"Nadie quiere este Colt". Lea este interesante artículo de Dan Shideler, editor de GunDigest.

http://www.gundigest.com/gun-collecting-firearm-collecting/colt_police_positive

En defensa del .38 S&W - Introducción

El .38 S&W (9x20 mm) es un cartucho de revólver desarrollado por Smith & Wesson en 1877 para su .38 Single Action (pólvora negra). El calibre se hizo sumamente popular, y las principales marcas del mundo produjeron armas para él. Sin embargo, tras la introducción del más potente .38 SW Special en 1908 entró en decadencia y hoy ya ninguna empresa fabrica revólveres recamarados para él. Sus prestaciones son, de todas maneras, las mismas que guiaron su introducción para su empleo por las fuerzas de seguridad y aunque existen calibres muy superiores para defensa, no por eso se justifica descartar el .38 S&W. Es suficientemente potente, fácil de manejar y existen todavía gran cantidad de armas que lo utilizan, a muy buenos precios, por otra parte. Este blog está dedicado a promocionar su uso para que no desaparezca.


Los invito a leer el siguiente informe sobre la balística del 38 elaborado por Daniel Tagliafico:
http://www.sectordetiro.com/bal38.htm

Algunos consejos

A continuación damos algunos consejos para aquellos que poseen armas de calibre .38 Smith & Wesson (llamado en algunos lugares "38 Corto"):

1. No acepte municiones raras (.38 CBC Short de Magtech, por ejemplo). La munición .38 S&W se sigue fabricando y su precio no es prohibitivo. Insista en su deseo de adquirir munición .38 S&W si la importan.

Magtech sigue fabricando el calibre .38 S&W. No acepte el .38 CBC Short.

2. Tenga precaución al utilizar munición moderna en los revólveres de quebrar (la Buffalo Bore, por ejemplo, recomienda no usarla en estas armas).

3. Los revólveres más antiguos en este calibre fueron diseñados para el empleo de pólvora negra. Asegúrese de no utilizarlos con munición de pólvora sin humo. Si su arma es antigua acérquese a algun armero de confianza o instituciones de tiro especializadas en armas históricas o de pólvora negra (Club S.I.T.A.S. en El Palomar o el Tiro Federal de Lomas de Zamora, por mencionar algunos).

Un H&R de quebrar.

4. Los revólveres en calibre .38 S&W son en general económicos y muchos están en perfecto estado. Son armas suficientemente potentes y con poco retroceso, ideales para los recién iniciados en el tiro. Si busca un arma barata y fácil de usar, adquiera un revolver de este calibre, y rescátelo de una eventual destrucción.

5. NUNCA MANIPULE UN ARMA SIN VERIFICAR ANTES QUE ESTÁ DESCARGADA, Y SÓLO COLOQUE EL DEDO EN LA COLA DEL DISPARADOR CUANDO ESTÉ SEGURO DE UTILIZARLA.

Nueva munición .38 S&W apta para defensa

38 S&W (NEW COLT POLICE)

125 gr. Hard Cast FN 1,000 fps - 20 Round Box

PRESS RELEASE FOR BUFFALO BORE 38 S&W or 38 COLT NEW POLICE

(item 20.5A)

After countless customer requests for ammunition that will make the 38 S&W cartridge lethal to humans, Buffalo Bore is delivering. There are millions of small revolvers still in circulation chambered for this cartridge and if an ammo company was to make effective self-defense ammo, the little revolvers would have a meaningful purpose for personal defense against humans. Current (as of this writing in 03-2013) factory ammunition offerings include soft pure lead bullets of round nose configuration at very low velocity. Round nosed bullets do little terminal damage as they tend to slip and slide through mammalian tissues and the very low velocities don’t help much either.

In order to make this cartridge more lethal for defense against humans, we designed hard cast (not soft) bullets that will not deform on impact and will maintain their flat nose profile as they penetrate through muscle and bone and because of their flat nose, they crush (not slip and slide) through mammalian tissues, doing considerable damage along their path. Then we added velocity by using modern powders that will give extra velocity and remain within the SAAMI pressure limits of 13,000 CUP. The result is a lethal cartridge that brings new usefulness to these old pistols. In fact, this load is as powerful as most ordinary 38 SPL ammo currently being made, by most ammunition companies! Depending on how much clothing must be penetrated and how much bone is encountered, expect 22 to 30 inches of straight line penetration in mammalian tissue with this load. This 125gr. hard cast bullet is moving roughly 250 fps faster than other commercial ammo we tested of the same bullet weight and due to bullet design, this load was more accurate than other commercial loads we tested.

