The .38 caliber has been around for a very long time. A 1940 Stoeger catalog showing four different loads for .38 Special. During the Philippine-American War, the United States Military realized that the Long Colt didn’t have enough stopping power against the Morro Warriors. The explanation for the .38 caliber bullet's diameter also applies the the .44 caliber. The .38 Special (also referred to as .38spc or .38spl) is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge that’s commonly used in revolvers. The .38 refers to a caliber that has a .357 inch bullet diameter. How Does A 38 Special Differ From The Other .38s? https://shootingmystery.com/38-super-vs-38-special-one-better-choice There was a .38 S&W, which was shorter, tapered, and had a different (I think) bullet diameter. It was originally loaded with black powder (158 grain lead bullet at 800 fps), which explains its large case and rather low SAAMI maximum average pressure (MAP) of 17,000 psi. High Speed* SEE NOTE A ----- 32-20 Colt L.M.R. So when most people mention the .38, they are often referring to a .38 Special. Various calibers. The .357 Magnum can load more power to give it at least 35,000 PSI versus the 22,000 for the +P+ .38 Special. Though its name is .38, the precise caliber of the 38 Special is .357. Prior to the creation of .357 … I used the .38 Colt ammunition since it was one of the original chamberings for the 1851 Richard Mason Conversions and the .38 Long Colt was the predecessor of the .38 Special. It’s possible to handload a .38 Special to have as much power as the .45 ACP. The .38 Special rounds, particularly when fired from short-barreled pistols, tend to be more effective compared to other revolvers like the .22 caliber or .357 caliber. The accuracy, manageable recoil, and the ability to fire it in a .357 Magnum designated gun are some of the reasons the .38 Special is still popular. .38 Short Colt made a little longer is .38 Long Colt. And a .38, really a .357, can be chambered in more than one revolver; a .38 Short Colt and a .38 Long Colt can accept your .38 Special, and so can a .357 Magnum. Firearms chambered for the .38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, and the .357 Magnum can fire the .38 Special. It too was a heeled bullet that evolved into a inside the case lubricated bullet with a .429" diameter. And a .38, really a .357, can be chambered in more than one revolver; a .38 Short Colt and a .38 Long Colt can accept your .38 Special, and so can a .357 Magnum. It’s a rimmed centerfire cartridge that was introduced by Smith &Wesson in 1898. 45 Long Colt or .38 Special Opinions Please If you plan to reload there is hardy any difference in components cost 38 vs 45. It’s always a viable round for self-defense, but the .357 Magnum may present a better option due to its stopping power. 32-20 Win. .38 Special Rounds. 32-20 W.C.F. That’s is because the Magnum comes at very high pressures. .38 cartridge designations are many. The Colt had a smaller grip and a thinner, unsupported ejector rod, which contributed to its slim feel. It is slightly more powerful than the .38 Short Colt, or .38 SC. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. High(Bid) Time(Left) 17106695. In 1892, it was adopted as a standard military pistol cartridge by the United States Army for the Colt M1892 revolver. It was designed by Smith & Wesson in 1898 as a replacement for the .38 Long Colt as it had better penetration power. lee classic loader 38 special caseshttps://www.patreon.com/Nibstools_1 The .38/44 designation indicated that this pistol, using a .44 Special frame, was intended for use with high pressure .38 Specials. It was originally loaded with black powder (158 grain lead bullet at 800 fps), which explains its large case and rather low SAAMI maximum average pressure (MAP) of 17,000 psi. Produced by Uberti on the .22 Stallion frame, the OWD (Old West Defense) is a compact six-gun in .38 Long Colt/.38 Special and would have been the perfect hideout gun for a Pinkerton man or Wells Fargo operative. That’s why it’s one of the most versatile cartridges for revolvers. It was also the standard round in the US police departments between the 1920s and 1990s. Available calibers were 22LR, .32-20, .38 Special, .38/200 and .41 long Colt. The .38 Special +P rounds tend to have a slightly better effect than the initial .38 Special rounds. Besides, the .38 Special ammo is cheaper than the .357 Magnum. During the Philippine-American