Buffalo Bore Ammunition 19E/20 Tactical .357 Magnum: The Optimal Choice for Self-Defense and Duty Applications

When considering ammunition for self-defense, duty carry, or concealed weapons, the .357 Magnum stands as a formidable cartridge, renowned for its power and effectiveness. However, traditional full-power .357 Magnum loads often present significant tactical challenges, especially when fired from the shorter, lighter revolvers commonly used for concealed carry (CCW) or as duty sidearms. These challenges—including blinding muzzle flash, substantial felt recoil impacting follow-up shots, and deafening muzzle report—can be critical drawbacks in high-stress situations.

Enter the Buffalo Bore Ammunition 19E/20 Tactical .357 Magnum 158 gr Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP). This meticulously engineered ammunition addresses these common tactical problems head-on, transforming the potent .357 Magnum into an ideal choice for personal protection, home defense, and professional use, particularly in compact revolvers. It’s an ammunition solution designed for those who demand maximum performance without the usual compromises, ensuring that the legendary power of the .357 Magnum is delivered with enhanced control and reduced peripheral effects.

Why Standard .357 Magnum Ammunition Poses Tactical Challenges

Understanding the innovation behind Buffalo Bore's 19E/20 Tactical series requires a look at the issues inherent with many standard .357 Magnum loads, particularly when paired with the smaller, more practical firearms often chosen for personal defense:

• Blinding Muzzle Flash: Firing a full-power .357 Magnum round, especially from a short barrel, often results in a massive, bright flash at the muzzle. In low-light conditions or indoors, this flash can temporarily blind the shooter, disrupt night vision, and obscure the target, making it difficult to assess the situation or acquire follow-up shots. This disorientation can be a critical disadvantage in a defensive encounter.
• Excessive Felt Recoil: The sheer power of the .357 Magnum translates into significant recoil. While manageable in heavier, longer-barreled revolvers, this recoil becomes a life-threatening drawback in lighter, compact models. High felt recoil makes it challenging to maintain a firm grip, leads to slower target re-acquisition, and can prevent rapid, accurate follow-up shots—a vital capability in self-defense scenarios. For many shooters, particularly those with smaller hands or less experience, extreme recoil can also deter effective training, hindering proficiency.
• Deafening Muzzle Report: The sound of a .357 Magnum being fired, particularly indoors or in enclosed spaces, can be deafening. The extreme sound pressure level (SPL) can cause temporary or even permanent hearing loss. In a defensive situation, this can disorient the shooter, impact situational awareness, and make it difficult to communicate or hear critical cues.

These tactical problems are precisely what the Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical .357 Magnum seeks to resolve, making the potent .357 Magnum a far more practical and safer option for its intended purpose.

Key Innovations of Buffalo Bore Ammunition 19E/20 Tactical

Buffalo Bore's approach with the 19E/20 Tactical load demonstrates a deep understanding of real-world self-defense needs. By meticulously balancing propellant type, charge weight, and bullet design, they've created a .357 Magnum round that mitigates the traditional drawbacks while retaining formidable stopping power.

Reduced Muzzle Flash for Enhanced Visibility and Concealment

One of the most immediate benefits of the 19E/20 Tactical is its significantly reduced muzzle flash. This is achieved through the use of specialized, low-flash propellants that burn more completely within the barrel. Why is this crucial for your safety and effectiveness?

• Preserves Night Vision: In low-light or nighttime encounters, avoiding a blinding flash means your eyes can adapt more quickly, allowing you to maintain situational awareness and track your target effectively.
• Prevents Disorientation: No more temporary blindness after the first shot, ensuring you remain focused and ready for immediate follow-up actions.
• Reduces Signature: Minimizing the visual signature of your shot is tactically advantageous, especially in a self-defense context where you don't want to draw undue attention or give away your position.

Managed Recoil for Faster, More Accurate Follow-Up Shots

The 19E/20 Tactical load delivers a more manageable recoil impulse, a critical factor for successful defensive shooting. While still a powerful .357 Magnum, the engineers at Buffalo Bore have optimized the load to provide effective terminal ballistics with a more controlled recoil sensation. This means:

• Improved Control: Shooters, even those with smaller or lighter revolvers, will find the firearm easier to control during firing, leading to more stable and accurate shots.
• Faster Target Re-acquisition: Reduced muzzle flip and less violent recoil allow for quicker alignment of your sights with the target for subsequent shots, dramatically improving the speed and accuracy of follow-up engagements.
• Enhanced Training: More manageable recoil makes practice sessions more comfortable and productive. This encourages more frequent training, which is essential for building proficiency and confidence with your defensive firearm.

Mitigated Acoustic Report for Hearing Protection and Situational Awareness

The loud report of a firearm can be disorienting and harmful. The 19E/20 Tactical addresses this with a mitigated sound signature, especially beneficial for indoor scenarios.

• Hearing Preservation: While still loud, the reduced report helps minimize the risk of permanent hearing damage, particularly vital for an indoor encounter where sound reverberates intensely.
• Maintained Situational Awareness: A less deafening blast allows the shooter to retain a higher degree of auditory perception, crucial for hearing commands, threats, or other environmental cues.
• Comfort in Training: Similar to recoil, a less severe report makes training more tolerable, promoting consistent practice.

The Power of the 158 gr Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP)

At the heart of the Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical is its 158-grain Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP) bullet. This is a classic and highly effective projectile choice for the .357 Magnum, known for its balance of penetration and expansion.

