What's the future of 38 Special

[Styx]

As time marches inevitably on, it seems .38 revolvers are being produced and sold incrementally less every year. 9mm dominates the handgun market. Seems even .380 is holding its own. .38 ammunition is nowhere near as readily available as it was even 5 years ago and it is becoming more expensive whereas 9mm has remained very competitively priced and has even dropped in price the last two years.
Will .38 hang in? Will .38 ammunition become more available and at better prices?
Just spitballing here.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

 

[Bazoo]

I think that the 38 Special will not decline much if any from where it's at. It's the quintessential double action revolver cartridge. Being able to be used in 357 Magnum chambered arms is really a great advantage.

The only fault it has is cost when compared to 9mm. And that's only because of the huge amount of 9mm produced, they can sell it for less profit per round.

 

[.38 Special]

I hope to have at least a few more good years left.

 

[.38 Special]

In all seriousness, there are a bazillion guns so chambered, and I can hardly foresee a time when they won't be in need of ammunition. Much like the .30-'06, there are just so many of them that barring some massive calamity, they'll always be popular by default if nothing else.

 

[Bazoo]

Not to mention that 38 Special is actually a pretty good field cartridge for small and medium sized game.

 

[Bill B.]

JMO but on the ammo end availability has decreased especially by boxes of 50. The variety has increased in the different types of bullets available in .38 special. 60 years ago { I do remember } it was 158 grain lead RN, 158 grain semi wadcutter lead . 148 grain lead wadcutter, and rarely seen 158 grain Semi Jacketed HP's. I also remember going to a gun show with my father when he found some .38 Special WW2 military hardball he was thrilled with because it was rarely available. He hoarded the hardball and saved it for carry and thought it was every bit as good as Hornady Critical Defense ....LOL! What I really miss is that way back when you could walk in about any country store or hardware store and get a box of .38 special. I recently visited one of the largest gun stores in the Smokies and they had ZERO .38 Special available by a box of 50. I don't like that trend ......

 

[Madcap_Magician]

When it comes to .38 Special, I guess we just need to hold on loosely. (But don't let it go).

I'll be here all night.

 

[.38 Special]

When it comes to .38 Special, I guess we just need to hold on loosely. (But don't let it go).

I expect that's going to go over a few heads. Wild-eyed Southern boys'll probably get it, though.

 

[.308 Norma]

I voted "Not Sure" only because I figure the popularity of the 38 Special took a nosedive shortly after the 357 Magnum was invented. Of course, I really don't know that for sure (I wasn't around back when the 357 Magnum was invented ) but it would only make sense that people who were previously interested in heavy-duty 38 Special revolvers like the Smith .38/44 "Outdoorsman" (which I'd love to have one) would opt for a 357 Magnum instead when they became available.
On the other hand, I can't remember when I've been without at least one j-frame, 38 Special revolver around, and I don't like moon clips - I have semi-auto 9mms, 380s, and 45 ACPs for rimless cartridges.
And as far as the price and availability of 38 Special ammo compared to 9mm, 380 and 45 ACP ammo goes, what can I say? I'm an avid handloader (and a bit of a hoarder). Price and availability fluctuations don't bother me all that much.

 

[CZguy75]

I hope it is here to stay as long as it can. The first time I touched off a 38 special in my then new gp100, I fell in love with it. It was quiet, accurate, and downright pleasant. Then came the Model 10. Now, I have a 36 to resurrect. I need to order up some 148 wadcutters to try out next.

 

[someguy2800]

For as long as humans are permitted to own guns there will be 38 special revolvers and ammo, but I think it is going to continue to loose market share to 9mm and others, as evidenced by the price. There are a tremendous number of them out in the wild but I think on average they are not used very often. I'd bet a very high percentage of 38 specials made have not finished their first or second box of ammo, maybe even half of them. They sit tucked away in their hiding place somewhere waiting for a bump in the night.

 

[JTHunter]

I think that the 38 Special will not decline much if any from where it's at. It's the quintessential double action revolver cartridge. Being able to be used in 357 Magnum chambered arms is really a great advantage.

The only fault it has is cost when compared to 9mm. And that's only because of the huge amount of 9mm produced, they can sell it for less profit per round.

That's why I reload both .38 Sp. and .357. I have revolvers for both as well as a carbine (Marlin 1894).

 

[Pat Riot]

I voted “Not Sure”. Why? Because if ammo and gun companies were serious about keeping .38 Special popular they would be making more ammo. They make the guns but people that aren’t reloaders are taking it in the shorts with these prices and availability.
I love .38 Special, but I reload. Perhaps I am part of the reason ammo companies aren’t making plenty of it therefore lowering prices. I rarely buy factory .38 Special ammo.

 

[The Old Redneck]

I'm old enough to remember articles in gun mags about revolver and cartridges like the 38 being history by the year 2000. I'm also waiting on Lazer ray guns and other neat things 2000 will bring. LOL

 

[2ndtimer]

I voted “Not Sure”. Why? Because if ammo and gun companies were serious about keeping .38 Special popular they would be making more ammo. They make the guns but people that aren’t reloaders are taking it in the shorts with these prices and availability.
I love .38 Special, but I reload. Perhaps I am part of the reason ammo companies aren’t making plenty of it therefore lowering prices. I rarely buy factory .38 Special ammo.

