How bout it?
Hard cast as a viable alternative to hollow points in a defensive situation? Any problems out of a shorter barreled carry pistol like a 3" barrel?
For .38 Special, a 3" barrel is
usually long enough to expand a properly designed hollow point. That extra inch adds a lot of velocity.
That said, with a hard cast (and I'm assuming you mean either a full or semi wadcutter), it's the shape of the bullet that you're relying on to do the damage, rather than hoping that the bullet will change shape upon impact, i.e., mushroom.
So, in that sense, you can always expect the bullet to do its thing, regardless of extraneous factors (like the clothing worn by the target), whereas there is always some level of doubt involved when you rely on a bullet to mushroom on impact.
The better HP designs, given enough velocity, are highly reliable expanders nowadays, but you don't need to worry about such things if you're relying on the bullet shape alone to do the job.
So, if you are going with a HP design, and your barrel length is less than three inches, you will want to pay careful attention to the quality of the bullet, and how much work went into making it a reliable expander at lower velocities, regardless of clothing warn by the target.
