.38 Special

Infobox Firearm Cartridge
name=.38 Special


caption=.38 Special rounds
origin=flagcountry|United States
type=Revolver
designer=Smith & Wesson
design_date=1902
parent=.38 Long Colt
case_type=Rimmed, straight
bullet=.358
neck=.379
shoulder=
base=.379
rim_dia=.44
rim_thick=.058
case_length=1.155
length=1.55
rifling=
primer=Small pistol
velocity=
energy=
bw1=110
btype1=JHP
vel1=980
en1=235
bw2=130
btype2=FMJ
vel2=810
en2=189
bw3=148
btype3=LWC
vel3=690
en3=156
bw4=158
btype4=LRN
vel4=770
en4=208
bw5=
btype5=
vel5=
en5=
test_barrel_length=4 in (vented)
balsrc= [cite web |url=http://www.federalcartridge.com/ballistics |title=Federal Cartridge Co. ballistics page |accessdate=2007-09-25 ] [cite web |url=http://www.handloads.com/misc/saami.htm |title=SAAMI Pressures |accessdate=2007-09-25 ] [cite web |url=http://www.leverguns.com/articles/saami_pressures.htm |title=SAAMI Pressures |accessdate=2007-09-25 ] [cite web |url=http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Handgun/Standarddata/35738Cal(9.2 mm)/38%20S_W%20Special%20pages%2097%20to%2098.pdf |title=Accurate Powder Loading Data |accessdate=2007-09-25 ] [cite web |url=http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp |title=Cartridge Loading Data - Hodgdon |accessdate=2007-09-25 ] :"For the rock band of the same name, see 38 Special (band)."The .38 Smith & Wesson Special (commonly .38 Special or .38 Spl, 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 9x29mmR.

History

Despite its name, its 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 .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 longer length prevents potential accidents from the significantly higher pressure generated by the .357 Magnum cartridge).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.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.] Most handloading manuals and other references date the cartridge to 1902 and the Smith & Wesson Military and Police revolver variation of that year. The letter pictured provides the true history of the cartridge. 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. [cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_177_29/ai_n14816291 |title=Special specials: what, where and why? |accessdate=2007-09-25 ] 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. [cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_2_52/ai_n15978705 |title=The .38 special: one of our favorite rounds |accessdate=2007-09-25 ] It is used for target shooting and formal target competition, for hunting small game, and for self-defense.

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.Fact|date=August 2007 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 rarely seen high velocity load made by manufacturers such as Federal and Winchester, usually labeled (For Law Enforcement Only) and designated .38 Special +P+.. [http://www.ammobank.com/images5/38hs2g.jpg] This ammunition is meant to be only used in .357 revolvers and can cause significant damage to firearms rated for only .38 Special or .38 Special +P.

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 blackpowder 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 generally 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.

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 9mm Parabellum, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP. It is still common in security use by guardsFact|date=March 2008 who value the reliability and simplicity of a revolver, and by private citizens for concealed carry and police for secondary/backup handguns because its recoil when fired from very small and lightweight revolvers is considered much more manageable than more powerful cartridges; its low recoil is more easily controlled and acclimated too.

ynonyms

*.38
*.38 Smith & Wesson Special
*.38 Special
* 9x29mmR (European designation, unusual)

ee also

* List of handgun cartridges
* 9 mm caliber

References

External links

* [http://www.snubnose.info The Snubnose Files]
* [http://stoppingpower.info/index.php?title=.38_Special .38 Special Videos]