.38 for edc?

enough gun

I like a Combat Commander in .45, or an 18 shot 9mm, or a FA .44 Spl. or a .308, or......But I carry a Ruger LCR in .38 spl. I don't feel undergunned, and it's light and DEPENDABLE. The best gun in the world is always the gun you have on you when you absolutely, positively NEED a gun.
 
Deaf Smith, what the heck was meant by that "amego" comment?
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Amego is the Spanish word for 'friend'. If you read, or have read, Sketter Skelton's or Bill Jordan's or Charlie Askins works you would familiar with the term.

Deaf
 
i learned handgun skills on a s&w model 10 4" 38 in early 80s when it was still issued. great experience especially with speedloaders. i in house- or pack-carry a steel taurus model 85 snubbie but cant do well with any alloy 38 snubbie unless i use the lightest of cowboy loads from georgia arms. im one of those guys who prefers to consistently hit with a ruger lcr 22lr ccw that i always have on me than miss with a 38. if i could hit with an airweight i would be very happy with a 38 for defense.
 
I am going to answer anecdotally with my own evidence to back it up. I think 38spl is a fantastic EDC for people who can handle to shoot 38spl over other, more powerful options. About three years ago, I got into ballistics when really getting into hand loading. 38spl is NOT the best choice IF you can handle a stronger caliber, and ALOT has to do with the firearm you plan to use. A revolver with a three inch or longer barrel is wildly different than a snubbie with a less than two inch barrel.

I started my EDC adventure with 9mm and have stuck with it, happily and confidently. So when my wife was ready, I had her follow suit. The semi autos just never clicked, her confidence dropped after every outing despite buying her 3 different pistols. She was at her wits end and enjoyed shooting as much as she enjoys giving birth. After I traded her last 9mm for a 357 snub, it was immediately shooting in the bull from first shot and hundreds of shots after, this is shooting 38 out of the Taurus .357 poly. I have since worked her up to a 110gr gold dot running between plus p 38 and 357 with a low report powder, took 500 plus rounds to get her there. So, long story short, 38 IS a good and even the BEST caliber for her to EDC.

Reason I do not PERSONAL LY feel its a good choice if you can sufficiently handle better. My first time shooting gel, I tried many times to get Fed HydraShok to expand from her snub (factory 38 loads and even +P) none expanded except for a couple half way(I'll find pics in my albums later), penetration in the 8-9" margins. Okay, not a new bullet design and there are many more, but looking for lpoads SHE could shoot. 90gr Honady lite, great expansion to the 8-10" mark and accurate, this was her carry for some time.

Laugh or cry, but I had an ND inside of out home because I couldn't keep my grubby hands of the interesting lockworks of her revolver(never owned one before, I "played" with it way too much) . laying on the couch, watching Television, I was cocking and thumbing the hammer down, over and over, like a real idiot. Gun goes off, incredibly quietly (wife five feet away and didn't even wake up, all the carpet and couches and whatever absorbed so much sound), anyway......shot the arm of the couch that had my thin leather jacket over it. I still wear this jacket, wore it today. It was folded so the bullet pierced the VERY THIN leather four times. Me and wife looked for the hole in the wall for hours.....never found it, nor in the couch. But did find the bullet, undeformed, sitting in the sleeve of my jacket. Still have the bullet, which could be reloaded and fired again, but kept on nightstand as a reminder to stop f&%$#ng with guns. I'll post pics
 
Sorry if my post missed the final point, it was that after that event, combined with my own testing, even my wife no longer feels safe with stanfardf 38s against winter clothing. I do think a 3 inch barrel will open m!many possibilities though. I just picked up a 4 inch 38 SPL and am excited to text ballistic s, my levr hard also jhaf good damage, hopefully the 4 will be the ticket. My point is that I think a snubbie needs to be 9mm at least or 327mag even. 357s from snubbies are not pleasant and still gibe up a lot, so of you decide 38 is for ypou, go 3 inch and plus 0 of that's a choice. If not, it'll still poke holes and prob get the job done though

SORRY FOR TYPOS, just got this 50$ amazon tab and although its fast, the keyboard is small and the correct hasn't learned me yet
 
Usually with someone, and maybe an amego or two, trying to kill you, you are having a bad day.
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If the Colt Cobra I carry can't handle the job, I figure I'm having a really bad day.
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I agree. And, as I said, if the Colt I'm carrying isn't enough, I'm having a REALLY bad day. ;)
 
The military moved to .45acp due to the need to stop a motivated enemy from fighting even after he'd been mortally wounded (in the Philippines IIRC).
The US involvment offically ended on July 4 1902. Many years befor the 1911 and the 45acp were on line. They did bring in single action colts in 45 colt and reissue them. And those also failed to stop on occasion. But so did the Krag 30-40 rifles with a 220gr bullet going over 2000fps. The only sure stopper they had was a 12ga shotgun loaded with buckshot. See if you can find a copy of the artical by Jack Lott titled "the 45 and the Moros. A myth exploded" or something close to that. It appeared in a Guns and Ammo annual, I have a copy of it up in my attic.

