Revolvers

Z

ZVP

New member
With the increase of open and concealed carry, I have noticed that citizens rather than Police seem to prefer revolvers. The manufacturers have saturated the civillian market with many snubbie revolvers and they get chosen for good reasons. reliability, size and power.
I also have noticed that you NEVER see .38special ammo listed on the various sale ad's in magazines and in store cirruclars. You can find many autoloader calibers 9mm 40 45 380 but no .38 Special.
You'd think with the popularity of the revolvers, there'd be plenty of sale ammo! What's up?
Off the shelf .38 ammo runs around $22-$25 for basic loads.
I'd like to know if anyone sells reloads on line?
My guns prefer 158gr lead.
Even my Vaquero likes the Remington 158gr roundnose for best accuracy!
I own a .38 Cobra Derringer. 357 Vaquero, a Model 36 and a Model 10 Smith. all like lead bullets.
I guess we .38 Special owners will either need to reload or buy remington factory loads?
The .38 Special is a great load!
ZVP
 
I don't keep track of whats for sale on-line because I cast my own bullets and reload my own. When I've been in a few LGS, they seem to have "remanufactured" (reloaded by a company licensed to reload) ammo for 38s. The LGS I go to usually seem to carry 148 gr WC target ammo - the casings have mixed head stamps.

The "reloaded/remanufactured" ammo is fine. I've used it and it shoots well our of my 38s.

You may want to look in to reloading your own. I scrounge my own lead and have casings that I reload over and over again. Depending on powder cost and primer cost, I have about 6 to 8 cents in each reloaded round. That of course doesn't include my time or reloading equipment.

One thing to remember as a word of warning - sometimes you'll see "reloads" out on tables at gunshots. Unless it is specifically marked as being remanufactured / reloaded by a licensed company - I'd avoid it. If it's something that somebody (Joe Blow) has reloaded, you have no idea of what the powder charge, powder type, etc. is.

I reload for myself only and never allow anyone to shoot my reloads - nor do I shoot somebody else's reloads (that have been done by an individual - even if I know them) - it's just a safe practice. "Remanufactured" ammo sold by a LGS is another story - shouldn't have any more problems with that than new factory ammo.
 
 
well the OP question is "why no sale ammo for 38 special?"

well heres the quick short answers

1. snub nose revolvers require lots of practice, so why make practice cheap for the customer?

2. the big lots of bulk 9 40sw and 45acp ammo you see on sale is normally what the ammo companies couldnt sell to the dod/doj per federal contract. so it makes everyting cheaper for the companies because if its rejected by the primary purchaser, the secondary purchaser wants it.
 
well heres the quick short answers

1. snub nose revolvers require lots of practice, so why make practice cheap for the customer?

2. the big lots of bulk 9 40sw and 45acp ammo you see on sale is normally what the ammo companies couldnt sell to the dod/doj per federal contract. so it makes everyting cheaper for the companies because if its rejected by the primary purchaser, the secondary purchaser wants it.
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I dont know about all that.

The reason is people go out plinking with their defensive guns and lightweight snub 38's are no fun to plink with.
 
I agree with Billy, during the winter since I don't ski, snowmobile, iceskate, or build snowmen, I cast and reload. When shooting weather arrives, I have literally 1000s of rounds of various cartridges, 32/20s, 32WSPs, 38specs. .44 specs. .45Colts, 45 ACP, 45/70s, and 8/57 Mausers. I don't cast for my .223s, but I use to, and don't reload for my 9mms, but probably will if prices continue to rise.

If you think shooting is something you'd like to do a lot I'd get into reloading asap.
 
I own both semi-auto and revolvers, and I think the answer is painfully obvious...

REASON A) When I shoot my CZ-75, I load 16 rounds in the magazine. 3 magazines eats an entire box of ammo.

When I shoot my Model 65, I load 6 rounds in the cylindar. It takes 8 times to go through a box of ammo.

I can easily shoot 100 rounds of ammo in my CZ, and wonder where it all went. Typically, with the number of reloads in my revolver, I'm much more aware of how much ammo I use, and tend to call it a day after 50 rounds.

REASON B) There aren't as many customers shooting revolvers. While I don't have solid proof. I suggest you look at the thread/post/user totals for the Semi-Auto forum and for the Revolver Forum.

As of this posting, it is:
Semiautomatic- 108 viewing; 67,218 Threads; 1,017,268 Posts.
Revolver-- 34 Viewing; 31,691 Threads; 441,349 Posts.

Sales are used to get people in the door. Based on these numbers, putting 9mm on sale will statistically attract more people than 38 Special.

Just my opinions, for what they're worth.

ETA: I'd also bet that the ease in saving revolver brass makes it more conducive to reloading, driving the numbers of purchasers down as well.
 
Golly Jimmy maybe auto loader guys are just more chatty, maybe they have low self esteem and are compensating online...That's a joke Jimmy I was just trying to illustrate anyone can pull a theory out of where the sun don't shine. BTW I'm in my mid sixties and still pick up all my 45ACP, 9MM .223 etc.brass and don't even load for the 9MM, yet.
 
I also have noticed that you NEVER see .38special ammo listed on the various sale ad's in magazines and in store cirruclars.
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I don't know where you are, but perhaps its a regional thing. In my part of the country, one sees .38 Special in the stores flyers. 9mm, .38Spl &.45ACP are the conmmon ones, although .40 and .357 are often in them, as well.

You usually won't find the load you want as a sale special, but sometimes you get lucky. Most of the time, if you find .38SPl on the cheap, its the GI load (130grFMJ), but sometimes its the usual 158gr lead. Sometimes.

I have noticed that citizens rather than Police seem to prefer revolvers.
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Private citizens get to choose what they want, and can afford. Police, do not. And while I think there are still a few small depts. that allow individual officers their own choices (provided they qualify), most do not, and have not done so for generations. Basically, Police get what their dept issues, or in some cases, get to choose one, from a short list of approved guns.

Rank and file uniformed officers aren't primarily carrying auto pistols over revolvers because of their personal preference, but because they are what the dept. requires. Now, today, many of the younger officers would carry an autopistol by personal choice, often because they have little or no experience with revolvers, and are not trained to use them.

I came across a story of one young officer, who found a revolver at a crime scene, and had to get his older partner to unload it, as he had no idea how to do it. Combine official support only for autos, and a younger generation who seldom knows anything else, and it is rare indeed to still find revolvers for uniform duty wear.
 
Around here, .38 ammo is as popular and available as any other. Only thing is, there is not the surplus or the cheap foreign brands like with the more popular auto rounds. As for civilians choices over LEOs for weaponry, one needs to realize that LEOs are more prone to engage in prolonged gunfights, in a offensive situation, requiring higher capacity firearms, as compared to the average citizen carrying concealed for SD. Revolvers are also safer, easier to use, require less maintenance and are less finicky to ammo brand/type than semi-autos.
 
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