What is the difference between a 38 Special and a 38 S&W?
The larger case diameter of the 38 S&W will prevent it being inserted in a 38 Special firearm. Being the 38 Special is smaller it will fit into a gun chambered for 38 S&W but being smaller and higher pressure the case may rupture.27-May-2015
How big is a 38 Special?
.38 SpecialParent case.38 Long ColtCase typeRimmed, straightBullet diameter.357 in (9.1 mm)Neck diameter.379 in (9.6 mm)22 more rows
Do they still make 38 Special?
Today, the . 38 Special is still popular, particularly among those who prefer the simplicity and aesthetic of revolvers. It is inexpensive and available in a wide variety of configurations, from regular ball ammo to hollow points to high pressure +P rounds.28-Jul-2019
Can 38 S&W shoot 38 Special?
38 S&W cartridge are slightly lower than the industry maximums for the . 38 Spl. cartridge in its standard load. These two cartridges, because of their length and diameter differences, do not and should not interchange.05-Apr-2021
Is a 9mm more powerful than a 38 Special?
Standard pressure . 38 Special only produces 264 foot-pounds of force (147-grain bullet at 900 feet per second out of a 4-inch barrel), while standard pressure 9mm can produce 365 foot-pounds of force (124-grain bullet at 1,150 feet per second). This is 38.25% more energy at the muzzle in favor of the 9mm.21-Dec-2019
Is 9mm bigger than 38?
Both bullets are equal in bullet diameter, the 9mm case is about 3/8 of an inch shorter than the . 38 Special but boasts double the pressure. Lets apply some common sense to simple physics and see what the ballistic charts look like.
Why is there a shortage of 38 ammo?
38 Special Ammo Prices Went Through the Roof. In the case of ammunition, demand had so exceeded supply that consumers looking to stock up on extra bullets may have found little to actually buy. ...10-Aug-2021
Can a 357 shoot 38 Special bullets?
357 Magnum was specifically designed so it cannot be fired from handguns chambered in . 38 Special, but you can shoot . 38 Special in a gun chambered in . 357 Magnum.10-Mar-2022
What is the best revolver on the market today?
With that, here are the 5 best revolvers on the planet.5 Best Revolvers on the Planet – Ruger LCR. ... 5 Best Revolvers on the Planet – Smith & Wesson 686. ... 5 Best Revolvers on the Planet- Ruger GP100. ... 5 Best Revolvers on the Planet- Ruger Blackhawk. ... 5 Best Revolvers on the Planet- Taurus Model 85 Ultra-Lite.12-Oct-2021
Are 38 Special and 357 Magnum the same?
Except for case length, the . 38 and . 357 are virtually identical. . 38 cartridges can be fired from revolvers chambered for the ....Comparison chart..357 Magnum.38 SpecialBase diameter.379 in (9.6 mm)0.379 in (9.6mm)Designed19341898Rim diameter.440 in (11.2 mm)0.44 in (11mm)10 more rows
What is the difference between a 38 Special and a 357 magnum?
But here's the deal: Because the two rounds are loaded with bullets that are the same diameters, but the 357 Magnum merely has a longer case and more powder, the 38 Special cartridge can be safely fired in guns marked 357 Magnum, but not vice-versa.27-Oct-2020
What ammo does a S&W 38 Special use?
38 Special comes in a wide variety of bullet types from (FMJ) full metal jacket to (SWC) semi-wadcutter. As with most other common calibers, the FMJ and MC bullets are used for range training and qualifications.22-Feb-2019
What is a 380 mk IIz?
The cartridge was given the identifier “.380 Revolver, Mk IIz” and led to one of the odder CCI-Speer projects. Former British possessions were given surplus Enfield .380 revolvers after the United Kingdom adopted the 9mm Luger cartridge.
What is a 38 S&W?
The .38 S&W, also known as the “.38 Colt New Police” when loaded with a 150-grain flatpoint bullet, was popular with America’s detective forces. Compact snubnose revolvers were unavailable for the .38 Special until about 1927, so the .38 S&W owned that niche.
When did Webley replace the 455 Webley?
They replaced the .455 Webley Mk II cartridge with the .38 S&W in 1931 as their standard sidearm cartridge in Enfield break-top revolvers. They called the .38 S&W the “.380 Revolver” cartridge.
Is the 38 S&W still available?
By Allan Jones. This isn’t the more famous .38 S&W Special but rather its stubby ancestor from 1877 that is still available today. In its time it was a groundbreaker. When many revolver cartridges were still using heeled, outside-lubricated bullets held over from rimfire practice, the .38 S&W started with a proper inside-lubricated bullet like ...
What does 38 mean?
