GunCritic
GunCritic

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special) VS 38 Short Colt

Head to Head Comparison

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

Guncritic Icon
50%

Critic Rating

0 Reviews

Guncritic Icon
50%

User Rating

0 Reviews

38 Short Colt

Guncritic Icon
50%

Critic Rating

0 Reviews

Guncritic Icon
50%

User Rating

0 Reviews

MSRP:

$19.07

Used Price:

$19.07

New Price:

$21.19

MSRP:

$10.39

Used Price:

$10.39

New Price:

$11.54

Gun Specifications

Specifications

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

38 Short Colt

Height

1.16

Average FPS

876

Average Grain

138

Average Energy

235

Recoil

0.53

Ballistic Coefficient

140.71

Gun Stats

Recently Deals

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

Guns.com

$0.00

See Deal

MidwayUSA

$21.19

See Deal

Sportsman's Warehouse

$0.00

See Deal

EuroOptic.com

$0.00

See Deal

Cheaper Than Dirt

$24.89

See Deal

GrabAGun

$14.29

See Deal

Guns.com

$0.00

See Deal

Optics Planet

$0.00

See Deal

Brownells.com

$18.39

See Deal

KYGUNCO

$21.71

See Deal

Academy Sports + Outdoors

$0.00

See Deal

Firearms Depot

$0.00

See Deal

38 Short Colt

Guns.com

$0.00

See Deal

MidwayUSA

$11.54

See Deal

Sportsman's Warehouse

$0.00

See Deal

EuroOptic.com

$0.00

See Deal

Cheaper Than Dirt

$15.55

See Deal

GrabAGun

$4.89

See Deal

Guns.com

$0.00

See Deal

Optics Planet

$0.00

See Deal

Brownells.com

$21.99

See Deal

KYGUNCO

$21.71

See Deal

Academy Sports + Outdoors

$0.00

See Deal

Firearms Depot

$0.00

See Deal

Gun Descriptions

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

Designed by Smith & Wesson, 38 Special ammo is a centerfire rimmed cartridge commonly used in handguns. It is also compatible with a few semi-automatic carbines and pistols. Also known as 38 S&W, .38 Smith & Wesson Special, or 38 Spl, this handgun cartridge is popular for its accuracy and manageable recoil. It was used as the main service cartridge for most US Police departments between the 1920s and the 1990s. 38 Special Specifications: Cartridge Case: .38 Long Colt Cartridge Case type: Rimmed, straight Diameter of Bullet: 9.1 mm (.357 in) Base diameter: 9.6 mm (.379 in) Neck diameter: 9.6 mm (.379 in) Rim thickness: 1.5 mm (.058 in) Rim diameter: .44 in (11 mm) Length of Case: 1.155 in (29.3 mm) Overall length: 1.550 in (39.4 mm) Case capacity: 1.52 cm3 (23.4 gr H2O) Max pressure: 17,500 psi (121 MPa) Smith & Wesson is the manufacturer of 38 Special Ammo. But now, several other companies are also manufacturing 38 Special Ammo. 38 Special Ammo is good for hand loaders. 38 Special Ammo is almost similar to 38 Short Colt, 38 Long Colt, and 357 Magnum, except for the difference in case length. As the construction is identical, 38 Special Ammo can be used in handguns chambered for 357 Magnum. 38 Short Colt and 38 Long Colt can be fired safely from handguns chambered for 38 Special. The straight walls of the cartridge, rim’s head spacing, accessibility of earlier fired cases, and the compatibility with 357 Magnum firearms made it much popular.

38 Short Colt

About The .38 Short Colt Ammo, also known as the .38 Short Center Fire Ammo, was a heeled bullet cartridge created to be used for metallic cartridge conversion of the ball Colt and Cap 1851 revolver from the times of the American Civil War. Later, to modernize and increase the performance of the .38 Short Colt Ammo, it was fitted with a 9.1mm diameter cartridge lubricated from the inside between the ranges of 125 and 135-grain loads. The .38 Short Colt Ammo visually resembles the .38 S&W Ammo, but the casings' dimensions are pretty different. The .38 Short Colt Ammo design was used to produce the .38 Long Colt Ammo and the .38 Special Ammo. Today, Remington produces the 125-grain variant, and Magtech manufactures the 95-grain load for the .38 Short Colt Ammo. The overall length of the .38 Short Colt Ammo is 19.4mm, and the bullet diameter of the cartridge is 9.1mm. The 129-grain bullet variant of the .38 Short Colt Ammo can travel at a velocity of 777 feet per second while creating an energy level of 181 ft.lbf. Manufacturer Colt's Manufacturing LLC designed and produced the .38 Short Colt Ammo in the United States. Uses The .38 Short Colt Ammo produces the best results in close ranges, and since it can be chambered in small concealable guns, it's perfect for self-defense. It can also be used to hunt small game and pest control.

Suggested Comparisons

.32 H&R Magnum vs .38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

.327 Federal Magnum vs .38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

.357 Magnum vs .38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special) vs .38 Super

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special) vs .38 WCF

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special) vs .38 LC

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special) vs 45 LC/ 410 GA

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special) vs .38 Super Auto

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special) vs 38 Long Colt