Best 4” 38 spl revolver

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Slamfire said:
Back in the 1990's Police Departments were trading their service revolvers for Glocks and other high capacity pistol. That was a great time to pick up a 38 Special.

time and again, this K frame has been my favorite revolver to shoot as it is wonderfully accurate with a light recoil.

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The grip frame is small and fits my hands well with a clamshell grip. My hands have short, stubby fingers, and it is unfortunate for me that there is a trend that larger the caliber, the larger the grips. As if human hands grow in proportion to the size and weight of the gun. I assume the firing spade on a 105 mm M1a tank cannon must be the size of a garbage can! What I think is going on, is that the marketing department keeps things proportional as the customer does not like asymmetry. A huge pistol atop a small grip just looks odd, so they must be sizing the grips up so everything looks proportional, even if it takes two hands to hold the grips!

This pistol is one of the very few that I can double action and keep all six shots on my 12" gong at 50 yards. The double action pull is smooth and predictable. I stack it just before hammer fall. I do know, talking to the old guys who shot PPC, their preferred 38 Special was a K frame. The K frames held up well with their target loads of a 148 LWC or HBWC and 2.7 grs Bullseye. These guys literally fired hundreds of thousands of rounds in competition, and at those round count levels, they wore out extractor stars and cylinder hands. But the barrel and cylinder stayed good.

Anyone see this, during an extended stay in a Georgia jail?

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I want to give this an honorable mention, the 4" Colt Police Positive. This was a popular and well liked pistol prior to WW2, Julius Hatcher writes about it in his Textbook of Revolvers and Pistols.

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It is too bad that it is more a collectable than a shooter. These older pistols have very smooth actions and are very accurate. The Police Positive was made to be a lightweight revolver, lighter than the Colt Officer Model. Light weight made it a desirable characteristic for those who had to carry the thing on their belt all day. Colt really hit a home run when in the early 1930's they offered a version with a two inch barrel.

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My PPC Buds told me Colts went out of time faster than the S&W's, but the barrels were tighter and shot better. So I was told of Smolts, a K frame pistol with a Colt barrel.
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I briefly worked for GA DOC and while at GPSTC I shot a Model 64 just like that. We had them at Dooly State Prison as well for the "P car" drivers.
 
Best 4" 38 Special would be, as so many others have said, the K-frame S&W. I would specify it needs to be a pre-lock, firing pin on the hammer, unshrouded barrel version to qualify. Model choice (fixed sights, adjustable sights, etc) is up to you.

Dave
 
ThomasT said:
Great looking grips. Who made them. They look like some of the Badger brand to me.
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They were made in Thailand and purchased on E-bay 7 or 8 years ago. I had them on my 4" model 686 until I bought another similar set. They feel great to me, even when on my 686 shooting magnums. I first put the new set on this model 15-3 but decided I like the dark grips on the blued gun. The older ones were around $40, and the newer ones about $50
2021-02-08_16-27-52_002.jpg
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
Though uncommon, 14s were indeed available as a 4" - the main difference being the 14s have a thicker and heavier barrel profile and some of the later dashes were fully-lugged.
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Me, me.
I had a M15 and now own a M67 and they are very fine but I could wish for a little more "muzzle preponderance" as Col Charles Askins said, but a smaller gun than my M686.

The Model 14 Dayton Special has the heavier M14 barrel profile but at 4 inches.
My friend the PPC Master shoots a M14 6" with full length underlug, but they made a very few at 4 inches. I have seen that called the Roper Special.
Prices are in collector realm, so I doubt I will get one to merely shoot. I will just flip flop between M67 and M686.
 
Just for the record, Model 67s with
heavy barrels do exist and are of
later iterations following the 67-1.

The so-called "67" evolved into
the most recent one which had
a 2-piece barrel. One such
specimen is now up for auction
on GB.

And two apparent Dayton Model 14s
are up for auction. One is displayed
with Serial Number which falls into
the 1965 batch.
 
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LaneP
Blast from the past classic. The very first center fire handgun I fired as a "yoot" was my dad's Victory M&P. He felt a 4" .38 Spl with 158 gr LRN was all that was needed. They certainly don't make 'em like that anymore.

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Yeah, they sure don't...
9YTLBWX.jpg
 
Quote:
Anyone see this, during an extended stay in a Georgia jail?

Perhaps!

I carried an identical M65 while employed with the Ga DNR. Had occasions to see DOC officers running work crews on highways. Also dropping off prisoners for their care. However, most DOC officers seldom carried.
Also shot a few interagency shooting matches. Hard to believe that it was three decades ago!
We transitioned to the Glock G22 before the Olympics in 1996.
I bemoaned having to give up my S&W M686 for the G22. But if it had to be done, the .40 was the way to go!
 
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Slamfire said:
Anyone see this, during an extended stay in a Georgia jail?
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No, but I did watch "Macon County Line" when it came out in 1974. And I've been through the Atlanta airport, which must be kinda like being in a Georgia jail...

On a serious note, a lot of states' DOC's carried revolvers up into the 2000s. I've seen some spectacular deals on K-frame .38s and old Rugers from various corrections departments. My state's DOC apparently carried Rugers (Security or Speed Sixes?) until after the turn of the millenium.
 
I'm not sure if there is a "best", but my preference would be a 4'' tapered barrel Model 10. Functional, classic, and works as well today as it ever did.
 
aarondhgraham said:
It most certainly is not "a fact".

It's just your opinion and I disagree wholeheartedly.

Aarond
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That's your opinion.

Really, both guns are great service revolvers at days end.

The Smiths might be more refined, but the Rugers sure last and you can't kill them.

Without a doubt Ruger wins out in customer service. That's one benefit for sure.
 
