38 special - Still great after all these years

[titsonritz]

I'd say while not as popular as 9mm 38 Special is one of my best sellers.

I would venture to say .38Spl is the most popular revolver round out there, while 9mm is the most popular semi-auto round.

 

[USMC-03]

For new and unskilled shooters I haven't found any better handgun than a revolver in .38 Special. My goal has been to have several Taurus snubby revolvers put away for significant events; hand them out to those in need and who are trusted - 15 minutes of instruction and they could at least secure the back door…

 

[Tinman357]

USMC-03

I've recently aquired a few Taurus 856 3" Defenders for the exact same reason. I picked through and found the tightest and best triggers.

Currently working them over to be as good as can be. On that note, Taurus QA seems to be much better lately. The finish still leaves a lot to be desired, but the "fit" of all the parts seems much, much better.

I finished a polishing parts and spring change on 1, I can't feel much differance to my S&W. Still have to ream and chamfer the cylinder, recut/polish the forcing cone, and touch up the crown. (I do this to all my revolvers, even the new Colt KC) Looks like it will be a capable shooter. Lock up is tight, no end play, no rotational play. Barrels aren't over/under clocked, so it should shoot straight.

Shooting it will tell the tale in the end, but it looks like I'll be satisfied with them.

 

[ma96782]

I guess......
It's time for a music break.......

Aloha, Mark

PS.....half of my police time was with the .38 special. Then, we moved to the 9mm. Yeah......increased fire power with the 9mm. But of course for some.......it just meant that they'd miss much more often.

 

[titsonritz]

I guess......
It's time for a music break.......

Aloha, Mark

PS.....half of my police time was with the .38 special. Then, we moved to the 9mm. Yeah......increased fire power with the 9mm. But of course for some.......it just meant that they'd miss much more often.

You started it:

here's some .38 Special ...

and Police...

 

[Mark K]

.38 has been my pillow gun for years!

 

[OutwardHound]

Another vote for the .38 special although for defensive uses I definitely go with the +P flavor. I have two .357 magnum wheelguns that shoot .38 special with no problem. I could shoot +P .38 special out of my old Model 28 all day and not worry about recoil fatigue. The 649 J frame is a different story. Not quite as forgiving but still a viable option.

 

[Capn Jack]

Aloha, Mark

PS.....half of my police time was with the .38 special. Then, we moved to the 9mm. Yeah......increased fire power with the 9mm. But of course for some.......it just meant that they'd miss much more often.

Miss!!! My brother a retired Motor Cop calls that, "Fire Suppression".

 

[CLT65]

I'm a big .38 Special fan too. When I was young and first interested in guns (late '80s), it was still the king of handgun rounds, though in it's decline. My first handgun was a Dan Wesson .357 Mag, and I shot a LOT of .38 Special reloads in it.

It's not the hottest or fastest, but it's still a great round, in my opinion. When covid hit, I spent some time "working from home". In my spare time, I tackled that 5-gallon bucket of .38 brass in the garage. I started with the brass, a hundred pounds of scrap lead, and 5k small-pistol primers. I now have a multi-year supply of .38 Special ammo, for pennies per round. It surprises me how expensive it is to buy, considering how cheap and easy it is to load.

Good thing it's so easy to load; my son easily goes through a couple boxes at a time at the range. I think his favorite is an old S&W Model 66, but I also have a Model 10 that someone before me really tuned up. It has the smoothest double-action pull I've ever seen.

Are other, newer rounds ostensibly better? Maybe, probably, but so what? I like them all. One of my favorites lately has been the old .32 S&W Long, a weak old round that may not be very practical, but it sure is fun!

 

[Member 38805]

Nobody should ever feel under gunned when carrying a .38 Special revolver. It's a very good cartridge, and a great cartridge in the hands of a trained owner. I've always liked the .38 Special and my very first handgun was a S&W Model 19 in .357 that I always shot .38 Specials in.
I had a S&W 52 Wadcutter semiauto target match pistol I competed with, and also a Davis Custom pin gun built on a S&W Model 10 frame I shot in competition. I still shoot my Davis a lot although haven't competed with it since the late 1990's.



I also have a like new in box S&W 38/44 Target in .38 Special on the 44 frame. A joy to shoot with any .38 ammo! It was ordered new with an extra barrel and cylinder, which are still with it.

 

[CLT65]

I have a S&W Model 28 Highway Patrolman. My 10yo daughter likes to shoot it.

The big, heavy N-frame is a bit heavy for her to hold up, but rested on sandbags (and under close supervision), light 38 Special wadcutters are like shooting .22s in it, and are very accurate.

 

[po18guy]

38sp is the restaurant style mild salsa of the 9mm flavors.

Give me the extra spicy.

.38 Super. 9X23. .356 TSW, and many more...

As to the .38 Spl, it will do everything that it ever could and substantially more with modern propellants and bullet technology. It is every bit as powerful as 9P as both will drive a 124/125 grain to about 1200 fps. It does this with lower pressure due to larger case capacity, about 2X IIRC.

 

[Mint]

I think the 38 special with a companion lever is just about one of best all around companion sets around.

 

[jbett98]

I bought a minty vintage Colt .38 Special Diamondback years ago and still haven't fired it.
This thread is making me want to drag it out of the safe and give it a go.

 

[Whisky Tahoe]

38 special wadcutters out of a SW52 are a pleasure to shoot. My wife carries a Taurus 856.
Easy round to load. Primer prices bumped the budget up though

 

[ma96782]

RE : Post #33
These babies can actually chamber and fire the .357 mag cartridge. But the .38 special does just fine when shooting in SASS matches.


SAA Colts (2nd Gen)


Marlin 1894 carbine. Add an appropriate shotgun (and some period style clothes) and you're ready to have some fun in a match.


Winchester 1897 12 ga.
Of course you're NOT limited to only these firearms.

Aloha, Mark

 

[po18guy]

I bought a minty vintage Colt .38 Special Diamondback years ago and still haven't fired it.
This thread is making me want to drag it out of the safe and give it a go.

Seen the DB prices lately?
No way you are losing on that purchase. Can sell it and buy a NEW Python.

 

[jbett98]

I have a mint 1980 Python. Only 12 rds through it. Six by the original owner and six by me.
The problem is that it's too nice to shoot. It's a true safe queen.
Brilliant polished stainless steel.

 

[Tony617]

I have a S&W 686-1 .357 magnum but I mostly shoot 38spl. I do enjoy shooting 357 magnum rounds, It is a nice shooting revolver but I did make a mistake of buy Winchester 357 158gr magnum silvertips and it quite painfully to shoot. I shoot 6 or 12 rounds and that was it. But 125 grain jacketed soft points or JHP are my favorite.

 

[coop44]

There have been millions of fixed sight m&p/model 10's built, probably the most produced handgun of all time. Still in the s&w line up. Just took out my recently acquired used model 10-7 put six touching holes in the target at 25 feet. Going to swap in a wider hammer and a smooth trigger this week. Maybe a set of hogues too.
Wikipedia says 6 million