes and gives you a little bit more leeway. I use a baby eagle .45 acp with 230 grain hydroshock rounds. I shot a hog once in a hog trap to see what it would do...let me tell you, half an inch hole on top of his head, three inch hole coming out. Nasty nasty round.

like dobber said: bigger caliber makes bigger holes. also feel free to use hollow points for it's mushrooming effect. the spreading of the lead makes it more lethal. plus, it'll stay in the bad guy and have a better chance of not hitting someone or something else after.

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Upon re-reading my response, it does seem like I am making unfair assocations with caliber, but I suppose I just mean that every 9mm autopistol I have ever put my hands on, I haven't liked. It felt cheaply-made, got hot, and didn't fire as nicely as a .38 revolver or even a .45 autopistol. Perhaps, it's just my preference, or limited experience. I think I'll try a few other models before I rule it out altogether -- I'm going to try a Browning HP 9mm.

Thanks for all the recommendations so far, everyone -- I've been reviewing some ballistics tests, and you're absolutely right that I can't afford to go below a 9mm/.40. The .38 I love would probably require multiple shots for greatest efficiency. I'm sharp as a tack with it, though. Obviously, I'm biased because it was the first revolver I shot with.

I have an extreme appreciation for a gun with decent weight (i.e. not a Glock), and for models that've stood the tests of time in war, so a few models I now want to try are H&K USP45, Beretta M9, 1911A1 Colt (Difficult to find?), and maybe a revolver in a larger caliber. I love that S&W revolver trigger, but I don't know if they have a proper .40 model. I've only seen .38 and .357, I think. I've heard good things about a Ruger New Vaquero, too...which looks very promising. I love a big ol' visible hammer.

I wasn't fond of the safety on the Baby Eagle. Do you think that might affect my taste of any of the aforementioned models I'm going to try?

Once I can afford it I'll be looking into getting a baby Glock or Springfield XD. Unfortunately the People's Republic of California doesn't allow semi-automatic handguns with magazines greater than 10 rounds. Heck, you can't even open carry it loaded!! Kinda narrows the options for a few years. Then again, I might join the Sheriff's Department as a reserve which would make me eligible to join the small club of CCW holders.

Until then I'll just hold down the fort with my Remmington 870.

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Baby eagles are still on the heavy side..but i like mine. Im very accurate with it and besides there made by badass hebrew's. The only time i have had jams is when im shooting cheap ammo like wolf. As far as the safety goes, i like having it where it's at. Easy to remember, push the safety forward (the same directions as the target).