The use of jacketed expanding ammunition in this weak cartridge would be a mistake as even if you could get a jacketed bullet to expand at these velocities, doing so would limit penetration significantly enough that the bullet would certainly under-penetrate and as a result would likely not be deadly to humans. Also, hard cast bullets are more “slick” than jacketed bullets and hence generate more velocity at less pressure than comparable jacketed bullets.

We have utilized flash suppressed powder so the shooter will not be blinded by his/her own gun fire in low light situations and this can be an important advantage as the criminal element and wildlife are much more active in the darkness.

This ammunition is safe to use in ANY solid frame revolver that is in ordinary shooting condition. “Solid frame” means any revolver that is not a top break frame. “Ordinary shooting condition”, means ANY revolver that is in condition to fire any factory made, 38 S&W ammo, without malfunction. Have a competent gun smith check your revolver for “ordinary shooting condition” if you have doubts, as many of these revolvers are very old and some imports were made of questionable quality as manufacturing techniques and materials were not advanced one hundred+ years ago. Be certain to take a copy of this press release to your gunsmith, so he can understand the context of your questions.

The only two top break (not solid frame) revolver manufacturers that can use this ammunition are British Enfield and Webley. Both these models feature heavy frames and robust latches that resist deformation. All other “top break” models should never be fired with this ammunition.

We have continued our practice of using real over-the-counter revolvers to develop our published velocities of this ammunition. The duplicitous practice of using extra-long laboratory barrels to develop published velocities is deceptive to the customer. Real world users of firearms and ammunition need to know how the ammunition is performing in the real world, where it matters.

➤  1030 fps -- S&W Regulation Police 6 inch

➤    977 fps -- S&W Regulation Police 4 inch

➤    926 fps -- S&W Regulation Police 4 inch

➤    874 fps -- S&W 2 inch

 Item 20.5A - Exterior Ballistics Charts for several different Muzzle Velocities.

www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=350

Cartridge of the World by Frank C. Barnes

Temas de foro

Aquí encontrará algunos temas discutidos en foros sobre el .38 S&W.

Usar muni 9mm en un revolver 38 corto
http://www.fullaventura.com/foro/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=65030&sid=7851a240e2036040abd27b8734690e85

.38S&W (balas magtech 38 cbc spl short)
http://www.fullaventura.com/foro/viewtopic.php?t=122544

Nueva munición

New 38 S&W Ammunition Causes Delayed Appreciation

By Major Van Harl USAF Ret

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Ammoland

Wisconsin –  “Lieutenant Harl you’re into guns, correct sir” Master Sergeant Burt Fulton asked me as he walked into my office.

“Sir there is a young Airman outside in the hall who has a Smith & Wesson 38 revolver he needs to sell for $100 and I told him you would buy it.”

Even in 1980 $100 was a good deal for a Smith & Wesson 38, so I had the Airman come in and show me the handgun. As soon as he laid it on my desk I knew I was sorry that I agreed to look at the handgun.

It was and still is a very well-made, small framed Smith & Wesson Model 33, five shot revolver, but it was not chambered in 38 Special like the duty handgun I was wearing that day as an Air Force cop. It was a 38 S&W caliber handgun and the two cartridges are not the same or interchangeable.

38 S&W was first marketed in 1877 and, while a very accurate pistol cartridge, it really is rather weak in man-stopping power if you’re using it to save your life in combat or on the streets as a cop.

Having said that, be advised the weak 38 S&W ammunition was chambered in handguns used by tens of thousands of policemen and soldiers throughout the world, I just did not want the gun. British Soldiers carried a handgun in 38 S&W in both WW I and WWII.

The Airman is staring at me with the “I really need the money-look” and Master Sergeant Fulton is staring at me with “buy the darn gun Lieutenant-look” so I bought the little Smith & Wesson revolver in 38 S&W. The next time I flew back to the mid-west I took it to my parent’s home and left it for the next thirty years.