I can't really add much to what the others have said except you don't need a load that will hit 1000 to 1100fps either. A SWCHP at 850 will do everything you need to do with a snubby revolver. Just a plain SWC at the same speed will do more than you think it will.

Buy this book. It has all you need to know about snubby guns. I have read my copy about 10 times.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Snubby-Rev.../dp/1581605714
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+1 on everything.....an excellent post :)
 
Personally, I would feel a little undergun with 5 shots because I know that once the adrenaline flows, the heart rate gets to 150, accuracy goes out the window. It ain't about spray and pray either. It's about having enough ammo to end the fight.
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Practice/muscle memory will overcome an adrenaline dump.

As for "enough ammo", historically the vast majority of gunfights are ended with less than five rounds on target. It's only become a more (relatively) recent phenomenon where large numbers of rounds are fired (usually by LEOs) with the vast majority missing the target. This can be attributed to poor training and lack of practice.

Most people today seem to believe LEOs are "gun people", most aren't, but thanks to Holywood perception is skewed. To the vast majority of LEOs I've worked with and trained over my career, their firearm is simply another tool akin to their flashlight and radio. I've even known a few LEOs who loathed their firearm, dreaded qualifications, and could barely operate it, sadly unions & PC would allow them to continue their career inspite of poor skills.

Rewind the clock to the days when a much larger portion of the population grew up using firearms, recreated with firearms, hunted and worked with firearms. In those days expectations along with actual performance were much much higher, LEOs not only practiced more but appreciated the art and science of being a good pistoleer.

Practice Practice Practice
 
ratrodney said:
i keep hearin bout how the. 38 isnt great for self defense???
Oppinions please?
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I have two opinions:

1. 38spl is a good SD load with the proper ammo.

2. You shouldn't listen to whoever has been giving you firearm advice.
 
I have two opinions:

1. 38spl is a good SD load with the proper ammo.

2. You shouldn't listen to whoever has been giving you firearm advice.
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1. If the gun is big enough to handle it.
2. Whoever disagrees must be wrong, eh?:rolleyes:

I still go back to law enforcement choosing to relegate 38 Special to backup guns and move on to something more punishing or with more shots in a primary carry.
 
I still go back to law enforcement choosing to relegate 38 Special to backup guns and move on to something more punishing or with more shots in a primary carry.
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If you realistically compare 38spl to 9mm, similar bullet weights give similar velocities and will perform similarly, shot for shot.

The 9mm will, obviously, give you more rounds in the gun and a faster reload. Unless running a DAO pistol there is a better trigger pull with the semi's as well, at least once in single action.

That makes for a better "duty" weapon. Not some imagined power increase in a different caliber
 
Pretty much.

The way I see it, if it wasn't an effective caliber, the police wouldn't have used the .38 Special and it's weaker predecessors, all the way to 0.36 ball, for over a century - while there were perfectly viable .44 and .45 catridges all along.

Of course the larger calibers are marginally more effective, but I would call it a proven self defense caliber.
 
If you realistically compare 38spl to 9mm, similar bullet weights give similar velocities and will perform similarly, shot for shot.

The 9mm will, obviously, give you more rounds in the gun and a faster reload. Unless running a DAO pistol there is a better trigger pull with the semi's as well, at least once in single action.

That makes for a better "duty" weapon. Not some imagined power increase in a different caliber
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I anticipated the 9mm argument but was thinking more in terms of 40 S&W. At the same time, 9mm is almost the same caliber as 38 Special and is a hotter round.
 
Pretty much.

The way I see it, if it wasn't an effective caliber, the police wouldn't have used the .38 Special and it's weaker predecessors, all the way to 0.36 ball, for over a century - while there were perfectly viable .44 and .45 catridges all along.

Of course the larger calibers are marginally more effective, but I would call it a proven self defense caliber.
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I am picturing a discussion about cartridge effectiveness on game, and suddenly we know all these nuances of one versus another...killing power, trajectory, etc. Longer range may be a very different discussion, but I'm just saying, we seem to cut attackers a lot of slack when it comes to getting shot with intent to stop their threat.
 
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