I've always been interested in the developemnent of guns and ammunition, and have accumulated a collection of cartridges. Here's a few:


The .38 S & W round originated about 1888 for the "Baby Russian", Smith's spur trigger, single action top break revolver. Not long after, Colt countered with their .38 Colt New Police, an identical round, except having a flat point bullet.

In 1898 Smith began work to improve the .38 Long Colt then used by the U.S. Army. They lengthened the case to hold three more grains of blackpowder, and eliminated the hollow base bullet. This became the .38 S&W Special, placed on the commercial market in 1902, in the Military & Police Model, the gun that would become the police standard for many years, as the Model 10. Colt also jumped on the bandwagon with the .38 Colt Special, again identical except for a flat point bullet. Today we simply refer to the round as the .38 Special.

Bob Wright