Short-case .38 Spl for snubs?

Stop me if you have heard this one...

Charter Arms made a few revolvers for the 9mm Federal, a rimmed version of the 9mm P.
But as radny says, it was on the .38 Special frame and cylinder length.
And, unlike labnoti, they got worried that somebody would load a topbreak .38 S&W with it and get the results you might expect from triple the design pressure.
Didn't sell very well, either, so it was dropped
 
A gunzine article went through several of the figures of merit for the .38 S&W and concluded it was comparable to .380 ACP.
Considering the number of posts recommending .38 Special midrange wadcutters, I don't think you are seriously undergunned with .38 S&W.
 
zxcvbob said:
You could load wadcutters in shortened cases to their normal OAL; the powder won't know the difference. The trick will be crimping them. Wadcutters are a decent defensive load if you don't load them down to ridiculous levels. This might be a good use for the bag of cut-down Special cases I made to shoot in my Webley and Police Positive.
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Could use the Lee wadcutters in .38 Short like this guy did:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0ngDpnSfwg
 
The .38 Short Colt ejects fine, but it is woefully inadequate as a defense round. Handloaded, maybe
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Why woefully inadequate???

Short cases would be great for gamers, less power in the real world is not such a good idea
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Hummmm, lets see. Folks are injured and killed by 22 LR, 25ACP, 32, 380 ACP.
So, I guess if one is to be shot, the woefully less power 38 short colt is the round to be shot with.:rolleyes:
 
Don P said:
Why woefully inadequate???



Hummmm, lets see. Folks are injured and killed by 22 LR, 25ACP, 32, 380 ACP.
So, I guess if one is to be shot, the woefully less power 38 short colt is the round to be shot with.:rolleyes:
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You're absolutely correct in that folks are shot with those rounds. But they do get pretty angry when they find out!
 
moosemike said:
You're absolutely correct in that folks are shot with those rounds. But they do get pretty angry when they find out!
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Not if they get shot in the head. .380, .38 S&W, and .38 Colt are probably the bare minimum I would use for a body shot. Anything .22, .25, .32 ACP, I'm aiming for the head and face.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don P
Why woefully inadequate???



Hummmm, lets see. Folks are injured and killed by 22 LR, 25ACP, 32, 380 ACP.
So, I guess if one is to be shot, the woefully less power 38 short colt is the round to be shot with.

You're absolutely correct in that folks are shot with those rounds. But they do get pretty angry when they find out!
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moosemike,

I like to pick on a buddy of mine who has a .380, telling him "You shoot somebody with that and you're gonna piss them off".:D

Don
 
"You shoot somebody with that and you're gonna piss them off"

most recycled played out worn out joke on gun forums?
 
The 38 Long Colt was found ineffective against the Moros, a combination of their wearing armor made from bamboo, whipping themselves into a frenzy, and allegations of drug use. TR said he shot a couple of Spaniards on Kettle Hill, said one "doubled up like a jackrabbit."
 
Maybe I'm missing something but I have never owned a revolver that could not eject a .38 Spl case. Now a mag case is another story but .38 Spl not ejecting?
 
Great minds think alike. :D
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:D

i have never had trouble ejecting 38 special cases in the several 1 7/8" j frames i have as well as in the two I frame smith and wesson baby chiefs i have.
 
No one's ever changed grips because sometimes a casing would hit the grip?

No one's ever changed grips because the ones that felt so good would get in the way when using a speed loader?
 
I don't know of any J frame with a rod that will eject a standard length .38 Special all the way out of the cylinder. If the 3" models have a longer rod, I don't know.

It's not the only short barreled gun with ejector challenges. 3.5" SAA's have the same issue with .45 LC.

One can use "technique" to assist ejection with inertia and gravity when the ejector rod is too short for full extraction, but this is still not totally positive.

Personally, I have tried on a couple j-frames the traditional right-hand palm slap, and the left-hand palm hit with the thumb around the barrel, and neither technique results in dependable ejection. I've come to prefer using my left-hand index finger so the other fingers and thumb can pull the remaining cases free. My technique isn't as fast if full ejection succeeds, but it wastes less time when ejection fails, and with j-frames I find that is more often the case than not.
 
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