British .38/200 Cartridge

[jimmyj]

In the 1930s the British began replacing the .455 Webley with the .38/200 cartridge.

How effective was the .38/200 in actual combat shootings ?

 

[robertrwalsh]

Depends. If you mean quickly incapacitating an attacker with one shot, pretty much not at all.

 

[jmiles1960]

The 38/200 is the same as the 38 S&W cartridge, correct?

 

[Mbrgr1]

Here is a discussion about the 38 S&W

The 38/200 and the Colt Super Police, all basically the same thing with different bullet weights etc.


A really fun round to shoot and easily reloaded...


.38 S&W vs. .38-200?? | The High Road

 

[.455_Hunter]

Considering the actual 200 gr loading saw little to no combat usage, probably difficult to tell. The 178 gr FMJ loading saw lots of service, and had acceptable soft target performance if the ammo was not underloaded or defective (which did happen on occasion). The "stories" about the round be unable to penetrate a German greatcoat or other uniforms are bunk, and similar to the M1 carbine against quilted uniforms in Korea fantasies. My experience with this round goes back to age 14 with my surplus Enfield DAO and shooting a full variety of ammo over the years.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Soldiers tend to be on the lean side, especially during long campaigns, and in WWII there was the "Million Dollar Wound"-enough to get you out of combat without crippling or maiming you.

 

[DWalt]

The 200 grain Mark I load was (supposedly) not to be used for combat by the British during WWII, only the 178 grain FMJ Mark II load. But the Mark I load continued to be used for training if available. The correct British military nomenclature for the round is .380 Revolver, Mark I or Mark II. It was NOT .38/200.

 

[mscampbell2734]

I find it interesting that the two countries that fought highly motivated and determined adversaries both adopted .45 caliber rounds. Later when it became fashionable to go to smaller caliber 38s both found them lacking.

 

[Charlie Foxtrott]

In similar sets of circumstances.

Would you expect to see otherwise?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I loaded the 200gr bullet in the .38 S&W case for use in my Enfield revolver. I only did it just to do it and see how it felt to shoot the original in that Enfield. I now usually load a 170gr wide flat nose bullet and IMO it shoots a lot better.

Unfortunately I have never sent them over a chrono but I wish I did. I load all my 38 S&W ammo with W231.

 

[walnutred]

I've read accounts of British troops substituting 9x19 rounds for their 38 Mk II rounds by wrapping the case with foil from chewing gum wrappers. In my opinion you have to be very desperate to try something like this. Either no correct ammo available or no confidence in the ammo you have.

 

[DWalt]

I haven't heard the foil wrap story, but something a little different. The British troops would take captured 9mm ammunition and use a hammer and punch or chisel to form a makeshift crude rim on the 9mm case adequate to keep it from going too far into the revolver chamber. The story is that the British Army was very stingy in issuing revolver ammunition, and most users were lucky to have more than a cylinder full of .380 rounds. Whereas, German 9mm ammo was easily found on the battlefield. I have not tried doing that modification but it seems as though it might work in a pinch.