power

Question
Is a 38 special snup nose more powerful than a 9mm? Which one has the most one shot stopping power? Is the 357 more powerful than both the 38 and 9mm.

Answer
Kwasi,

Out of barrels the same length, the 9mm Luger Parabellum cartridge is more powerful than the .38 Special. The longer the barrel, the more velocity the bullet generates and therefore the more powerful it is, so firing a .38 Special from a snub nose revolver makes it even less powerful.

The top .38 Special load is a 125-grain hollowpoint bullet that generates 351 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle.

The top 9mm Luger load is a 115-grain hollowpoint bullet that gets 423 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle.

Between the 9mm and the .38 Special, the 9mm has more one-shot stopping power.

The .357 Magnum is essentially a .38 Special with a longer case that holds more powder. The top .357 Magnum load is a 125-grain hollowpoint that generates 624 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle, making it more powerful than either the 9mm Luger or the .38 Special.

Just for comparison, presently, the most powerful handgun cartridge in the world is the new .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum, which generates a massive 2580 foot-pounds of energy with a 440-grain bullet.

Hopefully I've answered your questions, if you've any more, please feel free to ask.


Kyle