.38 Special Pistols for self defense/new shooter?

M

Mosin-Marauder

New member
Just got my first pistol yesterday, a Röhm .22 Short revolver. I will use it as mostly a training platform for when I advance to a .38 Special pistol. I have some questions first though. Would a revolver or Semi auto be better for self defense? If so, Which would be good for me when I get a concealed carry and advance from my .22? What is the general consensus of Recoil and stopping Power of a .38 special? Thanks in advance for your advice and sorry for so many questions.
 
A 38 Special, with the proper ammo, is sufficient for self-defense. Your post is going to be popular. And there will be no shortage of opinions. But remember this: The 38 Special was the regular issue side arm for countless law enforcement agencies around the country - any beyond - for decades. And ammunition technology has improved greatly since then. Shot placement is everything. A properly placed shot with a 38 will neutralize a bad guy threat.
 
The .38 is very forgiving

As stated above, the right load for your usage, it is a very fine option for target or self defense. A .38 revolver is easy to learn and to shoot well without drawbacks that make for bad marksmanship that the .357 can lead to.
 
I've been an LEO since the late 70s. Started out carrying a .38 Special revolver. Back then we had to furnish our own weapons. We had very specific guidelines. Colt or S&W, .38 or .357, four inch barrel. I still carry a four inch Colt Police Positive Special and on occasion a Colt Detective Special. They have served me well and I see no reason to change.
 
It is your choice, but IMHO you have no place to advance from. I hope you didn't pay much for that Rohm which, aside from caliber, is simply not a gun to be relied on for self defense. If you want to use it for plinking, fine, it might help you understand gun handling in general terms. But I strongly recommend you "graduate" to a better revolver (or auto pistol if you prefer) before getting a license and carrying for serious purposes.

Jim
 
A 38 can be a great cc option with good ammo..as far as revolver vs semi choose which you shoot better..I like both and would carry both deepening on situation (area and clothing choice).you have to decide that one for yourself a semi gives you more rounds and quicker follow up shots while a revolver gives you less ammo and slower shots but much better reliability and ease of use..my advice is get both,shoot both,carry which one you like more..

as I'm sure everyone here can back me up on this might be your first gun but it is far from your last..lol..I'm sure you will upgrade a few times and find what works best for you
 
You're a pretty new shooter, and from your other posts, it seems like you've spent most of your time behind a rifle.

My advice to you is to go shoot a lot of different things. Make some friends with some other enthusiasts, preferably older folks with big collections.

I've been shooting since I was about 4, and my decision on what guns to finally buy for myself were based on shooting dozens and dozens of different styles and models. When I was old enough and financially able to buy my own guns, I had some ideas, but I still bought a couple things I ended up not liking.

Make a list of things you want to try. Here's my suggestions for things you need to try before you decide on a CCW gun:
A J frame S&W revolver in .38 and/or .357
A Ruger SP101 revolver in .38/.357
A Ruger LCR in .38/.357
A Glock 19, maybe a couple other models from Glock (maybe something in .40)
A modern S&W M&P
A Springfield XD
A Walter PPK
A 1911 officer size
A CZ 75
A Kel-Tec PF9
A Sig P238

All that being said, the .38 Special +P is a proven round. I carry a .38 Special everyday. Grant Cunningham and several other revolver enthusiasts recommend carrying .38 +P even over .357 magnum because it's so much easier to handle the recoil and make follow up shots.

So, try stuff out. Figure out what you like.
 
No, I didn't pay much for that revolver, Jim, it was an inheritance from my late grandfather and it shoots fairly well at 5 yards. It's no rifle , but it gets the job done. I never thought of it as a self defense gun, nor do I want it to be, that spot is reserved for the .38 Special Ammo in my ammo box.
 
I don't think anyone mentioned this yet, and maybe you already know, but if you want to use shoot .38 specials, you're basically limited to revolvers. I don't know of any semi-auto guns that shoot .38 specials (not mainstream ones anyway).

Of those revolvers, some are single action, some are double action, and some are double action only. (I don't mean to insult your intelligence if you already know this, but I figure I'd mention it in case you don't)

Single action (SA)--you must manually cock the hammer and then pull the trigger to shoot

Double action (DA)--you can manually cock the hammer and then pull the trigger to shoot or you can just pull the trigger to bring back the hammer and fire in one trigger pull (this requires a longer, heavier trigger pull)

Double action only (DAO)--these guns lack an accessible external hammer, so they can't be cocked prior to pulling the trigger.

Most people would prefer a DA or DAO revolver for defense. S&W and Ruger might be the most common revolver options today. Charter Arms and Taurus would be among the less expensive brands. There are a lot of used .38 special revolvers out on the market (particularly S&Ws) that some people would prefer over newer models.

