why are guns in .38 Special still being made & offered as much as they are?

Speedo66 said:

I think part of it is just marketing.

They can make the .38Spl the economy gun, even if all manufacturing processes are the same.

Charge more for the .357 as value added, because, you know, it's a .357 so it's worth more.

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Yes, and double yes. Or triple yes.
A thousand yeses.

UncleEd said:

Yes, and double yes. Or triple yes.
A thousand yeses.

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so...you agree ?

I believe the question the OP is asking is 'why not just chamber everything in .357'

One reason is weight. I real world example I just ran into is the Ruger LCR. The LCR in 38 is 13.5oz. The .357 is 17.1 ounces. That is quite noticeable.

Seedy Character said:

A lot of "new" shooters / buyers KNOW ..38 Spl and .357 MAGNUM. They care scared of the MAGNUM. They don't know they could shoot .38s in the .357.

My brother, not a gun guy, was asking me about a getting a .38.
I found a S&W 686 4" on Armslist. Send him the link. He calls, he wanted a .38, .357 cost too much and his wife probably shoot it. Told him to shoot .38s in it. He bought it, they both like how it shoots.
I have him 6 rounds of .357. Told him to carry loaded with them. If needed, he won't notice the difference.

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Unless he is indoors

Hooda Thunkit said:

so...you agree ?

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Ummm, having third thoughts.

Show Me said:

Unless he is indoors

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That's why it's wise to carry one
for indoors and one for outdoors.
And maybe a third depending if
you're on a bus or in a car.

Agsalaska said:

I believe the question the OP is asking is 'why not just chamber everything in .357'

One reason is weight. I real world example I just ran into is the Ruger LCR. The LCR in 38 is 13.5oz. The .357 is 17.1 ounces. That is quite noticeable.

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Yep, you can get away with using lighter materials when making a frames/cylinders specific for .38 Special.

With all this talk of .38 specials I'm just gonna have to go out and buy another Model 10....

I do know that when shooting .38 Special Wadcutter loads in my model 19 .357 and then shooting Wadcutter loads with the same bullets, powder charge and primers in a .357 case is just a little more accurate than the .38 Special loads. Not a whole lot more accurate, but they are more accurate.

Agsalaska said:

One reason is weight. I real world example I just ran into is the Ruger LCR. The LCR in 38 is 13.5oz. The .357 is 17.1 ounces. That is quite noticeable.

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Absolutely!

My friend has the 357 version and I have the 38 special. The extra four ounces makes a huge difference.

I reload .38 special level rounds for my .357 magnum revolvers. 800 fps with a 158 lswc in .357 cases and target shoot them at the range. Great accuracy.

Way back in 1981 , I became a cop in a city of about 100k. We could carry smith or colt revolvers in 4 to 6 barrels in 38 or 357.The supply store most of us used was sold out of 357 smith’s but had a beautiful model 15. It was 75 bucks cheaper than the 19 that I could order. I had a friend who was already on the job and he told me buy the 38 and get good with it. I did that and still have that gun. Guys with the 19’s seemed to have timing issues after about 7 years of full on magnums .

For me personally I have no use for .357. not bagging on the cartridge, it just isn't one I like. So, there isn't any need for a revolver to have the extra frame and cylinder length and bulk to take the Magnum pressure. The k frame size hits a sweet spot for me and is so perfectly tailored for the .38.

If I need more oomph than a .38, I generally look to a larger cartridge like .45 Colt rather than a Magnum.

high country said:

For me personally I have no use for .357. not bagging on the cartridge, it just isn't one I like. So, there isn't any need for a revolver to have the extra frame and cylinder length and bulk to take the Magnum pressure. The k frame size hits a sweet spot for me and is so perfectly tailored for the .38.

If I need more oomph than a .38, I generally look to a larger cartridge like .45 Colt rather than a Magnum.

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I have that K-frame size 38 stashed in my go bag, but the better carry gun choice for me is the 3" SP101 with 6 rounds of 32 H&R Gold Dots or subsonic 327 Federal reloads. My carry gun is not always a revolver though.

To me, the question begs the answer, "If you have to ask..." If I had to go down to one or two handguns total, I could happily live with either or both, one of my Model 15s or my Diamondback.

A wise manufacturer makes what the largest number of end-line-users will buy, no matter how quirky those users’ reasons may be.

Folks being persnickety/perfectionist/absolutist about bullet jump, with Special ammo in Magnum chambers, will not simply go away. A manufacturer’s goal is to sell guns, and therefore earn money, from shooters on both sides of the bullet-jump issue.

Folks being persnickety, about the additional weight of a longer cylinder, will not simply go away, no matter how minor the actual difference.

Perfectionists may well be concerned about the ring of soot and debris that can accumulate, when Specials are fired in Magnum chambers.

If very hot Special ammo is fired, in Magnum chambers, erosion can, potentially, occur. If Magnums are subsequently fired, from such eroded chambers, the longer Magnum brass can fire-form into the eroded areas, making extraction difficult. I do not know how much firing it would take to cause a consequential amount of erosion, but this is a real issue.