I did shoot it a couple of times over the years. The Model 33 is a fun little handgun to shoot, very accurate and in those days ammo was cheap. The problem is everyone in the revolver making business has made a small framed handgun in 38 S&W and most of the handguns cannot take the pressures of modern pistol powders that could make the rather weak cartridge into a fairly good personal defense weapon.

Smith & Wesson Model 33.

Even though I had no plans to carry or use the little Model 33, prior to the last Presidential election I bought five new boxes of 38 S&W for $18 a box. I do not believe in having a handgun around and not having ammo to use in it for real world issues. If you can find 50 rounds of 38 S&W today, it is selling for $35-$40 a box and it is still the 146 grain bullet very– weak ammo made just like they made it in 1877 or 1928 or 2013.

Buffalo Bore .38 S&W.

Enter Buffalo Bore Ammunition (www.buffalobore.com) they have come up with some 38 S&W ammo which now makes that cartridge acceptable for serious consideration in your personal defense inventory of handguns. They use a lighter 125 grain, very hard casted bullet, with some new and improved modern powder that speeds up the velocity which in turn allows the “new’ 38 S&W ammo to cut ugly, nasty holes in bad-guys.

The point of the article is, yes there are all kinds of modern handguns that can do a much better job than 38 S&W but there are thousands of old, small framed handguns out there to be had for a lot less money, just because they are chambered in 38 S&W.

The old break top handguns will not handle the Buffalo Bore ammo. If however you have a solid framed Colt or Smith & Wesson or perhaps one of the revolvers that British manufactured and issued they are good candidates for using the greatly improved Buffalo Bore 38 S&W ammo. It is time to start asking dad or grandpa if he has a handgun chambered in the venerable 38 S&W caliber cartridge packed away somewhere. Somebody has them, there were so darn many of them manufactured.

I shot the new 125 grain Buffalo Bore 38 S&W ammo and so did the Colonel. She likes the smaller framed handgun and the recoil is only slightly more noticeable than the old style factory ammunition we also shot. I have a small Smith & Wesson 22lr revolver that is the same size and weight as my old Smith & Wesson Model 33 handgun chambered in 38 S&W. I carry the 22lr revolver because it is light. I will be carrying the old S&W Model 33 with the new Buffalo Bore 38 S&W ammo in the future.

I now have a new found, all though thirty years delayed, appreciation for a handgun cartridge that is almost 140 years old.

Check the gun stores, the gun shows and grandma’s night stand, these old 38 S&W handguns are out there and with new improved ammo they can still stop evil.

Major Van Harl USAF Ret / vanharl@aol.com

About Major Van Harl USAF Ret.:Major Van E. Harl USAF Ret., a career Police Officer in the U.S. Air Force was born in Burlington, Iowa, USA, in 1955. He was the Deputy Chief of police at two Air Force Bases and the Commander of Law Enforcement Operations at another. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Infantry School.  A retired Colorado Ranger and currently is an Auxiliary Police Officer with the Cudahy PD in Milwaukee County, WI.  His efforts now are directed at church campus safely and security training.  He believes “evil hates organization.”

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution 

Follow us: @Ammoland on Twitter | Ammoland on Facebook

http://www.ammoland.com/2013/07/new-38-sw-ammunition/#axzz3y0iBjwcl

El otro .38. Por Aaron Brundenell

.38 S&W (The Other .38)

by Aaron Brudenell

If you’ve ever paged through a reloading manual or a copy of Cartridges of the World, you’ll find a lot of the smaller non-mainstream handgun cartridges described as useful for “taking small game” but little is said about their potential effectiveness in an anti-personnel role.  Like most of these cartridges, they exist in the twilight between “insufficient” and “suitable” when considering their self-defense utility.  The reasons for using them in that role are often based on some kind of trade off between size or cost but in the case of the .38 Smith and Wesson, it may simply be that the gun in question is available as a relic from some former life and other better options are not (or would require money that’s not available).

Cartuchos de 178 gr FMJ y 200 gr LRN.

 The .38 Smith and Wesson cartridge enjoyed a respectable 100 year service life as it evolved from the weaker black powder pocket pistol cartridge to a more potent military round in its day using heavy bullets and smokeless powder.  Other names for the cartridge exist like “.38 Colt New Police”, “.380 Rim”, and “.380-200” depending on the market and manufacturer.

