Is there a difference between 38 and 38 Special?

The main difference between 38 and 38 special is that 38 is a caliber, i.e. the internal diameter of a gun barrel, and is usually used to refer to all cartridge variants that can be used in it, while 38 Special is a special cartridge variant of 38 caliber bullet.

Will 38 S&W work in a 38 Special?

These two cartridges, because of their length and diameter differences, do not and should not interchange. . 38 S&W and . 38 Spl.

Why is it called a 38 Special?

38" referring to the approximate diameter of the loaded brass case. This came about because the original 38-caliber cartridge, the . 38 Short Colt, was designed for use in converted .

What is the difference between 38 SW and 38 Special?

Moderator Emeritus. The larger case diameter of the 38 S&W will prevent it being inserted in a 38 Special firearm. Being the 38 Special is smaller it will fit into a gun chambered for 38 S&W but being smaller and higher pressure the case may rupture.

Can you shoot 38 Super in a 38 Special revolver?

Although . 38 Super ammo easily fits into pistols chambered for the . 38 Auto (remember, they're the same size), the Super ammunition should never be fired from these guns, which were not made to handle the hot load's pressure and force.

Why is 38 super so popular?

Because of its larger case volume, which allows for more smokeless powder and results in higher muzzle velocities at similar pressure levels, the . 38 Super offers higher bullet velocity potential than the 9×19mm Parabellum when handloaded and in some defense loadings.

What guns can shoot 38 super?

. 38 Super Handguns

• Colt O1083CCS. Caliber .38 Super. Action Single Action. ...
• Para Ordnance 96753. Caliber .38 Super. ...
• Sig Sauer 1911T38SME. Caliber .38 Super. ...
• EAA 999151. Caliber .38 Super. ...
• Dan Wesson 1842. Caliber .38 Super. ...
• Dan Wesson 1988. Caliber .38 Super. ...
• Colt O2091. Caliber .38 Super. ...
• EAA 600095. Caliber .38 Super.

Is 38 Special more powerful than 9mm?

Standard pressure . 38 Special only produces 264 foot-pounds of force (147-grain bullet at 900 feet per second out of a 4-inch barrel), while standard pressure 9mm can produce 365 foot-pounds of force (124-grain bullet at 1,150 feet per second). This is 38.25% more energy at the muzzle in favor of the 9mm.

Can you use 9mm bullets in a 38?

Accuracy wont be olympic level, but it works just fine. When loading 38 Special bullets (. 357 diameter) in a 9mm you just have to back off a few tenths of powder and they shoot just fine.

Why is there a shortage of 38 Special ammo?

21 million people bought a gun in 2020 (up from 13 in 2019), and 19 million Americans bought guns in 2021. A lot of different things cause the ammo shortage, including Covid, social unrest, wars in Europe, and manufacturing capabilities during the pandemic.

Are .357 and .38 Special interchangeable?

No; . 357 Magnum was specifically designed so it cannot be fired from handguns chambered in . 38 Special, but you can shoot . 38 Special in a gun chambered in .

What is the difference between 38 Special and 357 Magnum?

Modern 357 Magnum ammo is designed to fire a 158-grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1,235 FPS and a target thumping 535 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. Compare that to the 38 Special, which fires the same bullet weight at 755 FPS and has a muzzle energy of 200 ft-lbs, which is less than a 45 ACP.

Is 38 Special a gun?

38 Special (pronounced "Thirty-eight Special", 9.1×29.3mmR) is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although semi-automatic pistols and some carbines also use this round.

Is 38 S&W still available?

38 S&W ammo is a common round developed in the late 1870's and still used by revolver shooters today. While 38 Smith and Wesson is still in use, no common commercial firearms manufacturers are producing revolvers in this caliber and ammunition is very rare as well.

What does CTG mean on Smith and Wesson?

“CTG” as it appears on the roll mark of a Smith and Wesson revolver is simply an abbreviation for the word “cartridge”. It is NOT a designation of the model of the firearm, when you see “. 38 S&W Special CTG” on the side of the gun it just means it's chambered in . 38 special.

Are 38 Special and 9mm the same?

Both bullets are equal in bullet diameter, the 9mm case is about 3/8 of an inch shorter than the . 38 Special but boasts double the pressure.

Is 38 Special strong?

The . 38 Special is the most powerful cartridge the average shooter may handle with the minimal practice most are willing to undertake. We should all master a firearm as powerful as we can handle and then practice regularly.

What is a .38 Special good for?

38 Special is that it's a medium bullet at medium velocity. It can be effective for personal defense but ammunition selection (and placement!) is important, especially if your gun has a shorter barrel length. The upside to . 38 Special is that it's cheaper than .

Why use a revolver instead of an automatic?

The Takeaway. Whether you choose to carry a revolver or a semi-automatic pistol, you should understand the differences between them. Revolvers are more reliable with certain types of ammunition and are simpler to operate. However, semi-automatic pistols offer increased magazine capacity and are easier to reload.

Are there semi-automatic revolvers?

An automatic revolver also known as semi-automatic revolver, is a revolver that uses the recoil energy of firing for cocking the hammer and revolving the cylinder, rather than using manual operations to perform these actions. Despite the misnomer "automatic", such revolvers are actually semi-automatic.

Can you shoot 9mm out of 38 Super?

Registered. The extractor will work for both 9mm and 38 Super. The semi-rim on the 38 Super is so marginally different than the rimless 9 mm that there's no functional difference in extractor function. BTW, there's rimless 38 Super brass as well, from Starline.

Is 38 Super ammo expensive?

38 Special is currently averaging around $1 per round, while some of the “premium” options – such as Winchester's Silvertip rounds – are now selling for more than double that price.

Which is more powerful 45 ACP or 10mm?

Both are popular choices for self-defense and both have a lot of stopping power. The 10mm is a bit more powerful than the . 45 ACP and it also has a higher capacity.