.38 Special
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| .38 Special | ||
|---|---|---|
 .38 Special rounds |
||
| Type | Revolver | |
| Place of origin | United States | |
| Production history | ||
| Designer | Smith & Wesson | |
| Designed | 1902 | |
| Specifications | ||
| Parent case | .38 Long Colt | |
| Case type | Rimmed, straight | |
| Bullet diameter | .358 in (9.09 mm) | |
| Neck diameter | .379 in (9.63 mm) | |
| Base diameter | .379 in (9.63 mm) | |
| Rim diameter | .44 in (11.18 mm) | |
| Rim thickness | .058 in (1.47 mm) | |
| Case length | 1.155 in (29.34 mm) | |
| Overall length | 1.55 in (39.37 mm) | |
| Primer type | Small pistol | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 110 gr JHP | 980 ft/s (~299 m/s) |
235 ft·lbf (~320 J) |
| 130 gr FMJ | 810 ft/s (~247 m/s) |
189 ft·lbf (~257 J) |
| 148 gr LWC | 690 ft/s (~210 m/s) |
156 ft·lbf (~212 J) |
| 158 gr LRN | 770 ft/s (~235 m/s) |
208 ft·lbf (~283 J) |
| Test barrel length: 4 in (vented) Source: Federal Cartridge Co. ballistics page |
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- For the rock band of the same name, see 38 Special (band)
.38 Special (pronounced "Thirty-eight Special") is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although semi-automatic pistols and some carbines also use this round. The .38 Special was the standard service cartridge of most police departments in the United States from the 1920s to the 1980s.
Despite its name, its caliber is actually .357-.358 inches (9.0678mm), with the ".38" referring to the approximate diameter of the loaded brass case. This came about because the original .38-caliber cartridge, the .38 Short Colt, was designed for use in converted .36-caliber cap-and-ball (muzzleloading) revolvers, which had cylindrical firing chambers of approximately .374 inch diameter, requiring "heel-based" bullets, the exposed portion of which was the same diameter as the cartridge case (see the section on the .38 Long Colt). Except for its length, the .38 Special case is identical to that of the .38 Long Colt, and to the .357 Magnum which was developed from the earlier cartridge in 1935. This allows the .38 Special round to be used in revolvers chambered for the .357 Magnum (but not the reverse).
The .38 Special was introduced in 1902 as an improvement over the .38 Long Colt cartridge which, as a military service cartridge, was found to have inadequate stopping power during the Philippine-American War. Although it was introduced sixteen years into the smokeless powder era - France adopted the first smokeless powder military rifle cartridge, the 8x50mm R Lebel, in 1886 - the .38 Special was originally loaded with black powder, but was offered loaded with smokeless gunpowder within a year of its introduction. The .38 Special is very accurate, in a quality revolver, produces little recoil, and remains the most popular revolver cartridge in the world more than a century after its introduction.[citation needed] It is used for target shooting and formal target competition, for hunting small game, and for self-defense, although in most loadings it is considered somewhat underpowered for that use.[citation needed]
In the 1930s, heavy framed revolvers oriented toward target shooting, such as the Smith & Wesson 38/44 Heavy Duty, allowed development of a higher pressure (and therefore higher power) version called the .38 Special Hi-Speed and eventually, the .357 Magnum. These .38 revolvers, built on a larger frame originally designed for the .44 Special, survived for about three decades before the .357 revolvers outdid them in sales. Today, versions of this cartridge loaded to slightly higher pressure are available, called .38 Special +P; these are usable in .38 revolvers rated +P and in .357 Magnum revolvers.
Because the .38 Special also works in .357 Magnum revolvers, it is popular with users of the .357 Magnum for the reduced recoil and lower noise. A number of lever action rifles are also chambered in .357 Magnum and .38 Special.
[edit] Performance
Due to its blackpowder heritage, the .38 Special is a low pressure cartridge, one of the lowest in common use today. By modern standards, the .38 Special fires a medium sized bullet at rather low speeds. The closest comparisons are the .380 ACP, which fires slightly lighter bullets slightly faster than most .38 Special loads, and the 9mm Parabellum, which fires a bullet that is generally somewhat lighter but significantly faster. Both of the latter are usually found in semi-automatic pistols.
The higher-pressure .38 Special +P loads offer about 20% more muzzle energy than standard-pressure loads and places between .380 ACP and 9mm Parabellum.
Experience has proven that it is reasonably effective for self-defense purposes, but only a minority of US police departments now issue or authorize use of the .38 Special revolver as a standard duty weapon, most having switched to the higher-capacity and faster-reloading semi-automatic pistols in the 9mm Parabellum, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP cartridges. It is still common in security use by guards who value the reliability and simplicity of a revolver, and by civilians for concealed carry and police for secondary pistols because its recoil when fired from very small and lightweight revolvers is considered much more manageable than more powerful cartridges.
The .38 Special +P is currently used by the Hong Kong Police Force as their standard revolver ammunition. It is issued to the vast majority of uniformed and plainclothes officers for use in Smith and Wesson M10 Heavy Barrel and Colt Detective Special revolvers. Officers serving on some specialist units are instead issued with Glock 17 and 19 pistols in 9mm Parabellum.
Reference: Cartridges Of The World, 6th Edition, Frank C. Barnes
[edit] Synonyms
- .38
- .38 Smith & Wesson Special
- .38 S&W Special
[edit] External links
| .38 Calibre |
|---|
| Cartridges |
| .38 Long Colt (1875) | .38 S&W (1877) | .38 ACP (1900) | .38 Special (1902) | .380 ACP (1908) | .38/200 (1922) | .38 Super (1927) |
| Revolvers |
| M1899 Revolver | Smith & Wesson M&P/Victory | Enfield No. 2 Mk I | Colt Detective's Special |
| Pistols |
| Colt M1900 | Colt M1902 | Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer | Colt M1908 Pocket Hammerless | Browning M1910 | Walther PPK |
| Lists |
| List of handgun cartridges | List of rifle cartridges | List of firearms |
| United States infantry weapons of World War II and Korea |
|---|
| Side arms |
| Colt M1911/A1 | M1917 revolver | Smith & Wesson "Victory" revolver |
| Rifles & carbines |
| Springfield M1903 | M1 Garand | M1 Carbine | M1941 Johnson | Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) |
| Submachine guns |
| Thompson ("Tommy Gun") M1928/M1/A1 | M3 "Grease Gun" | Reising M50/M55 | United Defense M42 |
| Machine guns & other larger weapons |
| Browning M1917 | Browning M1919 | Johnson LMG | Browning M2 HMG | Bazooka | M2 flamethrower |
| Cartridges used during World War II and the Korean War |
| .45 ACP | .38 Special | .30-06 Springfield | .30 Carbine | 9 mm Luger | .50 BMG |
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