While the guns slowly fade into obscurity, so many have been made and remain serviceable that new ammunition can still be found if you look hard enough.  This author is aware of no firearms currently produced in this caliber and the few sources of factory ammunition available can universally be counted on to be of the type safe enough for use in the least common denominator of those guns.  Fragile break top revolvers from the end of the black powder era were often made by companies that did NOT make a name for themselves in the pages of gun-making history and the phrase “wall hanger” is frequently applied to them if they show functional imperfections. 

When it can be found, expect to pay a lot for new factory ammunition which will consist of a ~146 grain lead round nose with muzzle velocities in the 600-700 feet per second range.  Such rounds will be accurate, have low recoil, and tend to cause a report that’s very mild, even if the shooter forgets their ear protection.  While these may perform on par with modern cartridges like .380 ACP or 9x18mm Makarov, reloading is essential if affordability or enhanced performance is desired.  I’ll set aside the oft’ stated concerns over using hand-loaded ammunition for self defense except to say that I am aware of more cases where a particular choice of a powerful caliber/cartridge (such as 10mm Auto or “Magnum”) was an issue in a shooting incident.  In any case, the gun you have when you need it is still better than the best gun that’s not at your disposal!

While care is indicated in reloading for any firearm that is particularly old or of some type of fragile design (such as a break-action), extending the capabilities of an old cartridge through reloading is best left to solid framed guns of excellent quality.  The predecessor to the J-frame is the I-frame and, like the early Colts, is shorter than and not as sturdy as those later designs intended to handle the .38 Special.  My preference is K or J framed Smith and Wesson revolvers that were eventually adapted to handle .38 Special, +P, and even .357 Magnum chambering, although other promising candidates can be found like the Colt Police Positive for example.  Perhaps the most commonly available of these is the Smith and Wesson Victory model, based on the K-frame and made in large numbers to handle the WW2 British military load which was originally a 200 grain Lead Round Nose but ultimately deployed as a 178 grain full metal jacket.  Whether as issued or rebuilt for post-war use, these guns will handle any published load for the .38 S&W and can be expected to give continued faithful service to the shooter.

Victory Model.

The S&W Victory Model is the author’s choice of test guns if wanting to handload the .38 S&W to its (safe) potential.

Technically, the .38 S&W bore diameter is slightly larger than that of .38 Special and .357 Magnum but in practice, components intended for the latter will work well enough.  Some of these early guns were actually re-chambered for .38 Special after the war, although the practice is no longer considered appropriate and guns with this modification may be less desirable.   Because the .38 Special cartridge is longer but not quite as “fat” as the .38 Smith & Wesson, cases fired in these modified chambers tend to show a characteristic bulge in the middle.  When reloading for the .38 Smith and Wesson, using a hollow based wad cutter bullet is an excellent place to start because any potential loss in accuracy from bore/bullet dimensions will be mitigated by the swelling of the open bullet base to take up the slack.  Also, typical wad cutter bullets are in the same weight range as the 146 grain factory bullets so they can be expected to give similar performance.  The one caveat is seating dept; fully seating wad cutters into a short .38 S&W case can cause a number of problems best avoided by duplicating the original cartridge over-all length.

Cartuchos standard de 148 gr y 158 gr (recargados).

The full wad cutter (left) and the round nose are loaded to the same LOA.

Among reloading manuals, the wad cutter loads described are also accompanied by heavier (158 grain) semi-wad cutter loadings.  As with many of these lower powered cartridges, the .38 S&W may not ever achieve enough velocity to reliably expand modern hollow point bullets.  As such, it’s often best to improve performance by going the other direction and getting heavier solid projectiles that will at least maximize penetration and possibly increase their effect by tumbling as they lose their in-flight stability on impact with the target.  Published loads for the original 175-200 grain military loads are as hard to come by as the bullets; however, I’ve had some success with a 190 grain flat point loaded over a published charge of powder intended for a 200 grain bullet.  This particular round sailed directly through tissue simulant without the slightest deflection and could be counted on to be the most effective against larger animals than the round was ever intended.  I wouldn’t take it into bear country but a feral dog or hog might be suitably handled with one or more of these if properly placed by the shooter.   As was said before, this level of ballistic experimentation should NOT be done with older, weaker, break top or smaller frame guns.

Cartuchos 9 mm Luger y .38 S&W de 190 gr LFP (recargado).

