In 1930, Smith & Wesson introduced a large frame 38 Special revolver with a 5-inch barrel and fixed sights intended for police use, the Smith & Wesson 38/44 Heavy Duty. Britain later adopted the 38/200 as its standard military handgun cartridge.Īir Force issue Smith & Wesson Model 15–4 in. 455 service cartridge, also tested the same 200 grains (13.0 g) bullet in the smaller. 38 caliber revolver as a replacement for their existing. At the same time, authorities in Great Britain, who had decided to adopt the. 357-calibre bullet fired at low velocity tended to 'keyhole' or tumble upon impact, providing more shock effect against unprotected personnel. Testing revealed that the longer, heavier 200 grains (13 g). Remington-Peters also introduced a similar loading. 38 Special variant, which incorporated a 200 grains (13 g) round-nosed lead 'Lubaloy' bullet, was named the. 38 Special was developed by Western Cartridge Company. 38 Long Colt, and muzzle velocity (with a 158 grain bullet) was 100-150 feet per second greater.ĭuring the late 1920s, in response to demands for a more effective law-enforcement version of the cartridge, a new standard-velocity loading for the. 38 Special held a minimum of 21 grains of black powder, 3 grains more than the then-current. 38 Long Colt revolver round would not penetrate the shields of the insurgent Philippine Moro warriors, and the Government contracted with Smith & Wesson for a new revolver round. 38 Long Colt that was in Government Service in the Philippines during the Spanish–American War. 38 Special was designed and produced in 1898 to be a higher velocity round, with better penetration properties than the. 357 Magnum will chamber in Colt New Army revolvers in 38 Long Colt due to their straight walled chambers, but this should not be done under any circumstances, due to dangerous pressure levels up to three times what the New Army is designed to withstand. 38 Special (e.g., all versions of the Smith & Wesson Model 10), which are not designed for the greatly increased pressure of the magnum rounds. 357 Magnum cartridge will usually not chamber and fire in weapons rated specifically for. 38 Special round and revolvers chambered for it have a unique versatility. 38 Long Colt rounds to be safely fired in revolvers chambered for 38 Special. 38 Special round to be safely fired in revolvers chambered for. This nearly identical nature of the three rounds allows a. 36-caliber cap-and-ball Navy revolvers, which had untapered cylindrical firing chambers of approximately 0.374-inch (9.5 mm) diameter that required heeled bullets, the exposed portion of which was the same diameter as the cartridge case.Įxcept for case length, the.

38 Short Colt, was designed for use in converted. This came about because the original 38-caliber cartridge, the. 357 inches (36 caliber/9.07 mm), with the '.38' referring to the approximate diameter of the loaded brass case. 38 Special was originally loaded with black powder, but the cartridge's popularity caused manufacturers to offer smokeless powder loadings within a year of its introduction.ĭespite its name, the caliber of the. 38 Long Colt which, as a military service cartridge, was found to have inadequate stopping power against the charges of Filipino Muslim warriors during the Philippine–American War.

38 Special was designed and entered production in 1898 as an improvement over the. This particular revolver left the factory in 1900. It is used for recreational target shooting, formal target competition, personal defense, and small-game hunting.įirst model M&P revolver designed in 1899 for the. 38 Special remains one of the most popular revolver cartridges in the world more than a century after its introduction.

Known for its accuracy and manageable recoil, the. In other parts of the world, it is known by its metric designation of 9×29.5mmR or 9.1×29mmR. It was also a common sidearm cartridge used by United States military personnel in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. 38 Special was the standard service cartridge for the majority of United States police departments from the 1920s to the 1990s. 38 Spc, (pronounced 'thirty-eight special'), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson.

Rossi 38 special serial number aa051229