38 special for self defense

Have shot a lot of .38 special over the last forty years and have never considered it to be a weak round. I trust it for self defense.
 
I prefer 45acp for a defensive round, but I've carried a 22 before too. So I think I'd feel confident with 38spl for SD. The three I have are too large for CCW though
 
I like the 38 special cartridge and have carried it for SD in the past. These days I prefer my SD weapon to have more cartridges available. I carry a Glock 26.
 
I keep a 38 spl in the safe on the nightstand. The same people who say a 38spl isn't enough gun are the ones that say a 30/30 won't kill a deer. The 30/30 has been taking whitetail deer for many years.
 
I bet my life on a "souped up" 3" 649 S&W (custom mods) it is chambered in .357... My SD load is created to hit POA at 50'. 925-950 fps (.38spl velocities) 158 gr 1/2 jacket SWC (Keith) bullet. And, I have the T-shirt, trophy and ring that proves it works.


Realistically... .380- .45 acp all work about equal as SD loads. About 40-50 % lethal and about the same as "one-shot" stops.

My pistol of choice for open carry is a 5" 1911 45 but it is just not convenient all the time. So, my 649 is my next on the list.

I am very old school (and old) so set in my ways. And, a .45 acp and a .357/.38 make me feel all warm and fuzzy.
 
.38 Special

This thing feels so good in the hand, has a very comfortable recoil and quick re-acquisition of target. I think I could get six in a bad guy quicker and more accurately than with my 357.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    116.7 KB · Views: 63
Quote: "I may have missed it, but when did people become so tough that nothing less than .50 BMG will so for self defense? It seems to me that a lot of the "caliber X is worthless and you need..." stuff is coming from range heroes who just like making a lot of noise."


Well said, JamesK.
 
The .38 might be more dependent on premium ammo than most

Choose your bullet carefully and you won't be undergunned . You could say that for every caliber out there.
For lightweight guns the .38 is easier to train and master than the .357
 
Seems to me that some guys tend to overthink this "which caliber/load/bullet is best" issue. The 38spl is a fine choice for defensive purposes and will serve well if employed properly.

Remember, Dirty Harry is just a movie. ;)
 
I wonder how much of this is actually gun driven as well?

I seem to remember that Ayoob had some numbers a while back on revolver hit ratios with supposedly "trained" cops, and they were pretty dismal, something like 25%, which isnt good, especially when you only have 5 or 6 rounds on board. Those ratios jumped up when the cops started switching to autos. I realize the number of rounds fired also jumped up, but actual hits also seemed to be better.

Perhaps this more about perception, and has more to with the results of "misses" than it does with hits.

I dont think theres really a lot of difference between modern loads of the various realistic calibers, but shootabilty does make a big difference, especially if youre not willing to put in the effort to get good with what you carry. Unfortunately, many, if not most of the favored "carry" .38s, come in packages that require a good bit of constant work to be proficient with them, and are equally unfortunate to be brutal to shoot enough to achieve that.
 
I don't think people are constructed any different today then they were at the conception of the 38SP back in the late 1800's.
And it's done an adequate job for all these years.

Guess it will work till the super-humans come along.
 
the .38spl LHP+p by Remington has a proven street record. not bal-gel, not lab reports, not back yard tests, not hear say, not third hand stories but real life street records, even from snubbies.

shot placement trumps all, and with good shot placement a properly designed and applied .38spl round will do the job.

at times I have to wonder if an OP is asking because they really are lacking the knowledge or trying to get under the skin of those with fragile egos....

is it the best or the worst? no. yet some will always chime in with how a .50cal desert eagle is better or how a Tommy gun carries more rounds..... neither answer the question asked.
 
The notion that the 38 Special is inadequate for self defense seems to have started in the 1960s with the spread of drug use, and the RNL bullet is a poor choice, but like the 22lr, beats feet, fists and foul language.
 
Yes indeed!

The .38S&W Special is an ideal round for protection Heavy or light fast moving H/P's M/E is adequate to incapacitate, with center mass hits Penetration is good through heavy clothing and the cartrige is still small enough that you can carry 100 rounds without a lot of troubles
A wide variety of loads provide serious "social" loadings all the way to light paper punching loads When handloaded good hunting ammo can be assembled as well as inexpensive pratice ammo too!
For more than 100 years it's been a preferred choice for self defense! WHy? because it works!
ZVP
 
I believe that you should chamber what the gun was made to shoot. If you choose to carry a .357 Magnum then the loads in the gun should be .357 Magnum. Much "hay" is made of shelling out hundreds if not thousands of dollars for a "magnum" chambering only to load it with WEAK "standard" loads. For example, why buy a .357 Magnum if you're only going to stick +P .38spl ammo in it? Why spend the cash on a .44 Mag if you're going to stick .44 spl ammo in it?
If I'm carrying a .44 MAGNUM you can be sure it's loaded with MAGNUM ammo! Same with the .357 Magnum.

Despite what so many "experts" will proclaim, the average handgun is marginal for putting a human down. A .44 special delivering 400 lb-ft is nowhere near a .44 Magnum delivering 1,000 lb-ft.

As for the nonsense about "flash and blast" bear in mind that the FLASH of a magnum round being loosed is GREATER and therefore more disorienting on the MUZZLE side of the gun! If you the shooter can be disoriented by flash and blast, IMAGINE how the person on the receiving side is going to feel?

The bottom line is: If you buy a .357 Magnum then LOAD IT WITH .357 Magnum ammo! If you buy a .44 Magnum then load it with full magnum ammo!
 
The .38 spl from a 1.8" barrel is pretty close to the .380 ACP...and in many loadings superior.
Yes a .357 Magnum beats the .38 spl everyday including Sunday, but it does so with a recoil penalty that many cannot accept.

Any way you slice it, cartridges delivering less than 350 lb-ft of KE are marginal at best, but the trade-off between concealment and power is why we choose to carry a less powerful gun.
 
+P ammunition is not necessary in a .38 Special.
Click to expand...

Beat me to it Bill. Absolutely correct and IMO poppy cock to +P ammo. 38/357 if you think the 38 is wimpy then carry 357. Again in my opinion the +P market is just that a marketing gimmick. Oh boy that +P is getting and extra 100-200 fps, it's sooooo much better.:rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top