Here we see the 9x19mm (right) next to the handloaded .38 S&W with a 190-gr. LFP. Though similar in size, the 9x19mm is loaded to considerably higher pressures and data for it must never be thought of as a substitute for the other!

One final observation that bears mentioning if one is in the habit of reloading commingled brass; the .38 S&W cartridge is very close in size and shape to the 9mm Luger which, because they are rimless, can become stuck in the resizing die quite easily if not properly sorted.  Along with this caveat, I’m ever hopeful that someday the I-frame revolver might be resurrected with modern materials and engineering to accommodate the modern 9mm Luger in a smaller/lighter revolver than the current crop of available .38 Special offerings.  Some kind of “smaller than Chief’s Special” in a more up to date cartridge like the 9mm +P could become the new ultimate backup wheel-gun in this era dominated by smaller semiautomatic pocket pistols.

Resultados de la prueba de penetración.

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/38%20S&W-the%20other%2038.htm

El olvidado .38 S&W. Por Mike Hudson

Consider the Forgotten .38 S&W

By Mike Hudson

It's a cartridge that's gone by many names over its long and colorful career: the .38 New Police, British .380 and Belgian 9mm Revolver. Loaded with 200-grain bullets it's been known as the .38 Super Police and .380-200. The stubby little round and the guns that fire it have made a lot of history.

Not to be confused with the .38 Special, with which it is not interchangeable, the .38 S&W is superbly accurate at practical handgun ranges, recoils gently, and produces a mild and not at all unpleasant report when fired. And thinking about it now, I believe I've owned more revolvers chambered for what is commonly known as the .38 S&W than for any other centerfire cartridge.

The full sized guns include a Colt Police Positive and a commercial Smith & Wesson Military and Police, purchased not only because they were less expensive than their .38 Special counterparts, but also because of the superb fit and finish those early 20th Century revolvers. A Harrington and Richardson hammerless top break with a five-inch barrel and oversized grips that was traded away at first opportunity, and a big Enfield No. 2 Mk. 1 that stayed around awhile.

Un Harrington & Richardson Hammerless en .38 S&W. (La foto no pertenece al artículo)

And then there were the pocket pistols. A top-break Smith & Wesson with a fine nickel finish, another Harrington & Richardson, this time with a hammer and a much better arrangement all around, and a poor German copy of a Remington over and under derringer.

In the field, I've always considered the .38 S&W a small game round, and have taken squirrel, rabbit and woodchuck with it. Once, using the Colt with its implausibly long six-inch barrel, I connected with a quartering shot on a feral dog involved in running down a small whitetail doe that had flown past seconds earlier, so close that I could see the sweat on her shoulders and the terror in her eyes.

The 146-grain slug anchored the mutt, and I don't believe he would have gotten up again, but he was still alive and I quickly dispatched him with a brain shot delivered at point blank range. Having made the Pennsylvania woods safe again that day, I felt well satisfied both with my marksmanship and the revolver I'd chosen to take along on my walk.

The .38 Smith & Wesson round was introduced by the company in 1876 in its single action, spur triggered First Model revolver and it was an overnight success. Metallic cartridge revolvers had been in use for less than two decades at the time, and most of those were either large caliber Army-sized guns or tiny pocket pistols firing the seriously under powered .22 or .32 short rimfire loads.

Indeed, most small self-defense weapons employed at the time of America's Centennial were either of the edged variety or single-shot percussion pistols and derringers. The five-shot Smith and Wesson product was deemed a great leap forward at the time. Fully loaded, it weighed barely a pound and was compact enough with a three-inch barrel to be carried discreetly in a coat pocket or ladies' handbag.

The gun's success spawned many imitators, and soon revolvers accommodating the .38 S&W round were being manufactured in Great Britain, Europe, and throughout the world. In this country, companies sprung up overnight, producing knockoffs, some of good quality and others not so good, and keeping pace with Smith & Wesson's design updates almost as quickly as they could be introduced. These guns played a role in the taming of the American West, often seeing service as a hideout or backup revolver in the hands of lawmen and desperadoes alike.

Eventually the U.S. Cavalry would give the .38 S&W field trials, and it was officially adopted as a service cartridge by Great Britain, most of her former colonies, and Israel during its war for independence. Countless police departments in the U.S. and around the world also adopted the cartridge.