I'm repeating some of what ckpj99 said, but if you want to go really small and light, the Ruger LCR, some of the polymer/aluminum S&W J-frame revolvers, and Charter Arms Undercover Lite models might interest you.

Steel J-frames and Charter Arms Undercover (non-Lite models) have more heft but are not bigger.

Next up in size might be Ruger SP101 revolvers, then S&W K-frame revolvers, and then you start getting into the Ruger GP100 and S&W 686, which are probably bulkier than necessary for .38 special.

Taurus makes revolvers of many different weights and sizes (more than I care to keep track of)

This isn't a comprehensive list of possibilities by any means. There are very high end options and many used guns and other lesser known brands I'm missing, but the above are some of the options I considered before I bought my first revolver.

*Again, sorry if this is all old, worthless information to you.
 
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Well, I've decided the gun I want. The Ruger LCR .38. It just looks so cool. I really want to get one and just shoot it before I buy one but I'm not sure how in would go about doing that. Thanks for all you help with this decision.
 
I'm not trying to talk you out of your choice, but I'll just mention that recoil might be a bit jumpy out of that 13.5 oz. gun. Not to say you couldn't handle it, but if you haven't shot handguns a lot it might be something to test before putting money into it.
 
I guess you're right. I need to get more comfortable with the revolver I have now before I move on, too. It will definitely be within a few years before I get a new pistol. But anyway thanks for your concern.
 
Mosin-M - Try to find a range near you that allows you to rent guns. Granted, if you're not old enough to buy a handgun, you're probably not old enough to rent, but if you find an older friend to go with you, they could rent it and you could try it out at least. I know most of the ranges around here that rent guns have LCRs or at least a airweight j-frame. Either would give you a good idea of the recoil you could expect from a small gun.
 
The late great Bill Jordan said the 38 Special was the most powerful cartridge the "average"-i.e. most of us-could hope to master. Hits with a 38 Special hurt a lot more than misses with more powerful calibers.
 
S&W Model 67

I just got this beauty about 6 weeks ago. It's a S&W Model 67 and it shoots wonderfully - through the entire spectrum of 38 ammo (and no other cartridge has a broader spectrum). Other than concealment maybe being a little tricky (no problem for a medium-to-large person with a couple layers of clothing), I can't recommend this piece enough.

38Special-M67_2014-03-15_zps0b87348c.jpg
 
I think 38spl is a fine defense round as long as it's from a gun with 3inch or greater barrel. snubbies do not allow for enough velocity or adequate penetration or expansion. if you want to carry a snubby stick with a 357 for defense loads
 
The LCR in .38 Special is a very poor choice for a first "serious" revolver.
Recoil is not light, and there are far better choices to learn with.
Looking cool is one of the last criteria to be considered.
Denis
 
I think 38spl is a fine defense round as long as it's from a gun with 3inch or greater barrel. snubbies do not allow for enough velocity or adequate penetration or expansion. if you want to carry a snubby stick with a 357 for defense loads
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I'd tend to have the opposite viewpoint. I'd rather not deal with the noise and recoil of .357 ammo in a small snub-nose gun. According to these tests (looking at the gun comparisons at the bottom), 2" barrels generally give up 100fps or less to 4" barrels. Maybe that's enough of a drop to reduce expansion and penetration in some ammo, but ammo specifically designed for snub-nose revolvers (like this Speer Gold Dot), will still expand and penetrate beyond 12". This Remington Golden Saber also appeared to do well out of a 2" barrel. I guess it may depend on how much stock you put in gelatin tests.
 
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Well, I've decided the gun I want. The Ruger LCR .38. It just looks so cool.
Click to expand...

DO NOT make your choice based on the fact that a gun "looks cool." Looks can be very deceiving. Do your homework, ask for opinions, and, if at all possible, shoot an example of what you are interested in before you plunk down your hard earned cash.
 
.38 Special in a gun specifically designed for that caliber is very noticeably lighter to carry than a magnum cousin. Either that or the magnum is too light to really be appropriate for shooting magnum rounds without serious shooter intimidation.

Aside from being a reliable defense gun, a .38 Special ONLY gun is one you will prefer to carry because of weight and bulk.

There aren't a lot of .38 Special ONLY, 6 shot revolvers available new these days. I would (and have) go for a 4" barrel for marksmanship and good balance. Rugers are too heavy, built more to handle .357 Magnum. The S&W J/K "small frame" guns are the candidates along with the Rossi 851, either new or the Interarms vintage stainless version. There may be others that I am not considering. Quality is kind of elusive these days, so warranty and customer service are critical to owning these guns.

Look at the S&W Model 67. The formula there is 38 S&W Special only, +p rated, 6 shot, 4 inch barrel, adjustable target sights. Even there, the +p thing has forced the gun into a medium frame, almost as heavy as a Ruger .357, when a design dedicated to .38 Special would be lighter like a Colt Diamondback or its Rossi 851 clone.
 
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