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Question from Ron:
I live alone in a small 2-bedroom duplex, and I keep an old (but good) Ruger Security Six in the house for personal protection. I have been keeping it loaded with Extreme Shock 357 magnum ammo with 115 gr frangible bullets.
However, I recently read that if a 357 magnum is fired within an enclosed area, like a room, it would cause severe damage to a person's hearing. The writer recommended using something lighter, like 38+P. (The more I find out about the 357 mag the less enthused I am about it.)
Response from Bill Caffrey, HCA Editorial Advisor:
Ron,
Firing a .357 Magnum indoors without hearing protection is highly likely to damage your hearing. Either temporarily or permanently. Many police officers reported ringing in their ears after using the .357 indoors or in parking garages where the echo makes it worse.
I also advocate the .38 +P over the .357 Magnum indoors, not only for the noise factor, but the muzzle flash.
Indoors, at night that .357 will light up a room or hallway with a bright flash in most cases. That can leave you deafened and night-blind. The .38 +P is less likely to produce lots of flash or noise. Yes, it'll still be loud and still have some flash, but only about 35%.
I'd also suggest something like a 125 to 135 grain JHP bullet instead of a frangible. Remember, your goal is to STOP an violent or threatening intruder, not gouge shallow wounds.
Frangibles perform poorly against denim and leather jackets as a rule. A good JHP or lead semi-wadcutter will penetrate deeper giving you a better chance at stopping the threat.
If you're worried about bullets penetrating common walls in a duplex or apartment, become aware of which walls pose the danger and if possible, cover with heavy furniture or limit your shooting in that direction.
By the way, nothing wrong with the Ruger Security Six. It's an excellent choice for a home defense revolver as long as you can shoot it well.
If you were to look, you'd find a Ruger SP-101 near my bed with an extra speedloader of .38 +P ammo and another with Remington 125 grain SJHP .357 ammo just in case I need more than 10 rounds.
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