The 38 S&W was still in official use as late as the 1970s in those parts of Africa and Asia once controlled by the Brits and, even today, artisans in the troubled border region of India and Pakistan still turn out the notorious "Khyber Pass Specials," handmade reproductions of the Webley and Enfield revolvers designed more than a century ago. Some of these, long considered dangerous to fire, have been brought into the U.S. recently as battlefield pickups by returning Afghanistan veterans.

Presidential assassins in this country also showed a strange affinity for the round and the handy weapons that fired it. On July 2, 1881, a deranged lawyer named Charles Guiteau shot President James A. Garfield twice at the train station near the U.S. Capitol using a cheaply made "Boston Bulldog" revolver of uncertain manufacture. The first shot merely grazed Garfield's arm, but the second hit home, striking the president in the lower torso.

Garfield never lost consciousness, and in fact walked from the train station after the shooting. But infection set in and he lingered for 80 days at the White House before dying on September 19.

A .38 S&W revolver was used in the attempted assassination of Teddy Roosevelt on Oct. 13, 1912 by John Schrank, a disturbed New York poet and saloon keeper. The slug hit Roosevelt in the chest, but a twice-folded copy of a 100-page speech he was set to give, along with the metal case he carried for his spectacles, were tucked into his breast pocket and slowed the bullet's travel. Roosevelt took charge of the pandemonium following the attempt, yelling, "Quiet! I've been shot."

He delivered his speech as planned and only later went to the hospital. Doctors found that the bullet had pierced Roosevelt's chest at the left nipple, cracking a rib. His long windedness and poor eyesight had saved his life, they said, but because the bullet was lodged close to the heart, no attempt was made to remove it.

For his part, Shrank said he was ordered to kill the Bull Moose by the ghost of William McKinley, whose assassination two decades earlier facilitated Roosevelt's first ascension to our nation's highest office. He spent the rest of his life in a mental institution.

And, while debate still rages over whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, most everyone agrees that he did murder Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit later that afternoon. The weapon used was a Smith & Wesson Victory Model, manufactured for export to England as part of the Lend-Lease program in W.W.II, and brought back into this county following the war. Tippit was struck four times at nearly point blank range and died instantly. Despite their storied history and notorious record as an assassin's weapon, revolvers chambered for the .38 S&W cartridge are what they always have been, light and handy weapons suitable for a wide variety of applications.

Ammunition manufacturers have long under loaded the round because of the number of cheap and elderly weapons chambered to fire it, but even factory rounds can produce desired results when fired from good quality guns. As loaded today by Winchester, Mag Tec and Fiocchi, the .38 S&W spits out a 145 or 146-grain round nose lead bullet at 685 feet per second, producing 150 pounds of muzzle energy. These ballistics can be significantly improved by handloading, but the very fact that three different companies are producing the round is a testament to its continuing popularity among shooters, despite general condemnation by gun writers for more than 50 years.

In his 1955 classic Sixguns, the great Elmer Keith wrote that the .38 S&W was a very accurate round and confessed to having owned several guns in that caliber. But, he added, "it was a pip squeak load and accuracy was about its only virtue."

"The load is due to be discarded even though it will be in strong demand for many years to come, because of the many guns now in existence chambered for it," Keith quite correctly predicted.

For a half century since, gun writers of a certain type, some of whom probably never in their lives fired a revolver chambered for the round, have aped Keith's more negative comments regarding the .38 S&W., even as they touted the latest development in ammunition for the anemic .32 automatic, souped-up versions of which push a 65-grain pill at 950 fps and generate 130 pounds of muzzle energy. Clearly, the .38 S&W outclasses the .32 ACP in most respects, especially when the automatics' often finicky performance when using bullets of different weight and style is taken into account.

That performance factor cannot be overstated. Most people buying a firearm for home defense tend not to put in a lot of range time acquainting themselves with the weapon and experimenting with different loads to determine which works best in their particular gun. They should, but they don't.

And if there's anything worse than not having a gun when you need one, it's having one and finding out it's not working properly at the critical moment. With any automatic, feeding problems and other malfunctions have to be cleared manually, unlike the revolver, where problems can generally be solved with another pull of the trigger. Add to that the fact that good double action revolvers are inherently safer than any automatic, and the argument is pretty much settled.

