Last, the 38-44 was not an attempt to make the .38 special a .38 magnum, there was an acknowledgement that the .38 special was not doing the job of penetrating car door and bulletproof vests and in order to compete with the newly designed Colt .38 Super which DID penetrate car doors & bulletproof vests, Major Doug Wesson took the .38 caliber bullet which was already in production as a .38 special, and brought the specs of the charge to that of the .38 super fully aware that the revolvers could not take that kind of pressure safely, the new 38 was built on a 44 frame.