The problem is that people buy and shoot 9mm ammo in volume. Hence manufacturers make what is in demand in volume. It only profits them to manufacture.38 Special ammunition if they can make enough profit to justify it. As long as people are mag dumping 9mm ammo at every opportunity, those who make it will make lots of it, and can sell it cheaper, making it up in volume.

 

[westernrover]

38 Special persists in popularity because it is perceived as the lower-recoil alternative to 357 Magnum. In fact, it is the lower-pressure alternative, and there is a difference. 9x19mm has the same maximum pressure as 357 Magnum but nobody thinks of it as having high-recoil. 357 Magnum can be loaded to have the same recoil and ballistic performance as 9x19mm, but 38 Special likely cannot. 38 Special has only one true purpose: not to exceed the maximum pressure of guns incapable of handling higher pressures. Lower recoil is not a true purpose of 38 Special because it is better achieved using less powder at higher pressure.

Regardless of the physics, 38 Special will continue to persist as the "lower recoil" revolver cartridge, and many people will carry 38 Special in their 357 Magnum revolvers for that reason. More 357 Magnum revolvers will be sold because, "you can shoot 38 Special in them," even though there would never be a reason to do that except that factory cartridges are loaded according to the market's mistaken confusion between pressure and recoil.

Ballistically, 38 Special is not a bad cartridge when fired from a 6-inch barrel as it was originally intended. From shorter barrels, it sucks and cannot be fixed. The case capacity is insufficient to use slower, more progressive powders that would allow more velocity to be developed from short barrels, and the low pressure limit does not allow for enough acceleration in the short barrel lengths.

 

[LV Gun]

I think 38 special will always be here but I don’t see ammunition for it coming down in price, unfortunately when comes to manufacturers Volume always Rules as in 9mm. I reload 38 special using Precision Delta 148 grain LHBWC they make a great one which is extremely accurate in my S&W 14-2 with Ram Shot Competition powder.

 

[someguy2800]

From shorter barrels, it sucks and cannot be fixed. The case capacity is insufficient to use slower, more progressive powders that would allow more velocity to be developed from short barrels, and the low pressure limit does not allow for enough acceleration in the short barrel length

Its really the pressure that holds it back the most, it has LOTS of case capacity. Loads from Underwood and Buffalo bore show what 38 +P is really capable of. It will meet or exceed standard pressure 9mm performance from similar length barrels, especially with heavier bullets. I just don't think there is really much market demand for full power 38 special. Kinda the same reason there isn't really any hot 40 s&w factory ammo, people figure that is what 10mm is for. Most people buying 38 special ammo are either buying it for their little J frames or for plinking in a full size gun.

38 Special +P OUTDOORSMAN Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

38 Special +P OUTDOORSMAN Field Proven pistol and handgun ammo. Maximum firepower bullets. Best ammunition for pistols and handguns for sale. Buffalo Bore. Strictly big bore. Strictly Business.

www.buffalobore.com

"PRESS RELEASE FOR BUFFALO BORE 38 SPL +P 158gr. HARD CAST OUTDOORSMAN
This load was designed for those who need a deep penetrating 357 mag. or 38 SPL load to be fired from lightweight alloy 357’s and any 38 SPL revolver. Lightweight alloy 357’s develop multiple problems when firing our 180gr. 357 mag. hard cast turbocharged (Item 19A) ammo or any make of full power 357 ammo. Yet many folks want a deep penetrating “outdoor” type of load for their lightweight pocket 357’s, so here it is. Whether you are shooting gators or bears in the head, this load utilizes a hard flat nosed bullet, at sufficient velocity, even from 2-inch barrels, to fully penetrate either.

This load is safe to shoot in all 38SPL and 357 magnum firearms of modern design that are in normal operating condition. In the super lightweight alloy revolvers (around 11-12 oz.) the bullet will not jump crimp under recoil provided you do not subject an unfired round to more than 5 or 6 firings. In all steel guns, even short barreled ones, crimp jump is not an issue as all steel snub-nosed revolvers are much heavier than the alloy versions.

This load utilizes a flash retardant powder that will not blind the shooter in low light conditions, which is important as wildlife and criminals get much more active when darkness comes.

This bullet is hard cast and properly lubed and as such will not substantially lead your barrel. You should find no degradation of accuracy when firing many cylinders full of this ammo without cleaning.

We never use extra long laboratory barrels to produce our advertised velocities, which we feel is dishonest to the customer as those extra long barrels produce extra high velocities, which you cannot duplicate with stock revolvers in the real world. Instead, we use stock firearms and you can see the velocity results below.

