.38 S&W for Defense?

[Pook]

I just snagged a 1970-vintage model 32 "Terrier" in .38 S&W. It is a light, handy little revolver. Is the .38 S&W cartridge an acceptable defense round, or is it a waste of time? I don't reload, so I would be depending on the factory fodder. Also, can anyone tell me what the ballistics of the round are from a two-inch barrel?

Thanks

 

[ACP230]

It's loaded light but, just like any other handgun round, it might work.

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
Using factory ammo and good shot placement, your S&W Terrier is an acceptable self defense weapon.

 

[Steve C]

You are pretty much stuck with a 146gr LRN at under 700 fps for factory ammo. Not a great man stopper but better than harsh words and will kill quite dead with proper bullet placement.

 

[firearmsunlimited]

Pook,
Here is a link to the Firearms Tactical Institute that includes test data from the FBI on .38 Special ammo.
.38 Special Ammunition Performance Data
Hope this helps.

 

[Erich]

Personally, I'd not carry that gun to protect myself if limited to factory loads. Just my thoughts, but I'd be really concerned about adequacy of penetration without deflection with the factory rounds. Plus, factory ammo is so expensive for the .38 S&W that I would be concerned about adequately familiarizing myself with the gun before carrying it if so limited.

That said, I would happily carry such a gun (neat gun!) with handloads. And I compliment your taste in guns and wish you good fortune with whatever you decide is right to do in your personal circumstances.

 

[nutsforsmiths]

I have a Terrier from 1966 and would have no problem carrying it. I have shot different factory loads and hand loads through this gun and it is very accurate for being such a small pistol. Fiocchi makes a 146 gr FMJ that was a great cartridge, but I haven't seen it around for over a year.

I also reload for this round, as I own many pistols chambered for this cartridge and I enjoy shooting them, but not paying the going rate for factory ammo.

 

[olskool]

i would bet it would mess up a bad guys day, at 700 fps and a 146 gr. lead boolit it will go in one side and out the other side of the bad man. if he is alive after that he will not want to attack you anymore, he will call 911 himself.....................

 

[mkk41]

Well , the Brits thought it was an acceptable combat round as the .38/200.

 

[chief38]

I have the same gun and although I think it is a small, well made revolver, I have never carried it for defensive purposes. If it is the only gun you have that you would consider small enough for CCW, then I would find the best ammunition for S/D and practice a bunch with it. My personal feeling is that I would step up to a similar model (M36, M60, etc) that you can stoke with +P 38 specials, if you are able to. It's just that you probably have a better chance of ending a threat quicker with a more powerful round. When you carry a small bullet with marginal stopping power in a short barrel, you will have to make up for that with quick, well placed shots. Not saying it will not work, but your percentages would obviously be better with a more powerful round.

Chief38

 

[W.E.G.]

 

[TNDave]

That round is not a powerhouse but it will make a hole in someone. I gave a lemon squeezer to an old lady chambered for 38 S&W as I didn't want to give her a gun she could cock nor a gun with a lot of kick. A junkie tried to steal her window unit air conditioner and when she saw it wiggling in the window she tapped on the window with the barrel of her gun. He ran away. I can't say the round was effective in that instance, but on the other hand you could say it was.

 

[walnutred]

I carry 38 S&W as a CCW ctg on occasion but I still have a supply of the old FN 173gn copper washed lead loads. On paper the factory 38 S&W ammo has more energy that the 32 ACP many carry.

 

[needsmostuff]

Well, maybe you could get a friend to reload at least one good box of reloads for you cuz that really is the answer.
These will ruin anyones day even with imperfect shot placement.
Casted a little on the soft side ,158 grain ,hollow point,hollow base (cuz their .358 not .361) and moving about 750fps out of a 4 inch gun.
It ain't Dirty Harry but it will do.

Sorry about the off brand gun.

 

[LouisianaMan]

You've got a fine weapon & I'd rate the cartridge as better for self defense than any .32ACP and .380 FMJ, and perhaps about equivalent to the best .380 JHPs. (It won't expand like some .380 JHPs, but it will penetrate deeper than anything in that caliber, I imagine.)

I've posted quite a bit on this forum about my "experiments" with various bullets in this caliber, and I'm definitely a fan of a flat-pointed 200g bullet at low 600's velocity. That's nothing but the British Army service round of the 1930s, itself merely a blunt-nosed version of the American ".38 Super Police" round of that era. (There was also a .38 Special "Super Police" 200g load.)

I sometimes carry a Mod. 32-1 or 33-1 (4" barrel) loaded with 200g flatpoints, and my wife carries a 32-1 in the car and keeps a 33-1 for home defense. Even from the snubbie, it punches straight through 6 gallon jugs of water--some estimate this equates to 18" in ballistic gelatin. NOT shabby. [CORRECTION: into 6th jug from a snubbie 2", thru all six jugs from a 4" barrel.]

Although Old Western Scrounger is backordered on his 200g load in this caliber, you may wish to check with him & get some when you can. See 38-200 British 200GR Lead [38200] - $34.95 : The Old Western Scrounger LLC. You'd gain penetration, but as a trade-off your point of impact would be higher than with factory ammo. To me, that's not a problem for HD and SD, as engagement ranges & conditions make it a moot point if the bullet hits 2-3 inches above the sights.

BTW, a few months back I came across a number of boxes of modern Remington ammo at Bass Pro for about $26 per box. Not too bad compared to many calibers.

Happy shooting, and best of luck in learning to shoot your Terrier rapidly and accurately at short range. That's what it was designed for, and it does it very well.

 

[Mack]

No and neither is the .380 but lots of folks are carrying them.

 

[LouisianaMan]

Winchester lists .38 SPL wadcutter target ammo at 148g, 710fps. Their .38 S&W load is 145g at 685fps.

Many have recommended the .38SPL wadcutter as a good choice for a low-recoil/blast defensive load. Granted, its full wadcutter profile cuts a far more effective wound channel than the round nose of the current factory .38 S&W ammo, but it's probably fair to say that the two rounds are pretty similar. Certainly, nobody who recommends .38SPL wadcutters should scoff at the .38 S&W as fundamentally misbegotten

 

[Erich]

needsmostuff, nice!

 

[LouisianaMan]

Needsmostuff,
Any chance to see how your HP's expand at 750 fps?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Winchester lists .38 SPL wadcutter target ammo at 148g, 710fps. Their .38 S&W load is 145g at 685fps.

Many have recommended the .38SPL wadcutter as a good choice for a low-recoil/blast defensive load. Granted, its full wadcutter profile cuts a far more effective wound channel than the round nose of the current factory .38 S&W ammo, but it's probably fair to say that the two rounds are pretty similar. Certainly, nobody who recommends .38SPL wadcutters should scoff at the .38 S&W as fundamentally misbegotten

There is a big difference between a LRN and a full wadcutter bullet. The WC bullet will make a big hole but if you remember correctly, the 158gr LRN bullet was called the "Widow Maker" back when it was carried by the Police in a .38 Special. I'm betting a 146gr LRN bullet will perform even worse at lower velocities associated with the 38 S&W.

I think that revolver could be a good defensive weapon but not with current factory ammo. You would have to load up something a little better like a 148gr DEWC.