Is .38 Special in danger of becoming an orphaned round?

[glowe]

It must be a top secret how much of each caliber is produced by ammo companies. I could not believe that there is nothing on the Internet that addresses this question. Wonder why no one has compiled this information before??

Only thing found was a global list of the top 7 most popular calibers:

1- 9x17mm (9mm Browning, 9mm Short/Kurz, .380 ACP), FMJ
2 - 9x19mm (9mm Para, 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO), FMJ
3 - .40SW (.40 Smith & Wesson), JFP
4 - .45ACP (.45 Automatic Colt Pistole), FMJ
5 - .38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special), JHP
6 - .357 Magnum, JHP
7 - .44 Magnum (.44 Remington Magnum), JHP

 

[bushmaster1313]

I have read that S&W's most popular revolvers are the .38 Spec. Airweights. I think that says something about the future of the round.

Best,
Rick

Shooting in New Jersey where we do not have concealed carry is perhaps an explanation for why I almost only see big auto-loaders at the range.

 

[rburg]

Ya know, I had a really happy day about 20 years ago. A buddy and I were hiking a gun show. I'd just bought a Browning B78 and wanted some ammo. A guy had a table and was dumping his obsolete ammo. He wanted about $4 a box for his 45-70 stockpile. So I bought it all, maybe 15 boxes (man is that stuff heavy). So with my buddy helping, we went up an aisle or two and stopped in front of a table. Another guy had gotten the word and was dumping about 10 boxes of 45-70 stuff. He made me a deal, 10 boxes for $25. At that point we were overloaded and headed out to the truck to drop it off.

I was just a little worried those fools knew something about the cartridge I didn't. So I loaded up on brass and bullets. Now 20 years later I'm feeling confident. Worse, you can't find it at a gun show or gun shop. The last time I saw any it was at list price, $35 a box of 20!

Now you tell me that other old military caliber, the 38 Special is obsolete. I sure hope I see someone dumping the ammo cheap. I guess I need to start digging for empty cases. I just counted 800 HBWCs in a drawer, all brand new in bags. And I'm sure I've got a thousand or so jacketed bullets. Primers and Bullseye are no problem.

I'm guessing I'm becoming obsolete faster than my 38s. Its just an ugly fact or life. I'll be dead long before my revolvers stop working or ammo dries up.

 

[quneur]

I think new people are going to find shooting to be expensive. With the cost of ammo and the non-availability of the most popular auto ammo, ie. 9mm, 45 acp, etc. they are going to try to find a cheaper way to shoot. Hence, the revolver. They're cheaper because you can save the brass for reloading. Indoor ranges near me won't let you gather cases (I suspect most urban indoor shooting ranges are similar). They themselves will gather brass and reload or sell to customers. So, no I don't think it will be orphaned anytime soon.

 

[Ed45]

The 38 Special is a solid round. Let's not forget that lead round nose 38's tamed the streets of America during Prohibition and the gangster eras, often in snub nose revolvers. I have heard the S&W Model 10 has been the most prolifically manufactured revolver ever (correct me if I am wrong; I know you will). Given those facts, its difficult to imagine the caliber fading beyond its current level of popularity. Long live the 38 SPL.

 

[Stephanie B]

I shoot the local USPSA matches with a model 10 in .38 Special.
A few laughed at first (I just smiled back), but no jams and after a few lighting fast reloads with a speedloader, most said they didn't know a revolver could be reloaded that fast...........(I didn't even mention to them about a "New York Reload").....................................

I do the same for the club PPC matches. I did ask about a "NY Reload" and was told "no".

 

[all357mag]

The 38spl will be around longer than all of us!

 

[counting cou]

most popular cartridge at the 2 cowboy shoots i visited,many started with 45lc but the cost of those vs 38sp made them swap..I use it when i have the money and can find it in stores,,both conditions prevail at my hacienda....44sp has been the hardest for me to find for last 10 year.

 

[mscampbell2734]

most popular cartridge at the 2 cowboy shoots i visited,many started with 45lc but the cost of those vs 38sp made them swap..I use it when i have the money and can find it in stores,,both conditions prevail at my hacienda....44sp has been the hardest for me to find for last 10 year.

This. Cowboy Action shooting has breathed new life into the .38.

In fact IDPA changed their power factor for revolvers just because 90% of .38 ammo is loaded to SSA levels and does not meet standard minor power level.

 

[BigBill]

Now 44SPL is another story.

I loaded for many years the 44special for my 44mag but i just picked up a new S&W m24 in nickel in 44spl. I also picked up some 44 russian ammo so the misses cam start with that.

The misses just got her CCW permit and she is shooting a taurus M94 in 22lr in double action all the time. I hope to ween her off of that and into a 38 S&W / 38 special revolver next and then on to the 44 special. I want her to carry a 44 special snubbie but she doesn't know that yet.

 

[BigBill]

The 38spl will be around longer than all of us!