➤ 1255 fps -- Ruger GP 100, 6 inch barrel, 357 mag.
➤ 1186 fps -- S&W Combat Masterpiece 6 inch barrel, 38 SPL (circa 1958)
➤ 1146 fps -- S&W Mt. Gun, 4-inch barrel, 357 Mag.
➤ 1167 fps -- S&W Mod. 15, 4 inch barrel, 38 SPL (circa 1968)
➤ 1112 fps -- Ruger SP 101, 3 inch barrel, 38 SPL
➤ 1043 fps -- S&W Mod 66, 2.5 inch barrel, 357 mag.
➤ 989 fps -- S&W Mod 340PD, 1 & 7/8 inch barrel, 357 mag.
➤ 1027 fps -- S&W Mod 642 (pre-dash), 1 & 7/8 inch barrel, 38 SPL"


Newer reloading manuals tend not to include the slower burning powders that will actually fill up a 38 special case but a lot of the older ones do have data for "magnum" powders like H110, 2400, 4227, AA9 ect...

One of my personal favorite 38 +P loads is a 180 gr WFN coated cast bullet from Missouri Bullets over 9 grains of AA9. Quickload puts that load at 22,000 psi and 1000 fps and that is exactly what I get from my 4" model 10. 11 grains under a 147 gr FMJ gives me 1100.

 

[Rodfac]

Among the old coots and young whipersnappers that we've trained (all revolver aficionados of one sort or another), the .38 Spl will always be special. For carry in snubbies, its shorter case length makes for easier more sure ejection and with the recent improvements in short barrel loads/bullets (read: 135 gr Speer GD .38 +P), you've got a great carry combination that's pocketable (read: can actually be fired reliably from a pocket) and effective as any 9mm.

Truth be told, I'd venture to say that a hellofa lot more .38 Specials are fired in .357's than the full house load (or the reduced equivalent .357 load). My personal favorite which is just over the standard/+P pressure line for .38 Special, is the old, but much appreciated, FBI/Treasury load (158 gr LSWC HP at 900+fps from a 4" tube).

And for target panning, it doesn't get much better than 2.8 gr of Bullseye with a 148 gr WC for Camp Perry level accuracy. I'd stack that load against any handgun excepting one of the Swiss/German Int'l pistols. Fifty yard groups with good Colt or Smith target revolvers hover close to 1" from Ransom at 50 yds...

But will it last....I'm past buying green bananas, but from my perspective, if it's hung in there for 120+ years, I'd not bet against it's impending demise.

YMMv, but I forgive you, your inexperience...LOL Rod

​

Pic: My favorite .38 Spl (a S&W M67 police turn in); with 2 consecutive 6'shot groups using the FBI load. Shot DA, from 10 yds/Weaver Stance.

​

 

[GRIZ22]

38 special will never go away. Not as popular as it once was but it will be around.

 

[WestKentucky]

38spl has gotten a lot more expensive on the ammo aisle but the guns haven’t really changed much. Seems that most people have swapped over to bottom feeders these days so the less in demand ammo goes up in price. There seems to be a reawakening of sorts in the handgun market and revolvers are gaining a bit of ground back from the pocket .380 and Glock markets. I suspect as ammo demand goes up the volumes will increase and push prices down some. Ebb and flow. But 38spl ain’t going away any time soon.

Just to rationalize this… 38spl more or less replaced 38sw (and 38 colt, 38 long colt too) In the early 1900s. There was a depression in there, and a couple notable wars fought, but pretty safe to say that it took over in the first quarter of the century. You can’t buy new 38sw guns today, but there are still plenty 38sw guns around, and because they are still around there is ammo available for it… 100 years after it got replaced. So in 2125 I would think that my great great grandkids will likely still be shooting my model 10

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

The revolvers and ammo will be around longer than any of us on THR.

 

[CDW4ME]

I think the insert in OP is not wrong.
On this forum there is more interest in revolvers than the public in general, IMO.
The only reasons I can see someone choosing a comparatively low capacity snub revolver over a semi:
- Not "into" guns. The revolver is simpler for someone who is not into guns and it not going to practice regularly.
- Uncomfortable with loaded chamber carry on a semi.
Those two comments do not apply to the revolver enthusiasts on this forum so no need to enlighten me as to how I am perceived to be wrong.

 

[Styx]

I think the insert in OP is not wrong.
On this forum there is more interest in revolvers than the public in general, IMO.
The only reasons I can see someone choosing a comparatively low capacity snub revolver over a semi:
- Not "into" guns. The revolver is simpler for someone who is not into guns and it not going to practice regularly.
- Uncomfortable with loaded chamber carry on a semi.
Those two comments do not apply to the revolver enthusiasts on this forum so no need to enlighten me as to how I am perceived to be wrong.

Revolvers are actually very popular across froms including Glock, HK, Sig, ARfcom, AKFiles, Reddit EDC and CCW forums. It seems that while most carry semiautos more, they still carry revolvers when the feel the need. It's usually some a combination of both and not either or.

Here a one thread on GlockTalk where's there's a poll, but members routinely post popular threads pertaining to revolvers.

 

[buck460XVR]

38 special will never go away. Not as popular as it once was but it will be around.

^^^This. .38 special is a revolver round and like revolvers in general, the popularity of them has decreased with the lust for higher capacity bottom feeders. My EDC is still a .38, mostly because of habit.