zvp- If you're looking for a low-level, mild-recoil .38, I'd recommend .38 wad-cutter reloads. I bought several boxes from Buffalo Arms for $13 for a box of 50. On the other hand, I don't believe you could get .38 longs for anywhere close to that price. The ones I got{and I believe they still have them at $14 a box} go out of the gun at 760 fps. Quite comfortable to shoot and accurate. You could use .38 longs and get the same effect, But they are really expensive, as it is not a popular round. By the way, the .38 reloads are made by Ultra-Max, and I've never had a FTF with them.
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. 38 Colt?
- Thread starter ZVP
- Start date
Jim Watson
New member
Old Colt advertisement for New Service revolver:
".38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, .38 Colt Special, .38 S&W Special full and midrange loads, .38 Colt Special High Speed, .38 S&W Special High Speed and .38-44 S&W Special cartridges in .38 Special model."
These days you mostly see forty-eleven different .38 Specials from Cheapmart Econoball to dollar+ a pop Zombie slayers.
For low recoil, I would go with midrange wadcutters or the rather anemic 130 gr FMJ discount house stuff.
Magtech makes a thing they call ".38 Special Short" that is about the length of a .38 S&W but the case and bullet diameter of .38 Special without the complications of .38 Short or Long Colt.
http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/10979
".38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, .38 Colt Special, .38 S&W Special full and midrange loads, .38 Colt Special High Speed, .38 S&W Special High Speed and .38-44 S&W Special cartridges in .38 Special model."
These days you mostly see forty-eleven different .38 Specials from Cheapmart Econoball to dollar+ a pop Zombie slayers.
For low recoil, I would go with midrange wadcutters or the rather anemic 130 gr FMJ discount house stuff.
Magtech makes a thing they call ".38 Special Short" that is about the length of a .38 S&W but the case and bullet diameter of .38 Special without the complications of .38 Short or Long Colt.
http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/10979
I'm surprised that nobody has pointed out that there are three ".38 Colt" cartridges
actually, it seems there were more than that, at least by the names they were marketed under.
The .38 Long Colt (intro 1875) fired a 150gr bullet at 770fps, and was the offical US Army revolver cartridge from 1892 to 1911.
.38 Short Colt; identical to Long Colt except for case length (shorter @ .762 vs 1.03") and used a 130 gr outside lubricated bullet at 770fps.
.38 Colt Special; same as the .38 S&W Special (our common .38 Spl today) except it used a flat point bullet.
.38 Colt New Police; dimensionally the same as the .38 S&W (NOT the .38 SPL), and the .38/200 British cartridge. This case is shorter, and fatter than the .38 Spl, and uses a slightly larger diameter bullet as well. It was loaded with a 145gr or 200gr bullet.
The first three will chamber and fire in a .38 Special, although the rims are slightly undersize (.433 vs .440"). The last one should not chamber in a .38 Spl, but will in some guns that have sloppy chambers. .38 SPL base dia is .379, while .38 S&W (.38 Colt New Police) is .386".