For most shooters .38 means .38 Special. There is another .38 though, a contemporary of the .38 Long Colt. In 1877 Colt brought forth their first double-action sixgun, the Lightning, chambered in .38 Long Colt.
What revolvers did S&W use?
S&W chambered their Military & Police revolver in .38 S&W for use by the British, and as Victory Models, they went to England under the Lend Lease program during World War II. When I started seriously shooting in the 1950’s these Victory Models were readily available at reasonable prices.
How many times was Tippit shot?
Tippit was struck four times at nearly point blank range and died instantly. Despite their storied history and notorious record as an assassin's weapon, revolvers chambered for the .38 S&W cartridge are what they always have been, light and handy weapons suitable for a wide variety of applications.
How long did Garfield live after the shooting?
Garfield never lost consciousness, and in fact walked from the train station after the shooting. But infection set in and he lingered for 80 days at the White House before dying on September 19.
What did the slug hit Roosevelt in the chest?
The slug hit Roosevelt in the chest, but a twice-folded copy of a 100-page speech he was set to give, along with the metal case he carried for his spectacles, were tucked into his breast pocket and slowed the bullet's travel. Roosevelt took charge of the pandemonium following the attempt, yelling, "Quiet!
Is a double action revolver safer than an automatic revolver?
Add to that the fact that good double action revolvers are inherently safer than any automatic, and the argument is pretty much settled.
Who shot James Garfield?
On July 2, 1881, a deranged lawyer named Charles Guiteau shot President James A. Garfield twice at the train station near the U.S. Capitol using a cheaply made "Boston Bulldog" revolver of uncertain manufacture. The first shot merely grazed Garfield's arm, but the second hit home, striking the president in the lower torso.
Who ordered the Bull Moose to be killed?
For his part, Shrank said he was ordered to kill the Bull Moose by the ghost of William McKinley, whose assassination two decades earlier facilitated Roosevelt's first ascension to our nation's highest office. He spent the rest of his life in a mental institution.
Is a 38 S&W accurate?
In his 1955 classic Sixguns, the great Elmer Keith wrote that the .38 S&W was a very accurate round and confessed to having owned several guns in that caliber. But, he added, "it was a pip squeak load and accuracy was about its only virtue.".
Striving For Victory
Why “Victory” model? Really? You have to ask? There was a war on. Well, that, and S&W had hit the million-number-mark in serial numbers early in the war, and they had to do something. So, they added a “V” as a prefix and started over, with the Smith & Wesson Victory Model revolvers all being parkerized with smooth wooden grips.
Minding Specifics
OK, now for the details. The U.S.-purchased ones will have “US Government Property” roll-marked on the topstrap, along with the flaming bomb ordnance mark and the inspector’s initials. They’ll have 4-inch barrels, although a small batch were made with 2-inch barrels near the end of the war with the regular square-butt frame.
Respect Your Elders
As indicated by the markings, mine was imported by the Vega company, out of Sacramento, California (before the West Coast went completely crazy). It’s still in .38 S&W—which is a good thing, because it’s amazingly accurate.
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Why is 38 S&W so scarce?
The reason .38 S&W is scarce is simple economics. Ammo factories are not set up to produce every kind of ammunition at all times. They produce a stockpile of some calibers, then change a line over to make another caliber, and so on. If they are swamped, as they are now, they will produce the most popular kinds and calibers on an almost continuous basis, but that means that production of the the less popular kinds will be stopped until they can make them. And .38 S&W is one of the less popular calibers, so it gets shunted aside for more popular calibers. I doubt they will drop it altogether (it is too common for that) but it might be a while before there is any significant production of those less popular cartridges.
What was the 38 S&W?
Back in the olden days, Smith and Wesson made a 38, called 38 S&W, and Colt made a different 38 called 38 Colt. The Colt was smaller in diameter. Later the Colt round was lengthened, so they could put more powder in it, to make it more powerful. This new round is the 38 Long Colt. When the Army dropped the Colt 45 Single Action Army, they switched to the Colt double action revolver in 38 Long Colt.#N#Along came the Spanish American war, and the Moros in the Philippines, who were hopped up on hashish. The Army found that, when they shot them with the 38 Long Colt, it did not stop them and they ran up and carved the soldiers up into little bitty pieces.#N#The Army re-issued the Single Action Army, because the big 45 stopped the stoned Moros. They went looking for a new gun, which would be chambered in a 45 caliber round. This became the1911 45 automatic.#N#Smith and Wesson had a brilliant idea. They took the 38 Long Colt and made it longer, so they could put in more powder and make it more powerful. They named their new cartridge the 38 Smith and Wesson Special, and tried to sell it to the Army, but the Army was insisting on a 45, so Smith sold it to police departments all over the country.#N#Since the original 38 Colt was smaller in diameter than 38 Smith and Wesson (.357" vs. .362"), the 38 Long Colt and the 38 S&W Special are also smaller in diameter.#N#Because the 38 S&W Special was such a much better round than the 38 S&W, it pretty much replaced it. Very few (if any) guns are still made in 38 S&W. There are only a couple of companies that still load the ammo, and they only load it one way (as opposed to the 38 S&W Special, that is loaded by every ammo maker in the world and in just about every load imaginable).#N#So much for history. Now to finally answer your question.#N#What's the difference? 38 S&W is shorter and fatter than 38 S&W Special (just about everyone just calls it 38 Special). They are NOT interchangeable. A 38 S&W will not fit in the hole of a 38 Special, and a 38 Special is too long for the cylinder of a 38 S&W.
