difference between a .38 special and .38 super?
tra...@dsp.com
#It seems odd to have been around firearms as long as I have
#and did not know the answer from one of the kids today.
#
#Question: What is the differance between the .38 Special and
#the 38 Super?
#
#Thanks for the help......
#
#Have a Day
#Bud
#
okay.. here goes from me.. =) a .38 super is a semi rimmed usually
semi auto handgun round that shoots a bullet that is ,355 inches in
diameter, it is similar to a 9mm but a tad longer and as I said,
semi-rimmed. A .38 special is a fully rimmed usually revolver round
that fires a .358 diameter bullet. Usually pressure of a .38 super is
in the range of 35,000 psi while the pressure for a .38 special is
more likely around 28000 PSI MAX. A standard weight bullet for the .38
special is usually a 148 grain wadcutter, 158 grain semi-wadcutter, or
in some cases up to a 200 grain round nose. For the .38 super, the
standard lading is a 130 grain full metal jacket, with several options
in bullet weights for handloading. The .38 special was made in 1902
and used in the S&W Military and police revolver. The .38 super is
actually the same cartridge dimensionally as the .38 auto, but has
higher pressure and is to be used only in guns that are marked as .38
super. It was introduced in 1929 by Colt for it's new auto pistol.
Many people use the .38 special as a light target load and it is in
use or was in use as a standard Police load for many years. The .38
super is a cartridge that mant IPSC shooters now use to make "Major"
without pushing pressures too sky high. A good book on the subject is
Cartridges of the world or ant good loading manual like Speer,
Hornady, Hodgdon, or Nosler. Hope this helps.. later...
Vince
Robert P. Firriolo
On 3 Jun 1996 22:32:32 -0400, tra...@dsp.com wrote:
##Question: What is the differance between the .38 Special and
##the 38 Super?
#okay.. here goes from me.. =) a .38 super is a semi rimmed usually
#semi auto handgun round that shoots a bullet that is ,355 inches in
#diameter, it is similar to a 9mm but a tad longer and as I said,
#semi-rimmed. A .38 special is a fully rimmed usually revolver round
#that fires a .358 diameter bullet. Usually pressure of a .38 super is
#in the range of 35,000 psi while the pressure for a .38 special is
#more likely around 28000 PSI MAX.
Whoa, there. I don't have any reference books with me, but as I
recall, this is wrong. I thought standard pressure .38 Special loads
were about 15,000 CUP, +P loads about 17,000 CUP, and even the "blue
pill" pressure test loads were under 20,000 CUP. All of these are
well below 28,000 PSI. Can anybody with a reference handy check this?
Robert P. Firriolo
**************************************************************
Don't Tread on Me!
"Little more can reasonable be aimed at with respect to the
people at large than to have them properly armed and equipped."
- Alexander Hamilton
The Federalist Papers - Number 29
***************************************************************
Jerome Bigge
In article <4p1i8s$n...@xring.cs.umd.edu>,
firr...@ix.netcom.com (Robert P. Firriolo) wrote:
#
#Whoa, there. I don't have any reference books with me, but as I
#recall, this is wrong. I thought standard pressure .38 Special loads
#were about 15,000 CUP, +P loads about 17,000 CUP, and even the "blue
#pill" pressure test loads were under 20,000 CUP. All of these are
#well below 28,000 PSI. Can anybody with a reference handy check
this?
#
#Robert P. Firriolo
#
#**************************************************************
# Don't Tread on Me!
#
#"Little more can reasonable be aimed at with respect to the
#people at large than to have them properly armed and equipped."
#
# - Alexander Hamilton
# The Federalist Papers - Number 29
#***************************************************************
#
#
My Lyman Reloading Manual gives 16,000 PSI for standard .38 Special,
18,000 for +P. I'd guess +P+ is about 20,000 PSI. I suspect this is
the old 38-44 High Speed loading designed for large frame revolvers...
28,000PSI is up in the .357 range. I suppose one of the old large
frame guns would take it, but small frame guns certainly wouldn't!
Jerome Bigge (jbi...@vixa.voyager.net) NRA Life Member
**********************************************
My Warlady novels are available by email.
(they are "zipped" and about 300K each)
A total of 9 are available to read...
Tales of adventure in a future dark age.
tra...@dsp.com
In article <4p0780$k...@xring.cs.umd.edu>, tra...@dsp.com wrote:
##It seems odd to have been around firearms as long as I have
##and did not know the answer from one of the kids today.
##
##Question: What is the differance between the .38 Special and
##the 38 Super?
##Thanks for the help......
##
##Have a Day
##Bud
##
#okay.. here goes from me.. =) a .38 super is a semi rimmed usually
#semi auto handgun round that shoots a bullet that is ,355 inches in
#diameter, it is similar to a 9mm but a tad longer and as I said,
#semi-rimmed. A .38 special is a fully rimmed usually revolver round
#that fires a .358 diameter bullet. Usually pressure of a .38 super is
#in the range of 35,000 psi while the pressure for a .38 special is
38
#special is usually a 148 grain wadcutter, 158 grain semi-wadcutter,
or
#in some cases up to a 200 grain round nose. For the .38 super, the
#standard lading is a 130 grain full metal jacket, with several
options
#in bullet weights for handloading. The .38 special was made in 1902
#and used in the S&W Military and police revolver. The .38 super is
#actually the same cartridge dimensionally as the .38 auto, but has
#higher pressure and is to be used only in guns that are marked as .38
#super. It was introduced in 1929 by Colt for it's new auto pistol.
#Many people use the .38 special as a light target load and it is in
#use or was in use as a standard Police load for many years. The .38
#super is a cartridge that mant IPSC shooters now use to make "Major"
#without pushing pressures too sky high. A good book on the subject is
#Cartridges of the world or ant good loading manual like Speer,
#Hornady, Hodgdon, or Nosler. Hope this helps.. later...
#
#Vince
#
as I now have looked it up in my speer loading manual.. I was wrong..
the max for a standard .38 is 17000 psi with the +p being 18,500.. I
goofed but heres the update.. and the sammi pressure for the .38 super
is 33,000 psi. sorry guys...later..
Vince again...