.38 Special Ammo

What is .38 Special?

Smith & Wesson introduced .38 Special in 1898 as a more powerful successor to the .38 Long Colt — the cartridge that had performed poorly against Moro warriors in the Philippine–American War. The Army needed more stopping power; S&W responded with a longer case, more powder, and a heavier bullet. The result became the standard American police cartridge for most of the 20th century.

Despite its name, the bullet is .357 inches in diameter — the same as .357 Magnum. The “.38” designation comes from the approximate outside diameter of the loaded cartridge case. The .38/.357 dimensional relationship is why every .357 Magnum revolver chambers .38 Special, and why .38 Special remains relevant long after higher-performance cartridges arrived.

The S&W Military & Police revolver, the Colt Official Police, and later the K-Frame and J-Frame revolvers all chambered .38 Special. It was the standard-issue sidearm for virtually every American police department until the 1990s, when semi-automatics displaced revolvers.

Today .38 Special occupies a clear niche: small, concealable revolvers for civilian carry, and inexpensive practice ammo for .357 Magnum owners.

+P: What It Means and When to Use It

.38 Special +P is loaded to higher pressure than standard spec — approximately 20,000 PSI vs. 17,000 PSI standard. This gives defensive hollow points better expansion velocity, especially from short barrels.

Not all .38 Special revolvers are rated for +P. Older and lighter-framed revolvers — aluminum-frame J-frames, some vintage revolvers — should use standard-pressure loads only. S&W advises checking the owner’s manual. Modern steel-frame revolvers (K-Frame, L-Frame) are generally +P rated; most current alloy-frame J-frames allow occasional +P but note accelerated wear. Check your manual.

The velocity difference from +P is meaningful from short barrels:

The snub-nose problem

Most .38 Special carry revolvers have 2–2.5” barrels. Standard JHP bullets are designed to expand at 9mm velocities (~1,100+ fps). From a 2” barrel, .38 Spl +P runs 850–900 fps — below the reliable expansion threshold for most hollow points.

This is why purpose-designed snub-nose loads exist. The Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135gr +P is the most validated option — it uses a softer lead core and thinner jacket to expand at 850 fps. Hornady’s FTX (Critical Defense) uses a polymer tip that mechanically initiates expansion on impact, bypassing the velocity problem. Standard 9mm-designed hollow points in .38 Spl cases often won’t expand from a snubby — you end up with FMJ performance in a hollow point bullet.

Gel testing data

FBI protocol (10% gel, 4 denim, from a 2” barrel):

The FBI minimum is 12 inches. Purpose-designed snub-nose loads hit it; standard 158gr LRN blows through. The old FBI load — 158gr lead semi-wadcutter hollow point (LSWCHP) standard pressure — is a borderline performer at snubby velocities but better than nothing and has a long track record from when revolvers were police standard.

.38 Special vs. .357 Magnum

If you already own a .357 Magnum revolver, you chamber both. If you’re choosing between a dedicated .38 Spl revolver vs. a .357 Magnum revolver:

Buy the .357 Magnum. You can shoot .38 Spl for cheap range practice, and have the option to step up to full-power .357 Mag loads for defense or hunting. The .357 is strictly more capable.

The only reasons to choose a .38 Spl-only revolver: lighter weight (some titanium and scandium frames are .38 Spl-only), lower purchase price, or if you specifically don’t want the option to run full-power .357.

One caution when mixing calibers: shooting a lot of .38 Spl through a .357 cylinder leaves a carbon ring at the front of the cylinder throat. .357 Mag cases (which use the full cylinder length) can stick on chambering. Clean the throats periodically.

Brand guide

Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135gr +P — the go-to for J-frame and LCR carry. Engineered specifically for 2–3” barrels, consistent expansion at snubby velocities. ~$1.00–1.40/rd.

Federal Hydra-Shok 130gr — the original FBI .38 Spl load. Standard pressure, consistent, wide distribution. ~$0.85–1.20/rd.

Hornady Critical Defense 110gr FTX — polymer tip ensures expansion below 1,000 fps. Works from short barrels. ~$0.90–1.30/rd.

Federal American Eagle 130gr FMJ — the range standard. Clean, reliable, consistent brass. ~$0.23–0.32/rd.

Remington UMC 130gr MC — metal case (non-expanding FMJ equivalent). Reliable, common, affordable. ~$0.22–0.30/rd.

Fiocchi 148gr Wadcutter — target load. Punches clean holes, minimal recoil, popular for indoor range work. ~$0.28–0.38/rd.

Winchester 158gr LRN — old-school standard. Not a defensive load, but the classic cheap practice round. ~$0.20–0.28/rd.

Price guide (2025–2026)

.38 Special practice ammo is slightly more expensive than 9mm due to lower production volume but significantly cheaper than .357 Magnum for the same reason — it’s the right practice choice for .357 owners.

Firearms chambered in .38 Special

Revolvers (dedicated .38 Spl):

• Smith & Wesson J-Frame: Model 36 (steel), 442/642 (aluminum, no external hammer), 638 (shrouded hammer) — the carry-revolver standard
• Ruger LCR .38 Spl — polymer frame, light, excellent double-action trigger
• Ruger LCRx — same platform, exposed hammer for single-action option
• Taurus 85, 856 (6-shot) — budget options with adequate reliability
• Charter Arms Undercover, Bulldog — compact, affordable

Revolvers that also chamber .38 Spl:

• Any .357 Magnum revolver — S&W 686, Ruger GP100, SP101, Colt Python, etc.

Lever-action rifles:

• Henry Big Boy .38 Spl/.357 Mag — chambers both, 10+1 capacity
• Marlin 1894C (now Ruger-made) — 9+1 in .357 Mag/.38 Spl
• Rossi R92 .38 Spl/.357 Mag — budget-friendly, reliable