Police departments, security entities, and such, can see Magnum ammo as a greater liability, and, therefore, not want to take the chance that Magnums might be loaded into their employees’ weapons. I do not know how many .38 Special revolvers are still sold to such organizations, but a large order is a large order, so, might as well be tooled-up for it. Then, there are individual-officer sales, to buyers who have to abide by employer policies. Retirees, who had, in the past, worked for such organizations, may want to buy a revolver exactly like the one they were issued.

Then, there is branding. This does not simply mean a manufacturer’s name. “.38” and “Special,” and “.38 Special,” are brands. Folks LOVE their brands. There are plenty of write-ups, on-line, and you-tube episodes, that can explain this, at length.

This is what comes to mind, with only one cup of coffee, thus far, this morning.

Most of the new .38 Special guns sold today are small guns.
Heck, some even are made out of half plastic.
Guns sized only for .38 Special usually weigh a few ounces less than .357 guns of the same configuration.
Weight is probably part of the reason, but its not the main reason.

You get ALL THE RECOIL YOU NEED from a .38 snubnose.
Don't believe me? Get the .357 snub then. Run a box of hot 125's through it. Tell me you enjoyed the experience. Be honest.

I definitely got a soft spot for the "full-size" .38 though. Fella tried to rob me in Washington DC in 1985. Well, four fellas actually. But I punched the mouthy one in the nose with the muzzle of one of these, and told him to "BACK OFF!!!" Which was highly effective.

I personally like the lighter, smaller, slimmer 38 only revolvers. I reload my 38s with 148 LWC over BE to give a very satisfying low level load for walks to the RFD and a little range work to remain proficient. We live in woods and don’t leave house without heat.
I do have 357s for more serious endeavors.

Why do 38 Spl revolvers continue to be made.....?
Because they chamber and shoot a highly effective and pragmatic cartridge.
Accuracy and a highly subjective factor - shoot ability are key factors.
38 has less muzzle blast, even when I down load 357 to 38 levels 357 had more blast. While I shoot both 357 and 38, 38s get more wheel time - power level is about optimal for most needs.
When more critter stopping power is needed than 38Spl, usually need more than 357. 45 Colt or the various 40+ cal magnums are employed.
S&W M10 is an optimal tool for 38 Spl.

The .38 SPL is an inherently accurate cartridge. With modern ammunition it is a fine defensive round. The dedicated .38 SPL revolvers tend to be lighter, more controllable, and have less recoil, muzzle blast, important to less experienced shooters.
A J frame is easily concealable and easy for anyone to master (at 1-6 yards).

borrowedtime69 said:

so, seeing as how you can shoot .38 out of a .357, im curious as to why there are still plenty of offerings for new manufacture of handguns in .38 still being made & bought? is it sort of like a revolver in .22LR with a .22WMR cylinder, that one caliber shoots better out of of the gun than the other?

not sure why someone would choose to be locked into one caliber rather than buying one gun that can fire 2 different loads? it would also make sense that the "resalability" of a .357 would be much greater?

im not hacking on the .38 or the choice, im just curious as to how the gun market works with a quirk like that purely for discussion. Thank you!

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People like them.
People buy them.
Because they are cool.

How about "because we like them that way". The 38 Sp LCRx I purchased for my wife to shoot has become my favorite gun for offhand double action practice shooting.

And yes there are lots of practical reasons that go with the choice.

borrowedtime69 said:

so, seeing as how you can shoot .38 out of a .357, im curious as to why there are still plenty of offerings for new manufacture of handguns in .38 still being made & bought? is it sort of like a revolver in .22LR with a .22WMR cylinder, that one caliber shoots better out of of the gun than the other?

not sure why someone would choose to be locked into one caliber rather than buying one gun that can fire 2 different loads? it would also make sense that the "resalability" of a .357 would be much greater?

im not hacking on the .38 or the choice, im just curious as to how the gun market works with a quirk like that purely for discussion. Thank you!

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Cost. Usually .357 is more expensive. Often $300 more same brand. And, some people just want a moderate power SD revolver.

I hear people claiming that 38 Spl is marginal for SD. I've often wondered why the claim. Generally, just showing the firearm is enough to deter a bad guy.

Speaking from personal experience; I'm here to testify that staring down the muzzle, that hole will look big enough to stuff a soda can in.
I was shot at from close range (less than 2 feet - the shooter missed - twice) with a 1911-style 45. I'm pretty sure I could have stuck my arm in the muzzle.

Myself, I'd rather just have the .357 because then I have the option of shooting both kinds of ammo.
However, I know a lot of people don't plan on ever shooting .357 ammo.
Those people aren't gonna want to spend the extra coin on a .357 revolver.
Those do have to be made much stronger, so they're more expensive to manufacture, thus more costly to buy.
If manufacturers didn't have a .38 Special option, they'd be missing out a a market segment.