The case becomes a bit cloudier when the .380 auto is brought into the mix, with its standard loading firing a 95-grain full metal jacket bullet at a reported 950 fps and generating 190 pounds of energy at the muzzle. Although I wouldn't relish it, I'd far rather take a hit from a FMJ-style bullet than one cast of nearly pure lead, and when safety and the functional problems of small automatics using different loads is taken into account, the .38 S&W revolver is again the better choice. (Several popular .380 ACP loads using JHP bullets outclass the .38 S&W LRN load, however. -Ed.)

The key to all this is to equip oneself with a good quality gun, not some relic that's been rusting away in the fishing tackle box of its previous owner since the Eisenhower administration. Well cared for .38 S&W revolvers are plentiful, and can often be had quite cheaply, especially those of the old top break design. Additionally, one can completely avoid the cumbersome pistol purchase legalities by selecting a gun manufactured prior to 1899, as such weapons are considered antiques rather than firearms under federal law.

Recently, I had the opportunity to put a box of Mag Tec ammunition through a top break revolver manufactured in the 1880s by Otis Smith of Rockfall, Conn. The gun was solid, tight and in fine condition, nickel-plated and equipped with a 3-1/4" barrel. The mild report and minimal recoil made it almost like shaking hands with an old friend.

Fast, double action fire at 10 yards resulted in five-shot groups of around six inches, while aimed single-action shooting at 25 yards produced three-inch groups with almost boring consistency.

That's not bad for a mediocre pistol shot using a 110-year-old pocket pistol! In the end, I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with a .38 S&W revolver resting on the nightstand by my bed or tucked unobtrusively in my back pocket on a tromp through the woods or an evening's fishing on some secluded stream.

You never know when it might come in handy.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/forgotten_38SW.htm

Munición disponible

.38 S&W Remington Target 146 gr LRN

Remington ofrece una variedad de municiones para arma corta que cubre la mayoría de los calibres y usos. Esta munición fue especialmente desarrollada para tiro al blanco y entrenamiento. Fabricada con componentes de alta calidad, es precisa y confiable.

Información balística:
Velocidad en boca ..................... 685fps
Energía en boca ......................... 152ft. lbs.

.38 S&W Prvi Partizan Ammunition  145 gr LRN

Desde 1928 Prvi Partisan ha estado produciendo en Serbia munición especialmente pensada para competición y caza mayor. Actualmente esta compañía goza de gran prestigio entre sus pares y ofrece una amplia gama de calibres comerciales y militares. La munición .38 S&W fabricada por esta firma es de tipo LRN, Versátil, económica y apta para cualquier revolver. Es precisa e ideal para practicar.

Información balística:
Velocidad en boca ..................... 787 fps
Energía en boca ......................... 136 ft. lbs.

En la página de Midway Usa, Steve, de Sioux Falls (SD), publicó el 24 de diciembre de 2015 el siguiente comentario: "Funcionaron excelente en mi Enfield de la II Guerra. Precisas sin ninguna duda. Si, voy a recomendarlas a un amigo."

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/535727/prvi-partizan-ammunition-38-s-and-w-145-grain-lead-round-nose-box-of-50

.38 S&W Magtech Sport Ammunition  146 gr LRN

Desde 1926 Magtech ha manufacturado sus propios componentes, llevando a los clientes un total control de calidad a través de todas las etapas de producción. Esta munición es confiable y económica, y es la opción elegida por destacados tiradores como Mark Hanish y Jerry Miculek. Al respecto, este último señaló: "Sin ninguna duda Magtech es la más confiable munición que yo haya usado. Cuando estoy en la línea con una ronda de Magtech en mi cilindro, estoy seguro de que ella no me dejará atrás."

Información balística:
Velocidad en boca ..................... 686 fps
Energía en boca ......................... 152 ft. lbs.

.38 S&W Winchester Super-X Ammunition 145 gr LRN

La munición Winchester Super-X ha logrado una fuerte reputación en consistencia, confiabilidad y precisión. Esta munición es ideal para tiro al blanco o para esparcimiento, las vainas son nuevas y aptas para ser recargadas.

Información balística:
Velocidad en boca ..................... 685 fps
Energía en boca ......................... 150 ft. lbs.

