Not that I expected to buy anything. Looking at the ammo they had a good amount of 38-55 on the shelf. What caught my eye was the sign that said "Not For Revolvers". The back story on that sign has to be entertaining.
Well if 38-44hv ammo is good then 38-55 must be more better.![]()
FWIW, I wonder how many of us on this forum have ever actually held, much less shot a rifle in 38-55? I have, but I’m an old Schuetzen aficionado.
I used to have a Winchester Model 94 Legendary Frontiersman commemorative in .38-55. I used in some cowboy action side matches back in the day. Long since sold it.
But I have two interesting stories along these lines - let's see what y'all think.
When I bought my first revolver, 1980 or 81, it was a Model 19 [4", P&R]. I bought a box of ammunition with it. In .38 caliber. Being ignorant I took what the counter guy gave me and went home. When I tried to load the gun the rounds would not drop into the cylinder. Being ignorant (they say ignorance is bliss but it can get confusing) I took the gun back to the store. The counter guy looks at the ammuntion, shakes his head, mutters something like "I don't know what I was thinking" and swaps that box for a box of .38 Special and I go on down the road and many years of handgun shooting later I have a parallel incident.
Note - I believe that that first box of ".38 caliber" was .38 S&W but maybe not, as you shall see.
Fast forward into the mid-2000s. I've been a handgunner for years, took combat courses, carried a handgun for years, shot cowboy action for years (.45 Colt single action Vaqueros so no relation to this story), mostly preferred carrying J frames or K frame snubbies in .38 Special, and so forth.
Then I acquired a S&W 4th Model for my then collection.
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When I bought it I had a discussion with the LGS owner and I said something about the .38 S&W caliber of this 4th Model not fitting into a .38 Special (I sure had never tried it in the intervening years). He says I'm wrong. Hmmmm.....
We take out a few guns and we try and, sure enough, the .38 S&W fits easily into every .38 Special cylinder we tried, just as he said it would.
Query - what do you suppose happened all those many years ago when a ".38 caliber" round would not fit into my new Model 19?
I'd love to know what y'all can come up with. It's been bugging me for a very long time.
Sure nuff! Had a student buy a box of "38s" at Wally World. When he fired them, he didn't hit the entire 2x2' cardboard for his 1st three shots. Asked him if I might try. I hit the target, but were two keyholes. Took the fired cases out, noticed no rims, looked at the box & they were 38 Super. Doesn't work well in a 5-shot revolver. Neither he nor the sales guy knew what they were doing.
Hank M.
I had a case years ago where a "fine young man" tried to hold-up a gas station. He had an old Colt Model 1892 New Army & Navy revolver made in the 1890s. There was enough rim that he loaded the revolver with .38 Super+P cartridges in the revolver that was designed for black powder pressures. The amazing thing is that the cylinder held the pressure, but the barrel split. The young man, known as Q Dog, died with a sawed-off shotgun in one hand and the Colt revolver in the other hand. Such is life.
We take out a few guns and we try and, sure enough, the .38 S&W fits easily into every .38 Special cylinder we tried, just as he said it would.
Query - what do you suppose happened all those many years ago when a ".38 caliber" round would not fit into my new Model 19?
I'd love to know what y'all can come up with. It's been bugging me for a very long time.
I’m baffled. I take it as an article of faith that a 38 S&W round will not chamber in a 38 Spl chamber - it should be a couple of thousandths too “fat.”
Froggie