• Optimized Expansion: The JHP design is engineered to expand reliably upon impact with soft tissue. This expansion creates a larger temporary and permanent wound cavity, maximizing energy transfer to the target and increasing the likelihood of rapid incapacitation, which is the primary goal in self-defense.
• Controlled Penetration: While expanding, the 158 gr JHP is designed to achieve adequate penetration to reach vital organs without excessive over-penetration, which can be a concern in home defense scenarios where unintended collateral damage is a risk.
• Consistent Performance: The copper jacket surrounding the lead core ensures consistent feeding through the firearm and helps maintain bullet integrity, even through intermediate barriers. This consistency is paramount for reliable performance when it matters most.
• Ideal Weight: For the .357 Magnum, the 158-grain bullet weight strikes an excellent balance. It provides sufficient mass for effective energy transfer and momentum, while still allowing for the impressive muzzle velocity of 1100 feet per second (fps) from a 3-inch barrel, yielding a substantial 424 foot-pounds (ft lbs) of muzzle energy. This combination ensures potent stopping power.

Applications and Ideal Users for Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical

This specialized ammunition is perfectly suited for a variety of critical applications:

1. Concealed Carry (CCW) Permit Holders: For individuals carrying compact .357 Magnum revolvers (e.g., Ruger LCR, S&W J-frames, SP101, Charter Arms Undercover), this ammunition directly addresses the ergonomic challenges associated with powerful loads in small firearms. It allows for effective self-defense without the punishing recoil or blinding flash often experienced.
2. Home Defense: When defending your home, the risk of over-penetration and the deafening noise of a firearm discharged indoors are significant concerns. The 19E/20 Tactical's controlled expansion, reduced report, and minimal flash make it a superior choice for protecting your family and property within confined spaces.
3. Duty and Backup Carry: Law enforcement officers or security personnel who carry a .357 Magnum revolver as a primary or secondary weapon will find this load invaluable. Its tactical enhancements improve officer safety and effectiveness in critical incidents.
4. Any .357 Magnum Revolver Owner: While optimized for short barrels, the Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical performs exceptionally well in longer-barreled .357 Magnum firearms too, providing all the same benefits of reduced flash, recoil, and noise, simply enhancing the shooting experience across the board.

Why Trust Buffalo Bore Ammunition?

Buffalo Bore Ammunition has earned a stellar reputation among serious shooters, hunters, and professionals for its commitment to producing high-performance, purpose-built ammunition. They are known for:

• Specialized Loads: Unlike mass-market manufacturers, Buffalo Bore focuses on niche, high-demand applications, often pushing the boundaries of cartridge performance while ensuring reliability and safety.
• Quality Control: Every batch undergoes rigorous quality control to ensure consistency in velocity, pressure, and bullet performance. This meticulous attention to detail means you can trust every round.
• Real-World Testing: Buffalo Bore tests its ammunition extensively in real-world conditions, often using actual firearms common to the intended application, ensuring that stated performance metrics are genuinely achievable.
• Performance-Driven Philosophy: Their goal is always to deliver the best possible performance for a given application, and the 19E/20 Tactical .357 Magnum is a prime example of this philosophy.

Frequently Asked Questions About .357 Magnum Tactical Ammunition

Here are common questions users might ask when researching .357 Magnum ammunition for self-defense, and how the Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical provides the answers:

• What is the best .357 Magnum ammo for concealed carry?
  The Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical 158 gr JHP is widely regarded as one of the top choices for concealed carry due to its optimization for short barrels, significantly reducing muzzle flash, felt recoil, and noise, which are critical factors for effective defensive use of compact revolvers.
• How can I reduce recoil in my .357 Magnum revolver?
  While some recoil is inherent to the .357 Magnum, selecting ammunition specifically designed to mitigate felt recoil, like the Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical, is the most effective way. Its optimized propellant burn contributes to a more manageable shooting experience.
• Is .357 Magnum too powerful for home defense?
  Traditional full-power .357 Magnum loads can be very concussive indoors. However, the Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical offers a solution by significantly reducing muzzle flash and report, making it a much more suitable and safer option for home defense without sacrificing stopping power. The Jacketed Hollow Point design also aids in controlled penetration.
• What does JHP mean for self-defense?
  JHP stands for Jacketed Hollow Point. This bullet type is designed to expand upon impact, maximizing energy transfer and creating a wider wound channel to quickly neutralize a threat. The jacket helps ensure reliable feeding and consistent performance. The 158 gr JHP in the Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical is an excellent example of this design optimized for defensive use.
• Where can I buy Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical .357 Magnum ammunition?
  Buffalo Bore Ammunition, including the highly effective 19E/20 Tactical .357 Magnum, is available through reputable firearms retailers like DEGuns.com. DEGuns offers a wide selection of specialized ammunition to meet your self-defense and shooting needs.

The Buffalo Bore Ammunition 19E/20 Tactical .357 Magnum 158 gr JHP stands out as a superior choice for anyone seeking to maximize the effectiveness of their .357 Magnum revolver in self-defense, duty, or home protection scenarios. By expertly addressing the tactical shortcomings of conventional loads, Buffalo Bore delivers a high-performance, reliable, and user-friendly ammunition solution that ensures confidence when it matters most.

Buffalo Bore 19E/20 Tactical .357 Magnum Specifications

Feature	Detail
Brand	Buffalo Bore Ammunition
Series	Strictly Business
Model	Tactical
Caliber	.357 Magnum
Bullet Type	Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP)
Bullet Weight	158 grains
Muzzle Velocity	1100 feet per second (fps)
Muzzle Energy	424 foot-pounds (ft lbs)
Casing Material	Brass
Rounds Per Box	20
Boxes Per Case	12
Application	Home Defense, Self-Defense, Duty
MPN	19E20
SKU	82099
UPC	651815019253