.38 S&W Ten-X Cowboy Ammunition 150 gr Lead Hollow Base Flat Point

Los cartuchos empleados en las competencias de cowboy action son aptos para ser empleados en armas antiguas. Son generalmente más precisos que los originales y son fabricados con componentes de alta calidad. Y esta munición es un buen ejemplo de ello.

Información balística:
Velocidad en boca ..................... 600 fps (en arma corta)

Glenn, de Phoenix, Arizona, escribió el siguiente comentario en la página de Midway USA: "The five stars is because it is what it's supposed to be, and does what it's supposed to do. Unfortunately, my use of it was a misapplication of its intended use, so I wanted to warn others that may use it like I did. I hadn't fired my 100+ year old H&R American in months and couldn't find .38 S&W anywhere. This was all that was in stock, so I ordered a box. It's really for Cowboy Action shooting, not for firing in antique revolvers. The hollow base expands when fired to engage the rifling from the rear of the bullet. This keeps its nose heavy and gives it a good spin for accuracy at low speeds. Although I didn't notice any excessive noise or impact, I believe the extra force of the base expanding in the forcing cone was enough to jar the cylinder pin loose. Every other round, the cylinder came loose and I had to put it back together. No damage to the gun, but this round was just a bad idea (on my part) in an antique revolver. After ten rounds, I gave the rest to the guy in the lane next to me at the range. If you're shooting an antique, the Magtech 38 S&Ws work perfectly at a good price. A hollow base bullet may not be an appropriate choice for your antique."
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/792535/ten-x-cowboy-ammunition-38-s-and-w-150-grain-lead-hollow-base-flat-point-box-of-50

Marcajes de .38 S&W

Numerosas fueron las compañías que fabricaron esta munición. A continuación mostramos algunos ejemplos.

Marcas de Orbea Argentina S.A.I.C., de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Marcas de l Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos, de Utinga (Sao Paulo). 

Marcas de Dos Leones, de Giacomi Hermanos, de Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Marcas de Dominion Cartridge Company, de Montreal, Canadá. 

Marcas de G.C.Dornheim A.G., de Suhl (Turingia) entre 1901 y 1920. Entre 1920 y 1939 utilizó la marca Gecado. 

Marcas de Giulio Fiocchi, S.p.a. de Lecco, Italia.

Marcas de Gustav Genschow de Berlín, una empresa fundada en 1877.

Marcas de Gévelot S.A., de Paris.

Marcas de Hirtenberger Patronen Zundhütchen und Metallwarenfabrik, de Hirtenberg.

Marcas de Lapuan Patruunatehdas, de Lapua, Finlandia.

Marcas de Manuel Arturo Cobas,de Uruguay. Esta empresa fue fundada a mediados de los '60. 

Marcas de Olin Industries, una división de Winchester-Western con sede en New Haven, Connecticut. 

Marcas de Olin Industries. Vaina niquelada.

Marcas de Patronenfabrik Lichtenworth, de Lichtenworth, Austria. Esta empresa desapareció en 1939

Marcas de Pretoria Metal Pressings Pty. Ltd. de Pretoria, Sudáfrica. 

Marcas de Remington-Peters, una subsidiaria de Remington Arms Co.de Bridgeport (Connecticut). 1960. 

Marcas de Remington-Union Metallic Co. de Bridgeport (Connecticut) entre 1911 y 1920. 

Marcas de Rheinisch-Westfalische Sprengstoff A.G. de Nuremberg, Alemania. 

Marcas de Sellier & Bellot, fábrica de Riga, Letonia.

Marcas de Smith & Wesson Ammunition Co, de Rock Creek (Ohio). 

Marcas de la Societé Française des Munitions, de París. Munición de bajo coste, con pistón cromado 1920s.

Marcas de la Societé Française des Munitions, de París. 

Marcas de Union Metallic Cartridge Co. de Bridgeport (Connecticut). Esta compañía se fusionó con Remington en 1911. 

Marcas de W.R. Kirschbaum & Cia., un armero de Buenos Aires de principios del siglo XX que comercializaba munición fabricada en Alemania bajo la marca El Casco.

Marcas de Western Cartridge Co., de East Alton (Illinois). 

Marcas de Winchester Repeating Arms Co., de New Haven (Connecticut). Versión hasta 1930. 

Con el paso del tiempo iremos completando este registro. Desde ya agradeceremos su colaboración en la tarea.