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GunCritic

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

Head to Head Comparison

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

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50%

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.38 Super Auto

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50%

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MSRP:

$14.75

Used Price:

$14.75

New Price:

$16.39

MSRP:

$0.00

Used Price:

$0.00

New Price:

$0.00

Gun Specifications

Specifications

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

.38 Super Auto

Height

1.16

0.00

Average FPS

876

Average Grain

138

Average Energy

235

Recoil

0.53

0.00

Ballistic Coefficient

140.71

Gun Stats

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.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

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.38 Super Auto

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Cheaper Than Dirt

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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 Super Auto

About The .38 Super Auto Ammo, also known as the .38 Super, is a cartridge created for pistols that fires a 9.04mm bullet. It was designed and introduced into the markets in 1929, and due to its usage and popularity, it is still manufactured today. The parent case used to design the .38 Super Auto Ammo was the .38 ACP Ammo. The .38 Super Auto Ammo could propel the same bullet variant at a much faster velocity than the .38 ACP Ammo, and due to this factor, the .38 Super Auto Ammo remains one of the most dominant cartridges to be used in IPSC competition. The penetrating power of this bullet could easily go through the automobiles of that time. The .38 Super Auto Ammo has an overall length of 32.51mm, and the diameter of the bullet measures 9.04mm. The heaviest variant of the .38 Super Auto Ammo is the 147-grain bullet load that can travel at a velocity of 1,225 feet per second while creating an energy level of 490 ft.lbf.  Manufacturer The .38 Super Auto Ammo was designed and produced by Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1929 in the United States.  Uses The .38 Super Auto Ammo has been widely used in sports shooting race guns, and now it has gained a lot of popularity in target shooting competitions. People also have put it to good use for self-defense purposes. 

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