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My favorite .38 Special revolver would be my .357 magnum RUGER Security Six blued model with a 4 inch barrel and PACHMAYR Gripper grips. I bought it used for $349.00 and the addition of being able to use .357 magnum ammo is what tops my other choice, the S&W model 15 Combat Masterpiece with a 4 inch barrel and HOGUE grips.
This particular Security Six had an action job done by the previous owner and it made the gun a must have as soon as I tried the trigger. The Security Six can use the same holsters that my S&W model 15 uses and has very similar handling to the S&W.

I take the S&W model 15 to the range more than any other revolver I own, because it is so well balanced, with good adjustable sights, has a very smooth double action trigger and fits my hand just right. The trigger is a result of the good work that S&W did with the K-frame series and it having been shot quite a bit and smoothed out that way.
I also used it as a back up house gun loaded with FEDERAL HST 130 grain +P jhp ammo.
I feel this round is the best self defense ammo for either and .38 Special or .357 magnum as the bullet's outstanding performance in gel tests and .38 Special level of recoil, noise, muzzle blast and flash all make for easier and more accurate shooting under stress. Prior to this load, I would have put the .357 magnum ammo ahead in a self defense situation.

I also own other .357 magnum like the S&W 681, a four inch barreled, L-frame with fixed sights that S&W discontinued long ago. It was a great shooter after an action job and I had the gun MAGNA PORTED and fitted with HOGUES. It is an outstanding fun with either .38 Special or .357 magnum. It is also easier to shoot than my Security Six when shooting
magnum ammo, but the extra weight made it a drag to carry on duty and if I went back in time, I would carry the Security Six.
I also have a blue RUGER GP-100 and it has all the strengths and weaknesses of the 681, except the action is not as smooth. It is ABSOLUTELY NOT THE BEST .38 SPECIAL, NOW OR EVER as it is too heavy for carry in a pancake holster all day, unlike the Security Six or S&W model 15 and the trigger action is not as smooth.

Jim
 
The difference in weight between the ubiquitous heavy barrel K-frame and a fixed sight GP100 is a staggering two and a half ounces.

If that makes or breaks your ability to carry the gun in a holster, you’re probably better off health wise with a polymer or alloy-framed handgun.
 
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JCooperfan1911 said:
The difference in weight between the ubiquitous heavy barrel K-frame and a fixed sight GP100 is a staggering two and a half ounces.
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To be clear, a Model 15 weighs in at 34 ounces, the GP-100 in the same barrel length, 40 ounces. And it's not simply the weight -- it's how the revolver points, and the balance.
 
Old Dog said:
To be clear, a Model 15 weighs in at 34 ounces, the GP-100 in the same barrel length, 40 ounces. And it's not simply the weight -- it's how the revolver points, and the balance.
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A FIXED SIGHT 4” GP100 weighs 38 ounces.

And a heavy barrel fixed sight Model 64 comes in at 35.5 oz.

Granted the balance may be different, but the weight on the weight difference on the belt is minimal.

The Rugers are not as well refined as the Smiths, but there is nothing wrong with them. They’re not as photogenic as a classic S&W but will last far longer than one.
 
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JCooper,

That is funny that you say that., because I know that the RUGER is heavier than you say.
RUGER, on their website, say the GP-100 weighs 40 ounces. S&W said that a 4 inch K-frame weighs 34 ounces. That is 6 ounces and when you add ammo, spare ammo, handcuffs, the weight of a work belt, a security holster, communication equipment and other items, that is a fair amount of weight. If you carried that around all day, you might notice the difference. I know I did.

How long exactly did you carry your GP-100 on duty?

You know what, I did go to a lighter guns, a GLOCK 19 with which was even lighter than the model 15 and carried 16 rounds to boot. Then I went to a gun that was just as heavy as the GP-100 when it was fully loaded. The BERETTA 96D Brigadier which held 12 rounds of .40 caliber. It was noticeable. My agency then replaced it with a LIGHTER gun, guess why?

Jim
 
golden said:
JCooper,

That is funny that you say that., because I know that the RUGER is heavier than you say.
RUGER, on their website, say the GP-100 weighs 40 ounces. S&W said that a 4 inch K-frame weighs 34 ounces. That is 6 ounces and when you add ammo, spare ammo, handcuffs, the weight of a work belt, a security holster, communication equipment and other items, that is a fair amount of weight. If you carried that around all day, you might notice the difference. I know I did.

How long exactly did you carry your GP-100 on duty?

You know what, I did go to a lighter guns, a GLOCK 19 with which was even lighter than the model 15 and carried 16 rounds to boot. Then I went to a gun that was just as heavy as the GP-100 when it was fully loaded. The BERETTA 96D Brigadier which held 12 rounds of .40 caliber. It was noticeable. My agency then replaced it with a LIGHTER gun, guess why?

Jim
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the fixed sight example weighs in at 38 ounces. A heavy barrel Model 64 at 35.5. Not a lot of difference, certainly not the 6 ounces you claim.

The GP100 is a fine revolver and if someone finds it too heavy, they should probably do a little more exercising. Our ancestors often packed pistols weighing 50 ounces or more and would laugh at our softness.

I have a Model 64 and while yes, there is a bit of a difference in handling and balance, it is in no way extreme and the GP100 is not the boat anchor some think it is. It’s only marginally more bulky and heavy than a K-frame pistol.

Lots of elitism on these net boards sometimes. The Colt people tend to be even worse than the Smith people. To some, if you don’t spend $1000+ on a vintage revolver than you have a piece of junk. Rugers weigh as much as a greyhound bus, have triggers like gravel, and are uglier than a toad. I’ve never found any of that to be true.

They’re a great value, virtually indestructible, are very effective, and Ruger customer service backs the buyer 100% and is much better than Smith’s and pounds Colt’s into the sand as well.
 
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