War, the United States Military realized that the Long Colt didn’t have enough stopping power against the Morro Warriors. Since it has a larger case, it’s possible to handload it with different types of powders, including smokeless powders. Because of the round dimensions, revolvers chambered in .357 Magnum, .38 Short Colt, and .38 Long Colt can accept the .38 Special without any problems. The .38 Special is one of the most durable cartridges in history. The .38 Special +P rounds tend to have a slightly better effect than the initial .38 Special rounds. They were built from 1908-1927. Do Glock Pistols Have A Loaded Chamber Indicator? The metric designation for the.38 Long Colt is 9.1×26mm. Left to right: The .38 Colt began in the “short” version, then segued to the .38 Long Colt which. These include the .38 S&W, .38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, and the .38 Super cartridges. In 1892, it was adopted as a standard military pistol cartridge by the United States Army for the Colt M1892 revolver. The whole situation can be a little confusing. And several variants have appeared in the market, though some of them are becoming unpopular. Even though it’s referred to as a .38, it’s closer to a .36 since it has a .357 inches bullet diameter. The .357 Magnum came later in 1934. The .38 Special was designed in 1898, and it briefly replaced the .38 Long Colt as the US Army round. Below are some of the most popular .38 cartridges and how they compare to the .38 Special. People mean the .38 Special when talking about the .38. $110.00: 2 $110.00 $799.00: 5d 11h 2m The .38 Special rounds, particularly when fired from short-barreled pistols, tend to be more effective compared to other revolvers like the .22 caliber or .357 caliber. Leupold FREEDOM Red Dot Sight (RDS) – Review, Vortex SPARC II Red Dot Sight Review: A Good Budget Friendly RDS. The difference in overall case lengths between the .38 Long Colt (1.02") and .38 Special (1.155") is .13" or a hair over 1/8". This means a .38 Special round can be safely used in revolvers with a .357 Magnum chamber and .38 Special-chambered .38 Long Colt revolvers. It was designed by Smith & Wesson in 1898 as a replacement for the .38 Long Colt as it had better penetration power. It’s also very popular for its impressive accuracy and manageable recoil. .38 Short Colt > .38 Long Colt > .38 Special > .357 Magnum > .357 Maximum In that list, a revolver chambered for a specific cartridge will also chamber and fire ones to the left of it, but not ones to the right. They have dominated a whole century in both law enforcement and personal use. For example, a .38 Special will chamber and fire .38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt, but will not chamber/fire a .357 Magnum. As we’ve seen, there are several other .38 Cartridges. The metric designation for the .38 Long Colt is 9.1×26mm. Reserve. used a heeled bullet of 130 grains (8.4 g) at a nominal 770 ft/s (230 m/s), I used the .38 Colt ammunition since it was one of the original chamberings for the 1851 Richard Mason Conversions and the .38 Long Colt was the predecessor of the .38 Special. Sig Sauer Romeo 5 Review: We’ve Set Our Sights On It. It is slightly more powerful than the.38 Short Colt, also known as.38 SC. The Special was designed as a more powerful alternative to the .38 Long Colt, which had been found inadequate by the U.S. military. The .38 Special's case is 1.155" long. The .38 Special is one of the most popular ammunition for revolvers, but it’s also used in carbines and semi-automatic pistols. The .38 Special is also referred to as a 9.1*29mmR or 9*29.5mmR in other parts of the world. The .357 Magnum can load more power to give it at least 35,000 PSI versus the 22,000 for the +P+ .38 Special. Colt .38 Special Revolvers For Sale Revolvers Colt.38 Special. For example, a .38 Special will chamber and fire .38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt, but will not chamber/fire a .357 Magnum. There was a .38 Long Colt. (ii) .38 Special. Well, this article clears everything up for you. For instance, a 158 gr bullet travels at 940 fps. Reloading is about the only viable option for the 45 lc due to cost and the anemic factory ammo, And if you re-load you can shoot powder puff target loads in the 45 that won;t kick much more than 38s Colt Officers Model Heavy Barrel - .38 Special BuyItNow! The .38 Long Colt, also known as .38 LC, is a black powder cartridge introduced by Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1875. However, a firearm designated for the .38 Special will not safely fire a .357 Magnum. The .38 Long Colt, a standard military issue revolver cartridge adopted by the US Army back in 1892, was being used in the Philippine American War. The Army brass wanted a .45 semi-auto, and it took time to test some models from several countries, so the .38 Special in a revolver was used until the Colt "1911" semi-automatic was adopted.. Energy. The .38 Special also falls under the .38 caliber since it improved on the .38 Long Colt. But if you’re looking for a more effective self-defense cartridge, you’d be better off with a .357 Magnum since it has more stopping power. 32-20 Win. Remington is one of the few producers of this cartridge today with a 125 gr LRN bullet. The .38 Special came as an improvement to the .38 Long Colt. Are The Glock 17 and the Glock 22 The Same Size? .38 Special has a longer case, straight walled, has more power, and is not really .38 caliber at all, being .357. The .38 Long Colt was from 1875. The 38 Long Colt can be fired in guns chambered for the 38 Special, 357 Magnum and 357 Maximum. However, a .357 cartridge will not usually fire in handguns specifically made for a .38 Special cartridge..380 vs .38 Special. As mentioned earlier, the main difference is the case length, and maybe higher pressures than the other .38s. Any shape will suffice, and with .354- to .357-inch barrel groove diameters, hollowbases are not required. NOTE: While I have never seen it happen first-hand, some say that firing the shorter cartridges on a constant basis will create some "fire cutting" inside the cylinder of a revolver. Second Media Corp., 111 Peter Street, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada, is an independent enthusiast website owned and operated by Content on is generated by its users. Title. The Colt .38 NP (New Police) is the same dimensionally as the .38SW and can be used as such. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! The .38 spl is too powerful to shoot in the older revolvers even though the cartridge may fit the chamber. That is to say, .38 Special bullets travel 1 times the speed of a 737 airplane at cruising speed, while .45 Colt (LC Long Colt) bullets travel 1.2 times that same speed. The .38 Long Colt (commonly known as .38 LC) is a cartridge introduced by Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1875, and was adopted as a standard military pistol cartridge by the United States Army in 1892 for the Colt New Army M1892 Revolver.It is slightly more powerful than the .38 Short Colt, or .38 SC.The .38 SC and .38 LC differ in case length, and in bullet diameter, weight, … It also has a longer case length compared to the other cartridges. The .38 Special came as an improvement to the .38 Long Colt. The .38 Special (also referred to as .38spc or .38spl) is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge that’s commonly used in revolvers. Let’s look at .38 S&W at this point. The round-butt S&W Military & Police, their smallest .38 Special, weighed 28.7 ounces and was 9 inches long and 4⅞ inches high. Furthermore, the muzzle energy of a .38 Special round averages out to 240 ft-lb, while a .45 Colt (LC Long Colt) round averages out to about 500 ft-lb. Various calibers. The Long Colt has been obsolete for many decades, but as the Short Colt was used for military handguns you can still find ammo (Remington).The .38SW has a different case (larger diameter) than the .38 spl and generally won't fit in the .38 spl chamber while the .38 spl case would be too long for the .38SW chamber. .38 Short Colt > .38 Long Colt > .38 Special > .357 Magnum > .357 Maximum In that list, a revolver chambered for a specific cartridge will also chamber and fire ones to the left of it, but not ones to the right. Next up is the .38 … 147 (9.53 g) Double Tap FMJ FP – 1,225 ft/s. I’ve stuck with those weighing no more than 160 grains. Both will fit and fire in a .38 spl revolver as they are both shortened version of that case. It doesn’t expand like most smoke-less powder cartridges, but it’s still effective. .38 vs. .38 Special - What's the difference? High Speed* SEE NOTE A ----- 32-20 Colt L.M.R. is not in any way affiliated with. The only difference is the case length. .38 Special has a longer case, straight walled, has more power, and is not really .38 caliber at all, being .357. But you can purchase a .357 Magnum gun and use the .38 Special in it. The.38 Long Colt, also known as.38 LC, is a black powder cartridge introduced by Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1875. Furthermore, the muzzle energy of a .38 Special round averages out to 240 ft-lb, while a .45 Colt (LC Long Colt) round averages out to about 500 ft-lb. The Army Special started life as the New Army & New Navy and would evolve into the Official Police in 1927. Energy. Finally, .38 Long Colt subloads can be used in .38 Special or .357 Magnum revolvers with all lead alloy bullets intended for later .38s. The .38 Long Colt (commonly known as .38 LC) is a cartridge introduced by Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1875, and was adopted as a standard military pistol cartridge by the United States Army in 1892 for the Colt New Army M1892 Revolver. The .38 Short Colt is just a shortened version used in the Army and Navy models of Colt revolvers. And it was also used in the sidearm handguns by the US Military in WW1, WW2, Vietnam War, and the Korean War. The .38 Special was originally packaged with black powder. Clear (Colt Wikipedia Page) (.38 Special Wikipedia Page) 9 Item(s) Found Page 1 1. Introduced in 1898 as the .38 Smith & Wesson Special, it was meant to upgrade the U.S. Army’s firepower. That is to say, .38 Special bullets travel 1 times the speed of a 737 airplane at cruising speed, while .45 Colt (LC Long Colt) bullets travel 1.2 times that same speed. The .38 refers to the diameter of the whole case. The evolution of the cartridge family is .38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, .38 Special, .357 Remington Magnum. The .38 SC and .38 LC differ in case length, and in bullet diameter, weight, … The .38 Special is also common among handloaders. 32-20 W.C.F. 50pcs .38 Special $15.00 per Box (24 available) 50pcs 38 S&W $20.00 50pcs .32 S&W Long $20.00 per Box 50pcs 38 Long Colt $20.00 Based on the table, the .38 special is relatively similar to other .38 caliber cartridges. The .38 Short Colt case is the parent to the .38 Long Colt and .38 Special. Pretty confusing, right? The .357 Magnum is also derived from the .38 Special. The problem was that they weren’t so effective against the enemy at that time. The .357 Magnum is also popular in small and big game hunting, as well as target shooting. It is slightly more powerful than the .38 Short Colt, also known as .38 SC. The original.38 SC and.38 … Trimming that much off of the case won't affect case wall thickness. However, a .357 cartridge will not usually fire in handguns specifically made for a .38 Special cartridge..380 vs .38 Special. (ii) .38 Special. It was available in 4", 5" and 6" barrel lengths. The Special was designed as a more powerful alternative to the .38 Long Colt, which had been found inadequate by the U.S. military. The .38 Long Colt can be fired in a .38 Special, as can the newer loadings of the .38 Short Colt with a standard lubricated pistol bullet. Maybe, depending, probably. .38 Long Colt made a little longer is .38 Special .38 Special made a little longer is .357 Magnum .357 Magnum made a little longer is .357 Maximum. These handguns bridged the gap between the .38 Special and the .357 Magnums that would be released a few years later in 1934. The Long Colt has been obsolete for many decades, but as the Short Colt was used for military handguns you can still find ammo (Remington).The .38SW has a different case (larger diameter) than the .38 spl and generally won't fit in the .38 spl chamber while the .38 spl case would be too long for the .38SW chamber. Magtech produces this grain weight and Ten-x manufactures a 95 gr load, as well as blanks. can be fired in any revolver chambered for the .38 Special (2nd from right) and .357 Magnum (far right). A forum community dedicated to all 1911 firearm owners and enthusiasts. There was a .38 S&W, which was shorter, tapered, and had a different (I think) bullet diameter. This cartridge can be safely fired in revolvers chambered for .38 Special or .357 Magnum. Some gun users experienced more expansion and stopping power with the FBI Load, a .38 Special hollow-point packaged at higher pressure and velocities. It has an even longer case, higher pressures, and excellent stopping power. Without a doubt the most denigrated American military handgun cartridge ever is the .38 Colt (aka .38 Long Colt). The “.38” is actually referring to the case approximate diameter. 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