.38 Special

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I was at the range the other day with my wife shooting my .38 special. Wondering if anyone else on here likes this gun and why. Please post pic's if you got em.

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Sorry this was posted in the wrong spot. Should be in General Discussion.

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I don't, but only because I don't have one. Well, I've got a .357 that'll shoot .38sp, but that's not the same thing. I would like to have something smaller that I can slip into a pocket for when I don't want to carry one of my bigger guns.

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My .357 revolver is currently loaded with .38 specials. It's not a snubby though.

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Felid`Maximus wrote:

My .357 revolver is currently loaded with .38 specials. It's not a snubby though.

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If you don't mind my asking, why? I can see shooting .38 for practice (something I do all the time), but when I'm carrying I'd rather have as much oomph as my gun will handle.

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Its got alot to do with finance for me. I don't have alot of money but I wanted a good gun and one that is small. It any situation this little gun will equalize the situation unless the person is on some major drug or they get really lucky. The police agencies all over this country used them for years. I know its not as effective as a .45 or a .40 but its all I got. And I really like it. But I understand where your coming from. Now if I get in a fight with a bear I am climbing a tree. You can bet your :cussn that. LOL

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KE7QXB wrote:

Its got alot to do with finance for me...

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Me too, I'm so tight that I squeak when I walk.

My latest low buck project is a Rossi model 68 with a 3" barrel. Including the "new" grips, used factory Rossi leather holster, Oxpho Blue and a can of carb cleaner to get the gunk out, there's about $62andthree hours invested in an extremely accurate and fairly handsome shooter. It'll be a perfect birthday present for my daughter-in-law.

.38 Specials are excellent guns. Powerful enough for SD and cheap enough to feed, so the average person can keep in practice. The bonus is that at the range you don't have to chase brass like you do with a semi-auto.

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That rossi has a 3 inch barrel? I wish my little .38 had a little longer of a barrel but its not bad at the range. I am still trying to get the groupings closer together but thats time I think. I want to get a couple more affordable guns like a sigma 9mm and sigma 40. They seem reliable from what I have read so far. 9mm seems like it has better ballistics then the .38 but I will always have this gun. I saw it and I had to have it.

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Felid`Maximus wrote:

My .357 revolver is currently loaded with .38 specials. It's not a snubby though.

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You could always use some .38 +Ps as an intermediary choice. Just throwing it out there.

I don't have a .38 snubby, but I do have an about 100 year old 4" S&W .38 special that was bought new by my great-grandfather that I still shoot on occasion. It is still quite accurate and rather fun to shoot. I wish they had taken better care of it over the years, but mechanically it is still sound.

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The manual on my charter .38 says not to use +p cartridges. I feel like in a tight spot the regular cartridges should give me a defensive advantage. But if the bg is packing a huge gun I am in trouble. I will just have to do my best and hope my instincts are good in that situation. Some folks say its shot placement thats most importatant. I figure if I am in that situation I will probably be shakey as all get out. Thats why I go to the range. Just to keep from being totally rusty. Next on my list is the 9mm sigma which will be a little better for sd. I feel like 9mm is so much more affordable as far as range time and a box of cartridges is concerned. Just glad to see people still rely on this great gun. Hopefully the .38 will live on for a long time.

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I used to carry a SS Taurus 85. I am looking for a S&W "J" frame now for open carry.

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KE7QXB wrote:

Now if I get in a fight with a bear I am climbing a tree. You can bet your :cussn that. LOL

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.38 is all you need to slow down the other folks anyway.

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I wouldn't want to be on the bad end of a .38 special.

I wouldn't want to be on the bad end of any of the following

.22

.22 mag

.32

.38 spc

.40

.327 mag

.357 mag

.44 mag

.50 acp

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I'm not a fan of the old skool skinny grip. So I carry this:

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Very Nice! I might add I am very jealous! Does the lighter .38 special lift alot on you while your shooting?

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KE7QXB wrote:

Very Nice! I might add I am very jealous! Does the lighter .38 special lift alot on you while your shooting?

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It does with heavy +p rounds, but its a dream to carry. I'm kicking myself for not getting the 357.

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Well +p or .357 magnum! Either way its gonna be a big mess! Glad I don't have to clean those up afterwards. You can get a charter arms .357 for about 300 bucks I think. If you like charter. My charter has been around since 1968. 10 years before I was born. We were destined for each other.

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My wife has a Taurus .38 spcl in titanium. It does have the vented barrel to keep muzzle rise down a bit. I like that little gun and my wife loves it a lot. She can shoot very well with it and that's all that counts. Besides a .45 to the shoulder is nothing compared to a .38 to the head. It's all about shot placement. Just keep practicing!

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Rafdog wrote:

It's all about shot placement. Just keep practicing!

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Good sound advice. And I will be taking it! If I had more money I would be trying to get used to different calibers of guns. As the situation is tight. My .38 is gonna have to do for the moment. Besides in a defense situation with some applied skill. This weapon will do the job.

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Re: deepdiver & FogRider

I was carrying Winchester .357 JSP until I ran out of .357 magnum. The .38 Special I am carrying is Speer Lawman +P.

I was going to reload .357 but since the ammo scare could not find powder or primers at a price I was willing to pay nor fully loaded .357 ammunition. I haven't really been all that worried about finding .357 because I feel .38 is usually sufficient and also I have some concerns about the noise of the .357 magnum. I agree that the recoil of the .357 is controllable, especially in my big S&W 620 and I love shooting the .357s. But when I shoot it it is only comfortable for me with both ear plugs and muffs at the same time, even shooting outdoors. I imagine shooting it without hearing protection would be very painful, especially inside a building or a vehicle. I've been out of .357 for a quite a long time. When I get more .357 magnum I'll probably switch back, or I may not. I haven't decided yet. I know even shooting a .38 without hearing protection would cause permanent hearing loss on the first shot. I'm not afraid of losing the hearing if it is necessary and it won't cause me to hesitate but at the same time hearing loss sucks.

In the past due to my sheer stupidity I once fired about 50 rounds of 9mm outdoors without hearing protection so I know what it is like for 9mm.