Would you trust your life to a .38 special?

[Buck Snort]

I'm not going to wade through 18 pages of this thread to see if this has been covered or not (maybe I covered it myself!). I do want to say that a person carrying a firearm for self defense has to make a very basic decision at the outset. What level of defense do I need? In other words, what is likely to be the worst case scenario you'll ever have to face in a criminal assault? If the only criminals in my corner of the world were 85 year old ladies who weigh in at 110LB dripp'n wet then I'd settle for a a pellet gun or perhaps a willow switch. If it were more likely that I'd have to face multiple attackers who all stood well over 6' tall and weighed over 300LB and came on the scene stoked to the gills on meth or PCP then I'd opt for something with a bit more impact! Somewhere between those two extremes is the MOST LIKELY level of assault you'll have to face. It's my guess that three or four well placed shots from a .38 spec. would do the job in excess of 95% of the time. Do you want to prepare for that last 5%? Feeling lucky? Only you can determine that for yourself.

 

[MCgunner]

I prefer my ultralight snub for carry as I mostly carry in a pocket and, yes, it's plenty for self defense. It's accurate, it's reliable, and it's p;owerful enough.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

would you trust your life

In a word...yes. I have one,my wife has one and my daughter has one.

 

[doc540]

I carry a .38 snub, but I am aware that in the tragic FBI shootout in Miami in 1986, one of the agents attmpted to shoot a bad guy in the head at very close range , and two of the three shots weren't either fatal or incapacitating.

Those two shots may have glanced off the window frame, fragmented, and lost energy, but all three were, indeed, headshots.

So, of the many things I'm learning about concealed carry in general and .38 carry in particular I try to remember:

1. I can't count on always having my primary shooting hand available. The agent had been shot in the right hand/arm and was functioning with his left hand only. He may have missed two of three shots at very close range.

2. Close range doesn't guarantee a clean, "range paper" shot.

3. Nothing will probably occur like I imagine it, and may God help me.

 

[golden]

OK with 38+P but better with 357 magnum

I used to carry a S&W 681 with a 4 inch barrel on duty. It was the fixed sight version of the 686 and I would use it again without hesitation if forced to use a revolver.

I tried 158 grain hollow point SWC +P loads and found that they recoiled about the same as the 110 grain .357 magnum jacketed hollow point loads my agency issued. So I prefer the 110 grain .357's for better stopping power.

If I were going to use a .38 load in a 686, it would be a +P 125 grain hollow point. I noticed less recoil and I believe it is just as effective.

ONE THING! When I carried the 681, the weight got old very quickly. At the end of 10 or 12 hours, I really loved the lighter weight of a GLOCK 19 that replaced my 681.

Jim

 

[10mmreloader]

Having relied on a 38 to do the job once, I would do it again. What made the difference for me was that the 38 was loaded up to max .357 velocity and loaded with not one, but two 100 grain (stacked) wadcutters. It was the bear....or me....The bear LOST!

 

[JohnKSa]

...I am aware that in the tragic FBI shootout in Miami in 1986, one of the agents attmpted to shoot a bad guy in the head at very close range , and two of the three shots weren't either fatal or incapacitating.

Post 160 on page 7 covers this pretty thoroughly.

I think the facts make it plain that whatever happened in those final 6 shots, caliber wasn't a consideration in the outcome.

 

[Erik M]

i depend on a j-frame on a daily basis if dress code keeps me from wearing an auto on my hip or in a shoulder holster. .38 SJHP +P

 

[AKElroy]

It was the bear....or me....The bear LOST!

You killed a bear with a .38? To fend off an attack?

 

[Erik M]

Having relied on a 38 to do the job once, I would do it again. What made the difference for me was that the 38 was loaded up to max .357 velocity and loaded with not one, but two 100 grain (stacked) wadcutters. It was the bear....or me....The bear LOST!

you fired this out of a .357 revolver I assume? The stacked bullets thing sounds fishy, if not dangerous. Ive never shot anything but off the shelf ammo and reloads from trusted enthusiasts.

 

[Rod4277]

For Kylaen, Rugers catalog #KLCR-357 model #5450 is .357Mag a real man stopper.

I would like to here form those that have tested it.

All have a great day!

Rod

 

[zombie666]

I do it every day. Main gun a 4 inch, pencil barrel Smith Model 10 with a Smith 638 in my back pocket. No worries.

 

[BADSBSNF81]

Yes.

 

[smartshot]

I would trust my life with the "Chicago Load." A 45 ACP has no significant advantage over the 38 sp+p. I disregard "Energy" calculations. I go by what has proven itself, and the 38 spl has certainly done that. If police would trust their lives with a 38 spl for decades, then I would trust my life with a +p.

 

[RX-178]

My personal preference is .45 ACP 230gr JHP +Ps.

That being said, if all I had was .38 special, I would not consider myself any less safe.

 

[scottishclaymore]

Plenty of good answers here and my input really isn't needed. Nonethless, I will give it a shot.

The real question is not whether or not the cartridge is adequate. There is enough well-documented shoot data to indicate that the .38 Special works just fine and that retiring wheelguns entirely would be premature. The real question we need to be asking of ANY cartridge is: Is it adequate - in your hands?

Ultimately this is a question that each of us must answer for ourselves. I have found that, with a snub (my 4" HB M64 is much more forgiving), if I do not work on my skills on a regular basis I tend to lose them. It takes practice to be able to draw a DAO snub, present from low ready, and double-tap the target with any kind of acceptable standard of accuracy. I am honest enough to admit that there have been seasons of life when I have been out of practice that I could not honestly say I was capable to the task.

I am a firm believer that everyone should carry what he (or she!) can be both comfortable and competent with. For a lot of people that means we need a round that recoils a little less for better follow-up shots. I am a big guy with big hands and heavy recoil doesn't bother me, but I can shoot much faster and much better with the .38. So it's a 4" HB M64 for me on days I can, and an M642 on days I can't.

 

[waidmann]

Yes

Shot placement is king. Penetration in queen. All lot of the rest is how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

 

[Demitrios]

Waidmann says:

Shot placement is king. Penetration in queen. All lot of the rest is how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

While I agree with some of what you said I have to disagree with a bit of it as well. To say placement is king and penetration is queen is putting physical, mental and emotional training way on the backburner.

If a man confronts you or someone else and you need to be in defense mode, emotionally are you going to be sound enough to not only respond to your fight or flight mode correctly but to also take a human life, all within a rather short span of time?

Physically have you drawn your weapon properly (without snags and what-not), put your sights on point and had enough trigger control in practice to have the proper muscle memory to hit your target with accuracy?

Mentally will you know the proper time to draw your weapon or if you should even draw your weapon?

This isn't even going into variables that come with your hardware and the person you're drawing on (pistol malfunctions, ammo misfiring, him/her being faster than you, etc).

While I agree shot placement and penetration are very important they seem to be the aspect that a lot of posts I've read on THR focus on when in reality you need to be smart enough, physically capable and emotionally ready to take a life AND deal with the after effects before placement and penetration even happen.

 

[sansone]

yes is my answer to op

 

[147 Grain]

Definitely trust my life with a 38 Special during summery carry. Upgrading to the 158-gr. "Short Barrel" load from Buffalo Bore (Standard Pressure) increases the odds in your favor. I know of no better all-around load than the FBI short barrel load from Buffalo Bore. Their deep penetrating 150-gr. hardcast wadcutter is also intriguing.

The second best alternative is Speer's Short Barrel 135-gr. +P Gold Dot which goes about 850 fps out of a 2" snubnose; Buffalo Bore's standard pressure 158-gr. achieves the same speed with a heavier bullet.