What is the 38 long colt?
This new round is the 38 Long Colt. When the Army dropped the Colt 45 Single Action Army, they switched to the Colt double action revolver in 38 Long Colt. Along came the Spanish American war, and the Moros in the Philippines, who were hopped up on hashish.
Why did Smith and Wesson make the 38 long colt longer?
They took the 38 Long Colt and made it longer, so they could put in more powder and make it more powerful. They named their new cartridge the 38 Smith and Wesson Special, and tried to sell it to the Army, but the Army was insisting on a 45, so Smith sold it to police departments all over the country.
Why does a 38 Special drop into the chambers of a Victory Model made for the 38/200?
If a .38 Special will drop into the chambers of a Victory Model made for the .38/200 (.38 S&W) it is because the importer had the chambers reamed, quite common at the time those guns were sold on the surplus market.
Can a 38 S&W fit in a 357 magnum?
38 S&W cartridges should not fit in a 38 Special / 357 Magnum chamber. The diameter of the round should be too great. Off the top of my head, 38 S&W bullets are .359 inch, while 38/357 rounds are (of course) .357. I have not tried it in a long time, but when I did, this was true. I cannot believe Ruger is making chambers that loose - they would be getting split brass all over the place. Could the rounds you used have been 38 Short Colt? That would look like 38S&W (except for the headstamp) but it would chamber in a 38 Special gun.
Can a 38 S&W fit in a 38 Special?
And most important, there has to be room for the case to expand, to release the bullet. So a 38 S&W fitting in a 38 Special chamber is not something really weird. All there needs to be is a chamber cut at the top of the tolerance.
Introduction
- If youve ever paged through a reloading manual or a copy of Cartridges of the World, youll find a lot of the smaller non-mainstream handgun cartridges described as useful for taking small game but little is said about their potential effectiveness in an anti-personnel role. Like most of these cartridges, they exist in the twilight between insufficient and suitable when considering their self-defense utility. The reasons for using them in that role are o…
Retirement
- The .38 Smith and Wesson cartridge enjoyed a respectable 100 year service life as it evolved from the weaker black powder pocket pistol cartridge to a more potent military round in its day using heavy bullets and smokeless powder. Other names for the cartridge exist like .38 Colt New Police, .380 Rim, and .380-200 depending on the market and manufacturer.
Significance
- While the guns slowly fade into obscurity, so many have been made and remain serviceable that new ammunition can still be found if you look hard enough. This author is aware of no firearms currently produced in this caliber and the few sources of factory ammunition available can universally be counted on to be of the type safe enough for use in the least common denominator of those guns. Fragile break top revolvers from the end of the black po…
Design
- Technically, the .38 S&W bore diameter is slightly larger than that of .38 Special and .357 Magnum but in practice, components intended for the latter will work well enough. Some of these early guns were actually re-chambered for .38 Special after the war, although the practice is no longer considered appropriate and guns with this modification may...
Performance
- Among reloading manuals, the wad cutter loads described are also accompanied by heavier (158 grain) semi-wad cutter loadings. As with many of these lower powered cartridges, the .38 S&W may not ever achieve enough velocity to reliably expand modern hollow point bullets. As such, its often best to improve performance by going the other direction and getting heavier solid projectiles that will at least maximize penetration and possibly incre…
Example
- Here we see the 9x19mm (right) next to the handloaded .38 S&W with a 190-gr. LFP. Though similar in size, the 9x19mm is loaded to considerably higher pressures and data for it must never be thought of as a substitute for the other!
Future
- One final observation that bears mentioning if one is in the habit of reloading commingled brass; the .38 S&W cartridge is very close in size and shape to the 9mm Luger which, because they are rimless, can become stuck in the resizing die quite easily if not properly sorted. Along with this caveat, Im ever hopeful that someday the I-frame revolver might be resurrected with modern materials and engineering to accommodate the modern 9mm Luger i…