Purpose of .38 spcl only guns?

[gunnutery]

I've been curious as to why some revolvers are only made in .38 special instead of .357 magnum. If they were all made in .357 magnum you could use both and have more options on loads. But the same is not true with .38 special. What are the advantages of having a .38 spcl only gun unless you were absolutely certain you did not want to use the .357 mag.

Any thoughts?

 

[ronto]

Some governmental organizations do not allow the 357 Magnum...leave it up to the government to make stupid decisions...I can see no logical reason for a "38 Special Only" revolver.

 

[Walkalong]

Y'all serious?

 

[Cosmoline]

The reason is they're .38 Specials, not .357 Magnums. The .38 Special is the appropriate chambering for lighter weight wheelguns. .357 magnum is not. The recoil for the mini magnums ranges from brutal to outrageously abusive, which is why folks have decided they'll practice with .38 special and somehow be able to manage the full house magnums in a pinch. But this idea that the recoil of a magnum wheelgun weighing less than 20 oz will be negated by adrenaline is hogwash. Adrenaline and increased heart rate make it much more difficult to aim and keep the firearm steady. This can be demonstrated easily by running until you're panting then trying to keep a group in rapid fire. Or better yet trying to hit a moving squirrel with your .357 ultralight after running around. You do not want the added difficulty of firing a cartridge so hot it threatens to blow the revolver out of your hands. And that's not even getting into the problems of flinching.

Don't buy into the nonsense the counter clerks feed you trying to get you to spend more on the magnum. The .38 Special is a proven defense round. Arguably the most proven of all of them. I can think of very few rounds more effective than the 158 grain LSWCHP, esp. the soft lead Rems.

 

[cyclopsshooter]

model 10s rock

 

[rcmodel]

Older .38 Specials are universally smaller slimmer and lighter then a corresponding .357 of the same frame size.

For many uses, they have all the power needed.
Take the K-38 Masterpiece target revolver for instance.
For strictly target shooting, small game hunting, or plinking I'd rather have it then the same frame size in .357.

rc

 

[scythefwd]

.357's won't fit into the same size gun that a .38 will. The .38 can be made to be more concealable.

 

[fireside44]

Accuracy, economy, and effectiveness.

Simple as that.

 

[WC145]

One big reason is that they're almost universally sweet shooting, accurate guns. They were around long before the .357mag and have always had a following. Even today not everyone wants or needs a .357mag so there's no reason for them to buy a larger, heavier gun to shoot the lighter caliber. Or to buy a more expensive lightweight .357 snubby just to shoot .38's in it.

In fact, just last week I picked up a new S&W 315 Night Guard .38spl specifically because that is what I needed and wanted. The week before that I got a S&W 586 L-Comp .357mag because that's what I needed and wanted for an entirely different purpose.

 

[MichaelK]

So that some of the gun parts can be made of aluminum instead of steel, to save weight. When using specials only, the gun can be made smaller, lighter, more concealable. You'll notice that aluminum frame guns are always the little 2" snubbies.

 

[amd6547]

When you shoot a 38spl revolver like my Model 15, you will know. I have several choices in SD handguns, including a 357mag. I don't feel underarmed at all when my Model 15 is next to the bed at night. With this revolver, it seems I cannot miss at 25yds. Last time I was at the range, shooting at a 10inch steel plate at 25yds, and hitting every time, another shooter said "that gun shoots pretty good...it must be a Smith and Wesson"

 

[Old Fuff]

If you have a .357 Magnum revolver and shoot economical lead-bulleted .38 Special's in it you'll have to scrub (and I do mean SCRUB!) out the chambers to remove the lead fouling in the front of the Magnum chamber, or the next time you shoot .357's in it you'll find that you can't extract the fired brass.

As a rule of thumb, .38 revolvers of similar or better quality sell for less then Magnums.

I seldom get into gunfights because my ol' Daddy told me that such behavior is hazardous for one's health, but should I have the misfortune to get involved in such a business I hope whatever I am using has a bore diameter around .44 or .45, not .35...

In short barrel lengths the .357 is way overrated.

 

[armoredman]

I am very fond of my 38s, particularly this one,



Smith 10-8, more accurate than I can, and with the 158gr LSWCHP+P ammo, I stand confident of it's abilities.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // The .357 evolved from the 38 special

The cartridges kept getting bigger(more powerful) .38SC;.38LC;.38 special; .38 special +P;.38-44HV (.38cal revolver built on the .44 frame) then finally the .357 magnum.

Did I forget any?

Neither will work down the line but I believe all will work up the line.
IE: .38SC(short colt) will work in a .357 revolver, but even .38LC(long colt) will not work in .38SC revolver.
This progression keeps the shooter safe from overpowering a weaker frame/cylinder.

Here are my S&W 586 357/38(40 oz.) and my S&W 442-2 38+P (15oz.) Not your granddaddy's .38

 

[bluetopper]

If you're a cast lead bullet reloader and like to shoot 10 shot, 25yard groups one-handed the size of the bottom of a Coke can you'll understand why.

 

[Radagast]

content: You forgot the .357 Maximum.

 

[Blue Brick]

38 Special only, because that’s what I wanted.

 

[gunnutery]

Thanks for everyone's input. All very informative.

 

[goon]

Some cowboy action guns are made in .38 Special because they're not strong enough to handle the pressure of a .357 round. Colt conversion and open top replicas come to mind.

 

[Elvishead]

I got a S&W Airweight .38, because it was almost half the price of a .357, and I already had a all steel "Heavier" .357 Ruger SP101. So if I wanted to carry a .357 with .357, I wouldn't want it in mt Airweight, even if it could shoot .357s.

 

[Sunray]

"....357's won't fit into the same size gun that a .38 will...." Nonsense. Smith 'K' frames are identical in either except for the cylinder.
"...why some revolvers are only made in .38 Special..." Marketing. There's a certain amount of nostalgia too.
"...and I do mean SCRUB..." It's lube gunk. Comes right out with a brush and solvent. Loading .357 brass to .38 velocities makes it go away.

 

[scythefwd]

sunray, size means all dimensions. The cylinder on the .38 can be smaller than the cylinder on the .357 due to pressure concerns. I didn't mean length or height, I meant width, which can affect print when using it for concealed carry. There is 3/4 of an inch difference in length for the night guard 2.5 inch barrel .357 and the .38. If there is a smith K frame that is smaller, I don't know of it. I'm sure there are .357's out there that are smaller, but a .38 will still be narrower, and potentially shorter due to less length on the cylinder.

 

[armsmaster270]

My model 15 38spl saved my butt with a one shot stop.


http://www.armsmaster.net-a.googlepages.com/negrete

 

[easyrider604]

My model 15 38spl saved my butt with a one shot stop.

Good job, Officer Nichols. Glad you got him before he got you.

If I may ask, what ammo do you carry in your .38 spl?

Thanks

 

[KJS]

Consider the Ruger LCR that seems rather popular. It's a .38 only, but then would you want to fire .357 rounds from a gun that weighs around 13 ounces? .357 isn't brutal at all from my GP100 with 6" barrel that weighs nearly 3 pounds, but I suspect it would be endurance contest with a tiny gun.