.38 terminology

I guess you mean a .38+P. .38 +P has more pressure to it. That's why they recomended that you did not shoot them out of older small frame 38's because of the higher velocity.
 
+P ammo of any caliber is loaded to higher pressure. As Ruger357 already said, its not recomended that you shoot +P's out of an older gun, and also, some new guns its not recommended that you shoot +P's a lot. I remember hearing how the Navy SEALS were testing Beretta's, they used such hot +P ammo that the slide on the Beretta's would split in half and fly in thier face. There is a quote that goes along with the story-
"You arent a Navy SEAL until you've tasted Italian steel"

[This message has been edited by MrBlonde (edited June 30, 2000).]
 
"they used such hot +P ammo that the slide on the Beretta's would split in half and fly in thier face"

This happened to a fellow Marine at MP training school. Many stitches on his right cheek. Permanent scar. Messy.

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NRA/GOA/SAF/USMC

Oregon residents please support the Oregon Firearms Federation, our only "No compromise" gun lobby. http://www.oregonfirearms.org

[This message has been edited by Longshot (edited July 01, 2000).]
 
Another question concerning the .38 . Is a .38 revolver the same as a .38 Special? Are they the same caliber of revolver?

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Snow Man:
Another question concerning the .38 . Is a .38 revolver the same as a .38 Special? Are they the same caliber of revolver?

[/quote]

A .38 Special is the round for a .38 caliber revolver.
There is a .38 Super round that is a semi-auto round. I don't think their available much any more.
Correct me if I'm wrong, folks.
 
You wrong

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beemerb
We have a criminal jury system which is superior to any in the world;
and its efficiency is only marred by the difficulty of finding twelve men
every day who don't know anything and can't read.
-Mark Twain
 
Just to clarify one issue, there are "38" revolvers that don't use the .38 Special, although it is probably by far the most common. For example, there are quite a few revolvers chambered for the .38 S&W (Smith & Wesson). This is an older, shorter, less powerful .38 caliber revolver cartridge. I think there are a few other "38" cartridges as well. If you are considering an older "38" revolver, I'd be sure to find out which "38" cartridge it uses. Chances are, if a .38 special cartridge will fit properly into the chamber, it's okay (but I'm not 100% sure of this).

Doug
 
.38 revolvers are generally .38 special, though they could also be the shorter, fatter .38 S&W that the .38 special replaced (just look for .38 special and you'll be fine), but these would be quite old (60+ years)guns anyhow.

The .38 special and .38 special +P are identical dimension-wise.

.38 special and .357 magnum are identical in diameter, but not length, thus you can use .38 special in a .357, but the longer .357 rounds won't chamber in a .38 special (you hope!).

There is also .38 (not .380) ACP, for semi-autos, that is dimensionally identical to .38 super, but the latter is loaded much hotter and not compatable with previous guns, though it should work vice versa for the .38ACP in a .38 super with a possible change of recoil spring. Neither of these are for revolver use, with extraction of spent shells being just one problem.

Hope this .38 info helps.
 
Okay, .38 super, .38 special, .38 ACP, .38 +p, .357 magnum, 9mm. Each very nearly the same diameter, different shells/loads. Got a handle on some of their differences. What about the .380 someone mentioned? How does it differ from the other above cartridges?
 
.380 ACP [Automatic Colt Pistol], european designation 9x17MM [Calibre x Unfired case length.] , 9MM Kurz, 9mm Short.

Rimless Cartridge for self-loading handguns.

9mm Para, Luger, NATO etc... is 9x19mm

Have fun,

[This message has been edited by Young Kiwi (edited July 02, 2000).]
 
Woodit and Snow Man, (and any others) go buy a copy of "Cartridges of the World". It has all the information and more regarding this and similar issues. It is an invaluable reference book on the subject.

Please, this is not a blow off; but is (humbly) the best answer available.

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Archie
 
Caution.....
I have seen revolver, old break top, marked .38 S+W that did NOT have limiting shoulder in the chambers. It was same diameter all the way through. Somebody could chamber and fire .38spec or .357mag with deep seated bullet.

Guns marked .38S+W are not all that old. S+W listed the model 32 in .38S+W through 1974.

Sam
 
Thanks for starting this thread. My daughter wants to shoot my S&W 649 .357. Will a .380 ACP round fire and extract OK from this gun? In the alternative, what are the absolute lightest loads available?

Any factual information will be appreciated.

Regards,
Ledbetter
 
'Kay, it's like this: the "standard 9mm" (or "Parabellum") is 9mm wide by 19mm long in the case. The .380 is the same, but 17mm long.

These things don't have rims...so if you stick 'em in a normal .357, they'll drop forward and your firing pin won't hit the primer.

Ruger sells a .357 Blackhawk single action that comes with a second cylinder in 9mm Para. That's the easy way to get a gun that'll shoot .357, .38Spl and 9mm. But not .380 - they'll drop into the 9mm cylinders but will drop 2mm too deep and again, no primer hit.

There's a freaky conversion for the L-Frame S&W guns and the Blackhawk called the "Medusa Cylinder". This puppy grabs any 9mm/.38 width bullet by the REAR of the shell, with a funky grabber thingy. Upshot: it eats *anything* even remotely resembling good fodder - 9mm, 9x21, .380, .38Super, .38Special, .357, many more oddballs. REALLY cool :). Damn near the ultimate in "post holocaust compatible", you can feed it whatever's laying around, practically.

I think that same bunch switched to using that technology in a complete factory gun. Dunno if those cylinders are still available.

A gunsmith should be able to brew up spare Blackhawk or other SA cylinders in whatever freakshow .38-family caliber you're into, such as .380, 9x21, whatever. But the reality is, you're better off handloading with .357 cases to get whatever power levels you want, from mild .380-equivelents on up to "borderline .44Mag ballistics" in a strong enough gun like a Ruger SA.

The cool part about any wheelgun is there's no "lower limit" to the power levels; you don't need a minimum amount of energy to rack a slide. The only limit is the max before the gun blows up :).

Jim
 
Thanks Jim. Guess I'll get a buddy to hand roll me some light ones for the youngster. Haven't picked the gun up yet after the California waiting period; Lauren saw it when I paid the balance last week. She thought the Beretta .22s were cute too. :eek:

Regards to all.

Ledbetter
 
Here's a rundown off the top of my head of .38s and like-diameter cartridges... This does not include rimfire cartridges....

Revolver cartridges

.38 Short Colt
.38 Long Colt
.38 S&W
.38 Special
.357 Magnum
.357 Maximum
.380 Revolver (old old British cartridge very similar to the .38 S&W)
9mm Federal
9mm Lefauchaux Pinfire
.38-40 (actually a .40 caliber bullet)
9mm Dutch Revolver
9mm Japanese Revolver


Semi-auto cartridges

.380 ACP
9mm Luger
9mm Glisinti
9mm Browning
9mm Bergman Bayard
9mm Largo (I think this is one of the two previous cartridges by another name, but can't remember which one)
9mm Mauser Export
9mm Steyr
9mm Mars
9mm Winchester Magnum
9mm Ultra Police
.357 Sig.
9x21
9x23
.38 ACP
.38 Super
.357 Auto Mag.
9.2 Romanian Colt
9mm Makarov

This list isn't by any stretch of the imagination exhaustive, but I'm at work and don't have my references.


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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.
 
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