About .38 Special
Table of Contents
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to talk about
.38 Special. The cartridge has persisted in common use for well over a century and is employed by a variety of end users. Our goal today is to provide a brief overview of the
.38 Special while delving into traits, features, use cases, and more. Without further ado, let’s talk about
.38 Special.
What is .38 Special?
The
.38 Special was introduced by Smith & Wesson in 1898. The development of the cartridge was spurred by the .38 Colt’s (.38 Long Colt) ineffectiveness during the Philippine-American War. The
.38 Special marked a vast improvement from the comparatively anemic performance of the .38 Colt in this use case. Initial
.38 Special loadings featured black powder propellants but were ultimately supported by more efficient and improved smokeless powder loadings by 1899.
After its initial use in the Philippine-American War, the cartridge saw use in military and law enforcement capacities. The
.38 Special was used for everything from air crew revolvers to service revolvers for police use. Eventually, the cartridge was supplanted in common use by autoloading firearms in calibers such as
9mm Luger and
.45 ACP as technology progressed. While replacement did occur, the caliber was ultimately not completely phased out and still sees use by variety of users.
The cartridge notably features a mild recoil impulse and is easily controlled by shooters of various skill levels. Of course, smaller and lighter firearms will exhibit more felt recoil than full sized firearms. As such, small snub nose revolvers are generally less comfortable to shoot than service size revolvers. The cartridge is capable of exceptional accuracy, especially when employed by an experienced shooter. Simply put, the cartridge is one of very popular and accessible.
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Other Names for .38 Special
The cartridge is referred to and known by many names. Most commonly, people will simply refer to the cartridge as
.38 Special, a designation present on many
ammunition boxes and firearms. This designation is often abbreviated as
.38 Spl or
.38 Spc. A longer designation for the cartridge comes in the form of
.38 Smith & Wesson Special, a name reflective of Smith & Wesson’s development of the cartridge. This longer designation is abbreviated as
.38 S&W Special. This cartridge should not be confused with the .38 S&W cartridge, an older revolver cartridge also developed by Smith & Wesson.
Relationship with .357 Magnum
The
.38 Special and
.357 Magnum cartridges share a relationship similar to that of the
.44 Magnum and
.44 Special. Firearms chambered in
.38 Special are able to accept
.38 Special ammunition and cannot accommodate
.357 Magnum ammunition. This is due to the higher pressure of the
.357 Magnum and the fact that it is physically too long to index with
.38 Special chambers and cylinders. Firearms chambered in
.357 Magnum will accommodate both
.357 Magnum ammo and
.38 Special ammunition. These firearms are designed to handle the hotter pressures of the
.357 Magnum and can easily withstand both rounds. At the end of the day, a degree of potential interchangeability exists between the
.38 Special and
.357 Magnum.
Service History
Since its introduction, the
.38 Special has been utilized in a variety of roles by military and law enforcement entities across the globe. The cartridge was notably employed by branches of the United States military in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam War. The round even saw extended use by some personnel such as vehicle crews and air crews through the 1990s. The
.38 Special’s was employed by American law enforcement personnel for most of the 20
th century. The 1920s to 1990s marked the height of the cartridge’s use by law enforcement in America.
What is .38 Special Used For?
In the modern day, many shooters still employ
.38 Special for a variety of use cases. A simple use case many shooters use
.38 Special for is general plinking and target shooting. The cartridge’s accuracy potential and relatively tame recoil makes it well-suited to use by shooters of all skill levels. Many continue to employ the
.38 Special in defensive roles such as concealed carry. Self-defense oriented firearms and modern defensive loadings allow the cartridge to remain relevant in the modern era. The cartridge is also suitable for dispatching varmints and hunting smaller sized game at the right distances.
Suppressed Use
A unique and less-mainstream use for
.38 Special is suppression. Most standard
.38 Special loadings travel at subsonic velocities, making them well-suited to use with suppressors. Shooters will not have to go out of their way to track down specialty subsonic loadings for suppressed use. This trait makes
.357 Magnum chambered lever action rifles with threaded barrels exceptionally popular in this day and age. Standard
.38 Special ammunition when fired from a suppressed lever action rifle makes for one of the quietest centerfire shooting experiences one can have.
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How Available is .38 Special Ammunition?
At this point in time, one will find that many manufacturers produce
.38 Special ammunition. These
ammunition companies hail from multiple countries and produce a variety of loadings. These loadings range from standard full metal jacket (FMJ) loadings to specialized JHP loadings for self-defense.
.38 Special ammo offerings of this type are produced by
PMC,
Magtech,
Sellier & Bellot,
Remington, and
Winchester to name a few.
.38 Special ammo is by no means exotic and can generally be found at most places where
ammunition is sold. If one chooses to
shop for ammo online, they will be able to browse a wider selection of
ammunition. When you
buy ammo online, you are not limited by what is locally in stock or on shelves, granting shooters more options. All in all, one will be able to get
.38 Special ammunition in a variety of forms if they truly want to, whether in individual boxes or
bulk ammo quantities.
How Available are Firearms Chambered in .38 Special?
The firearms market currently offers a wide range of support for the
.38 Special cartridge. Firearm offerings will typically be found in the form of revolvers. Most of these revolvers are going to be of the snub nose variety. Companies such as Smith & Wesson, Colt, Ruger, and Taurus produce these types of firearms. Of course, one is also able to utilize
.38 Special ammunition in
.357 Magnum chambered firearms. This opens up a wide range of firearms such as lever action rifles and semi-automatics in
.357 Magnum.
One will also be able to find old production and vintage
.38 Special chambered firearms. These are generally found in the form of old service revolvers such as Model 10 and Victory revolvers. Smith & Wesson revolvers of this type are available in a variety of models, variations, and styles, making them quite collectable. Some of these older, out of print offerings hold their value well and may demand a premium. All in all, one will be able to find a firearm in
.38 Special if that is what they are after.
Conclusion
At the end of the day,
.38 Special continues to be a popular cartridge over a century after its introduction. The cartridge is still employed by shooters of all types for practical, recreational, and collecting purposes to name a few. If you are looking to buy
.38 Special ammo, we here at True Shot Ammo carry a wide range of loadings. Our inventory of
ammo for sale covers range loadings, defensive loadings, and more, allowing shooters of various types to find what they need. Regardless of whether you are wanting to
buy .38 Special ammunition or something else we stock, we here at True Shot Ammo have got you covered. As always, happy shooting.
Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at sales@trueshotammo.com for more ammo options.
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