What's the difference-.38 vs .38 special?

G

gwsaunders

Inactive
Hello all,

I'm new to handguns and need some help.

I recently purchased a Smith & Wesson .38 S&W SPL. + P.

I went to but some ammo so I can learn how to shoot and the guy told me if I had a .38 , that I couldn't use .38 special ammo. He said the case is longer in the special and I could injure myself by using the wrong ammo. Is this correct? I didn't really find any ammo that just said .38, it was all .38 special.

I'm guessing my gun is indeed .38 Special ( since it has the SPL) but I just want to make sure before I go to the range so I don't lose a few fingers by using the wrong ammo.

Thanks,

Greg
 
Greg--

No need to worry. If it's a Smith marked .38Spl, it'll handle +Ps just fine. I'd suggest starting with 148gr. semi-wadcutters for target practice. Then get yourself a box of 125gr +Ps and have some real fun!
 
Hi Greg and welcome to TFL.

You are right that the SPL on the side of your barrel is for 'special'. You will never see a box that just says ".38" because there are several different types of ammunition in that caliber. (ie, .38 short colt, .38 long colt, .38 S&W, .38 WCF and etc.)

Also if your gun is marked with the +P on the barrel it will fire .38 spl +P ammo as well, which is loaded a little more powerful than the standard .38 spl. Many guns that aren't marked +P will fire them also, although some shouldn't be used with them. Just in case that question ever comes up.
Rod
 
the 38 Smith and wesson is a very old cartridge that was originaly desined for black powder the rim thickness is a little less than the 38 special and the case overall length is much less. The 38 special I believe was next step in this cartridge, then they bumbed it up again to the 357 mag. If your barrel is marked 38 spl just stick with that. Better yet Does thre range you shot at sell ammo if so take it with you and get the ammo there the first time. Or if possible take it to the shop were you plan to get the ammo. One Last thought if you are new to shooting Welome to a great Hobby. It is fun but can be dangerous so look into some training before going off on your own. Good luck and enjoy
 
The rd on the left is a .38 S&W SPL +P.
The rd on the right is a .38 S&W.
Yours is the one left. Some .38 SPL guns will chamber a .38 S&W rd but the rds are different and have different dimensions. Don't interchange them.
You do not have to shoot +P rds in it but you need to get ammo that is labled either .38 S&W SPL or .38 SPL. Same rd, just labeled differently, depends who makes it. +P rd will be a hotter loaded rd. As long as you are just shooting at paper and unless you are loading for defense then there's no need to spend the extra money for +P and beat your gun with the hotter rd.
I can't think of any company who is making .38 S&W guns right now. Lots of older guns chambered for that rd. Hasn't been much modern development of that rd and the companies that load that rd tend to keep them pretty mild due to all the old, and often cheap, guns chambered for it.

SPLSW.jpg
 
Just about any round that could be referred to as .38 is obsolete except the .38 special.

Your dealer should have been able to ascertain what round you needed by simply asking you what gun you were buying for
 
The .38 S&W was a popular cartridge early in the 20th century and was chambered in some very compact revolvers.
The .38 special came out in 1902 to give a boost to the .38 Long Colt, which proved to be a dismal stopper during the Phillipine war waged at the turn of the century.
When S&W chamberd the .38 SPL in J frame revolvers (1950) it spelled the demise of other, less potent .38 & .32 compact revolvers.
Your revolver is indeed a .38 Spl, and can handle any type of .38 loading.
 
Just go to Walmart and ask for some 38's. Whatever they give you will be fine to shoot in your pistol. There ain't that much variation in the .38 cartridge today. Quit worrying about it.
 
Awesome info!

Thanks everyone.

The fella at Bass Pro made it sound like I was going to blow my hand off if I shot ammo with the longer casing.

Greg
 
I am shooting with a friend this weekend, and it took him forever to save the money to but this gun. He said it is a 38, I asked does it say 38 SPL on the side " NO " was the answer.I want to surprise him with some extra rounds while at the range. Are 38 Special 's OK ? As you can see by my user-name I'm NOT a pistol shooter.
 
Clay, we need to know what make/model gun it is.

THere's a great liklihood he's fine and it's a 38 Spl but we can't say for certain without more info.
 
Gonz,
Thanks for not beating me up on this, I will call and find out , thank you for your understanding. If you ever have a Sporting Clay or Shotgun O/U Question feel free to ask. Again Thanks
 
38 or 38?

I bought a S&W model 33-1 for 70 dollars and the pawn shop at that time thought he was pulling one over on me. He only put 38 revolver on the back gound check He did not tell me it was a 38S&W and I did not ask. I supect this happens a lot.
 
"The 38 special I believe was next step in this cartridge (.38 S&W)..."

Nope, it wasn't.

The .38 S&W was an evolutionary dead end.

When the US Military began having problems with the .38 Long Colt revolvers it was using the Philippines, Smith & Wesson started designing a more powerful cartridge that they hoped they could sell to the military.

They took the .38 Long Colt, lengthened the case so that it would hold 21.5 grains of black powder, and increased the lead round nose bullet weight to 158-grains. Velocity was around 800 fps.

That load became THE .38 Spl. load, and for years was the standard police load in this country. It's still loaded today.
 
Which bullets can I use?

Hi guys,
I'm new to shooting so I'll probably have a ton a stupid questions!

first what all cartridges can I use in my S&W airweight 38 SPL. CTG. ?

You guys said SPL is special right, that's what I figured, what does the CTG> mean?

Also what do you guys think of this particular handgun?

I like it, it's light. trigger doesn't require much pull, scared me first time. hair trigger

I guess.

Thanks in advance
Wes
 
The fella at Bass Pro. . .
Click to expand...

That might be your problem right there. Some of the guys at Bass Pro actually know what they're talking about. But a lot of them are just working a part-time minimum wage job, and they got stuck in the ammo aisle. Find a good local gun shop, and give them your money.

Any .38 revolver made in the last 100 years is most likely a .38 Special. You'd have to go a bit out of your way to find one that isn't.
 
That might be your problem right there. Some of the guys at Bass Pro actually know what they're talking about. But a lot of them are just working a part-time minimum wage job, and they got stuck in the ammo aisle. Find a good local gun shop, and give them your money.

Any .38 revolver made in the last 100 years is most likely a .38 Special. You'd have to go a bit out of your way to find one that isn't.
Click to expand...

Exactly. good advise
 
I have seen .38 Super ammo locally; that is the only thing you could confuse with .38 spl that is available where I am. But it wouldn't load in a revolver (I think) because it doesn't have a rim.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top