- Jay, have you done any serious write ups on .38s? I'm thinking about picking one up as BUG, and I'd be interested in your opinion and experience with them.
...
Oh, and I did read your recent article on pocket .38s. I'm actually more curious about some of the classic flavorings of .38.
I've got a Smith & Wesson model 38:
and, just for effect, the J-frame contingent in the G. armory:
I've even got an L-frame snubbie:
and I used to have a K-frame snubbie too:
But I think Robert is more interested in the 38 than anything else from the sounds o it...
I'm an unabashed fan of the .38 Special revolver as a carry gun; I'll make no bones about that. Personally, I'd rather have a .357 Magnum chambering, as it allows a broader range of ammunition selection, but with a modern .38 Special rated for +P ammunition you really can't go wrong. You can get something like the S&W model 36 - part of the S&W "Classics" line, which at 19.5 ounces is heavier than one of the small 9mm guns - but significantly reduces the felt recoil of even +P ammo.
The real beauty of the .38 Special round - and the guns chambered for it - is the wide variety of loads and bullets for the .38 Special. When I compared .22LR to .38 Special for my article on using .22LR as a training substitute, I initially used some handloads kindly provided by Zercool for the .38 Special part. One problem - they were too light and didn't give enough flash and recoil! I had to crack open the Federal factory .38 Special to get the bigger boom! You can get very light CAS-type .38 Specials for low recoil plinking all the way through near-.357 Magnum level +P+ ammo (which are usually rated for .357 Magnum only, although I suspect the Ruger .38 Specials can handle it).
What this means, of course, is that there are all kinds of wonderful old-school snubnosed revolvers out there still in fantastic condition selling pretty darn cheap. There's plenty of Smith & Wesson model 36s and 60s; Colt Detective Special or Cobras; hammerless model 42s or shrouded hammer 38s kicking around out there. More than likely they've been shot little and carried (or not) more, so the wear and tear is limited to holster wear and perhaps a little elbow grease to remove surface rust from something that sat in a holster for years.
When it comes to .38 Special wheelguns, though, it's all good.
That is all.
7 comments:
There was a practically brand new 642 for sale on one of the local gunboards. It wasn't moving and the seller ended up dropping the price to $300 to move it. Even though we already have a couple snubbie .38s in the safe I almost grabbed it just because. Thankfully someone else (who hopefully will put it to better use then I probably would have) grabbed it first.
Thanks Jay! I've been seeing a lot of .38s for very reasonable prices lately and more and more I'm wanting to get my hands on one.
Robert,
Jump on the next deal you find! One of the really great things about .38 Special is that it's pretty darn hard to wear one out.
If you're looking for a J-frame, there's striking little difference in price between new and used - reference Mopar's comment about the 642 being $300 and a great deal. I've seen them new for ~ $425...
Larger frames, like the Model 10, can be found pretty cheap, especially if you find police trade-ins and such...
My preferred local death merchant had a bunch of j-frame type 38s for sale when I was first in the market for a sidearm. Most were variations on the Taurus 85, all new, and a S&W model 36 NIB (unturned, even) but made 20 years ago.
The Taurus revolvers were all $50-70 more expensive than the 36, but people kept buying the "new" guns in preference. Three people made down payments on the 36 never to return. The dealer always tried to sell the cheaper new Smith, but there were no takers.
I picked it up for $300 at the height of Obamania, and he gave me fifty bucks off a new Taurus 85 for my lovely wife.
Moral of the story, buy a model 36 and thank me later. I do love shooting the 85 as well, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one on sight if I were in the market for a little 38. The only reason I like the Smith better is because it is just a bit more slender.
I like, and carry, my 3" Ruger SP101. It's slightly bigger and heavier than the 642 it replaced, and does not lend itself to pocket carry. It will do .357s as well as the .38s and it absorbs recoil better than the lighter gun.
ASM836 + 1 . I have two Ruger SP101s...my oldest one goes back to the 80's, I bought it used 25 years ago, probably 2 boxes through it, and it's .38. I bought a second one in .357 about 15 years ago, new. The .38 is far better made, fit is better, and the action is MUCH smoother, but mostly I carry the .357, since I can use hotter ammo in it. The .38 was the first gun I ever qualified Police Pistol Master with, and I still qualify with it every year for my LEOSA-04 cert.
I carried a Model 60 as a backup years ago, but never liked the standard grip. I sold it to get the Ruger .38
BTW, I now load a +P+ round for the Ruger with a 160-gr LRN-FP cowboy bullet chased by 6.0-gr Unique. It's about 1050 fps out of the 2.25" Ruger.
Nice post Jay, and good choices... .38 spl carry pistols have been around pretty much since the cartridge was invented... Many were 'pocket' guns
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