Ditto, the 38 special will be around longer than i ever will. I had the 38 special ammo on hand to shoot out of my 357magnums. But now i'm into collecting the older early 1900 S&W revolvers the 38 S&W, the 32 S&W and the 38 special will be alive for ever.

I like owning, touching and shooting a piece of history thats been there and done that. Plus i like to see how the S&W products evolved in the past 100 years or so. The older guns can be just as much fun as the newer guns.

Do we have any S&W collectors here??

BTW; If it wasn't for the semi auto pistols in 9mm the 38 special revolvers would still be carried by the leo's. Most of the departments here still used the 38 special while the state police carried the 357magnums. Now i guess everyone is carrying the 40cal's. Probably because the 10mm is too much for them.

 

[BigBill]

It must be a top secret how much of each caliber is produced by ammo companies. I could not believe that there is nothing on the Internet that addresses this question. Wonder why no one has compiled this information before??

Only thing found was a global list of the top 7 most popular calibers:

1- 9x17mm (9mm Browning, 9mm Short/Kurz, .380 ACP), FMJ
2 - 9x19mm (9mm Para, 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO), FMJ
3 - .40SW (.40 Smith & Wesson), JFP
4 - .45ACP (.45 Automatic Colt Pistole), FMJ
5 - .38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special), JHP
6 - .357 Magnum, JHP
7 - .44 Magnum (.44 Remington Magnum), JHP

With all the surplus military pistols in 9mm makarov i'm surprised the 9 x 18 makarov isn't on that list too?

 

[rwsmith]

You are right, it isn't

This is good, but it goes against the trend of panic buying, indicating to me that .38 Special is not as popular as it used to be.

The .38 is not the most popular anymore (In the US) but people who know that it's a great target round, easy to load for, easy to shoot, very versatile and a good SD cartridge know that just because something isn't trendy, doesn't mean that it's not excellent.

 

[blujax01]

Outside of this Forum, is the .38 Special in danger of becoming an orphan round?

Specifically, most of the guns I see at the range are .45, 9 mm and .40 S&W.

Rarely do I see anyone other than myself shooting .357 or .38 Special.

...
Going to start saving my brass, even though I don't reload.

I have to agree. My observations are similar. With a dozen shooters lined up, I may see a revolver or sometimes two but often none at all. The vast majority of the Millennial Generation view revolvers as antiques and want nothing to do with "cowboy guns."
As a matter of fact, even though my local range is sold out of most every caliber auto feed hand gun they carry, there is still a good selection of revolvers available.

Orphaned? Probably not. Speciality round (read expensive) like the 45 LC? Definitely.

Keep saving that brass and keep hanging around the reloading forum, we'll make a convert of you yet!

 

[Pigirondan]

Since the .38 Special is the most handloaded round, it is doubtful that it is going to the orphanage anytime soon. Given these turbulent times,
the gun industry, like our government, is always looking for a crisis to exploit. I predict a K-frame and N-frame renaissance.

 

[blujax01]

I hope you're right Dan but think about it - most folks don't bother to reload 9mm why? Because it's cheap and it's cheap because of the supply because of the higher demand for it. I wonder what the "round count" sold of 9mm compared to .38 spl is? 10:1? 20:1? More?

Don't get me wrong, I own several revolvers chambered in 38 and reload a ton. But when "normal folks" (tongue firmly planted in cheek) buy guns they look at the cost of ammunition. Usually 9mm is much cheaper and more readily available. Add to that the "pray and spray" mentality (as evidenced by the high cap mag argument) and the 9mm wins by a landslide.

Depends on how we look at the word "orphan" I guess...

 

[glider1]

I've got 500 38 cases in the tumbler as we speak. I also reload 9 but 38 is alot easier to deal with, anything a 9 can do a 38 can do better. And you don't have to pick up brass.

 

[Pigirondan]

Actually, I think the interest will be driven by the gun rags. (which are just vehicles for the manufactures) For example, if there was a montage of Guns & Ammo covers for the last 50 years you would see the change in consumer taste. (whether the consumer needed to change or not)

What was once old will become new again.

 

[dogngun]

Simple answer; NO!
The number of people who carry a .38 Spl for CCW is very high and growing...I did read somewhere that .38 Spl snubbies are the best selling revolvers period.

I have been shooting .38's for over 45 years, and there have never in my experience been more variety of loaded commercial ammo for this caliber. I must have at least 4 or 5 types of .38 Spl myself right now, and I have 6 revolvers that can shoot this round, including my most carried revolver, a Charter Arms .38 Spl Off Duty DAO.

If anything, I believe the number of .38 Spl shooters is growing.

ADDED: I have 1 9mm pistol, 1 .45 ACP pistol, and 6 revolvers in .38 Spl/.357 Mag...plus a few in .44.

mark

 

[TNDave]

The 38 has lost its spot as the #1 police duty round but it will hand on. The 38 snub is still very popular with good reason.