.38 Special
| .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 | .357 in (9.1 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Neck diameter | .379 in (9.6 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Base diameter | .379 in (9.6 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rim diameter | .44 in (11 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rim thickness | .058 in (1.5 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Case length | 1.155 in (29.3 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Overall length | 1.55 in (39 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Primer type | Small pistol | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ballistic performance | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Test barrel length: 4 in (vented) Source(s): [1][2][3][4][5] | ||||||||||||||||||||
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special (commonly .38 Special, .38 Spl, or .38 Spc, pronounced "thirty-eight special") is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and 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 early 1990s. In other parts of the world, particularly Europe, it is known by its metric designation 9×29mmR.
History
The .38 Special was introduced in 1899 as an improvement over the .38 Long Colt which, as a military service cartridge, was found to have inadequate stopping power against the wooden shields of charging Moros during the Philippine-American War.[6] Most hand-loading manuals and other references date the cartridge to 1902 and the Smith & Wesson Military and Police revolver variation of that year.
Although it was introduced thirteen years into the smokeless powder era, the .38 Special was originally loaded with black powder, but was offered with smokeless loads within a year of its introduction.[7]
Despite its name, the .38 Special caliber is actually .357–.358 inches (9.0678 mm), 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) Navy revolvers, which had cylindrical firing chambers of approximately 0.374-inch (9.5 mm) diameter, requiring heeled 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 safely fired in revolvers chambered for the .357 Magnum. The reverse, however, is not true; the .357 Magnum case was specifically designed to be longer than that of the .38 Special so that .357-caliber ammunition would not chamber in .38-caliber weapons, which are not designed for the greatly increased pressure of the magnum rounds.
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.[8] It is used for target shooting, formal target competition, personal defense, and for hunting small game.
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. 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 revolvers.
There is also a high-velocity load made by manufacturers such as Federal and Winchester, usually labeled "For Law Enforcement Only" and designated .38 Special +P+.[9] This ammunition is meant to be only used in .38 Special revolvers specially proofed for this load and can cause significant damage to firearms rated for only .38 Special or .38 Special +P. As with other .38 Special rounds, it can also be fired safely in .357 revolvers, since the pressure developed by the .38 Special +P+ load is typically about 22,000 PSI and .357 revolvers are rated for 35,000 PSI.[10][11]
Because the .38 Special also works in .357 revolvers, it is popular with users of the .357 for the reduced recoil, lower noise, and lower cost. A number of lever action rifles are also chambered in .357 Magnum and .38 Special.
Performance
Due to its black powder heritage, the .38 Special is a low pressure cartridge, one of the lowest in common use today at 17,000 PSI. By modern standards, the .38 Special fires a medium-sized bullet at rather low speeds. The closest comparisons are the .380 ACP, which fires much lighter bullets slightly faster than most .38 Special loads; the 9x19mm Parabellum, which fires a somewhat lighter bullet significantly faster; and the .38 Colt Super, which fires a comparable bullet significantly faster. All three of these are usually found in semi-automatic pistols.
The higher-pressure .38 +P loads at 20,000 PSI offer about 20% more muzzle energy than standard-pressure loads and places between .380 ACP and 9 mm Parabellum, similar to that of 9x18mm Makarov.
| Cartridge | Bullet weight | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Max pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .38 Short Colt | 135 gr (8.7 g) | 777 ft/s (237 m/s) | 181 ft·lbf (245 J) | 7,500 CUP |
| .38 Long Colt | 150 gr (9.7 g) | 777 ft/s (237 m/s) | 201 ft·lbf (273 J) | 12,000 CUP |
| .38 S&W | 158 gr (10.2 g) | 767 ft/s (234 m/s) | 206 ft·lbf (279 J) | 14,500 PSI |
| .38 S&W Special | 158 gr (10.2 g) | 940 ft/s (290 m/s) | 310 ft·lbf (420 J) | 17,000 PSI |
| .38 Special +P | 158 gr (10.2 g) | 1,000 ft/s (300 m/s) | 351 ft·lbf (476 J) | 20,000 PSI |
| .38 Special +P+ | 110 gr (7.1 g) | 1,100 ft/s (340 m/s) | 295 ft·lbf (400 J) | >20,000 PSI |
| .380 ACP | 100 gr (6.5 g) | 895 ft/s (273 m/s) | 178 ft·lbf (241 J) | 21,500 PSI |
| 9x19mm Parabellum | 115 gr (7.5 g) | 1,300 ft/s (400 m/s) | 420 ft·lbf (570 J) | 39,200 PSI |
| 9x19mm Parabellum | 124 gr (8.0 g) | 1,180 ft/s (360 m/s) | 383 ft·lbf (520 J) | 39,200 PSI |
| 9x18mm Makarov | 95 gr (6.2 g) | 1,050 ft/s (320 m/s) | 231 ft·lbf (313 J) | 23,206 PSI |
| .38 Super | 130 grains (8.4 g) | 1,275 ft/s (389 m/s) | 468 ft·lbf (634 J) | 36,500 PSI |
| .357 Magnum | 158 grains (10.2 g) | 1,349 ft/s (411 m/s) | 639 ft·lbf (866 J) | 35,000 PSI |
| .357 SIG | 125 grains (8.1 g) | 1,350 ft/s (410 m/s) | 506 ft·lbf (686 J) | 40,000 PSI |
All of the above .38 loadings, and the .357 Magnum, are when fired from a 6 inch barreled revolver - velocity is reduced when using the more standard 4 inch barreled guns[12]. Power (Muzzle energy) will, of course, decrease accordingly.
Very few 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 quicker to reload semi-automatic pistols in 9mm Parabellum, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, .45 ACP or .45 GAP.
Handloading
The .38 Special is particularly popular among handloaders. The cartridge's straight walls, headspacing on the rim, ready availability of previously-fired cases, and ability to be fired in .357 Magnum firearms, all contribute to this popularity. Additionally, the .38 Special's heritage as a black powder cartridge gives it a case size capable of accommodating many types of powders, from slower-burning (e. g. Hodgdon H-110 or Hercules 2400) to fast-burning (e. g. Alliant Bullseye, the traditional smokeless powder for this cartridge). This flexibility in powders translates directly to versatility in muzzle energy that a handloader can achieve. Thus, with proper care and adherence to safe handloading practices, the .38 Special can easily accommodate loads ranging from near-recoilless to that almost equaling the .357 Magnum.[13]
See also
References
- ^ "Federal Cartridge Co. ballistics page". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^ "SAAMI Pressures". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^ "SAAMI Pressures". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^ mm)/38%20S_W%20Special%20pages%2097%20to%2098.pdf "Accurate Powder Loading Data" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-09-25.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ "Cartridge Loading Data - Hodgdon". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- '^ Barnes, Frank C. Ken Warner, editor. Cartridges of the World, 6th Edition. Northbrook, Illinois: DBI Books, 1989. ISBN 0873490339. This failure led the U.S. Army to demand a .45 round for the 1907 pistol trial.
- ^ "Special specials: what, where and why?". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^ "The .38 special: one of our favorite rounds". Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^ http://www.ammobank.com/images5/38hs2g.JPG
- ^ http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080608182641AAheECd
- ^ What is +P and +P+ ammunition?
- ^ [http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/38special.html Ballistics By The Inch .38special results.
- ^ The .38-44 HV - The Original Magnum
