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GunCritic

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

Head to Head Comparison

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

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50%

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.38 LC

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MSRP:

$19.54

Used Price:

$19.54

New Price:

$21.71

MSRP:

$0.00

Used Price:

$0.00

New Price:

$0.00

Gun Specifications

Specifications

.38 Special (.38 Smith & Wesson Special)

.38 LC

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 LC

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$21.19

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$4.99

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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 LC

About The .38 Long Colt Ammo, also known as the .38 LC Ammo, a cartridge that used black powder, was designed and introduced into the markets in 1875 in the United States. The United States Military adopted the .38 Long Colt Ammo as a standard military cartridge in 1892. The .38 Long Colt Ammo is slightly more powerful than the .38 Short Colt Ammo. These cartridges differ in length, bullet diameter, weight, and design. The .38 Long Colt Ammo uses a .357-.358 in the cartridge; this way, the bearing surface and lubricant are entirely contained in the casing. However, the .38 Long Colt Ammo proved to be highly ineffective in wars as it was unable to deliver satisfying performance in the Philippine-American War. The .38 Long Colt Ammo remained the US Army's primary cartridge for revolves until the introduction of the .45 M1909 Ammo in 1909. The .38 Long Colt Ammo has an overall length of 26.2mm, and the bullet diameter measures 9.1mm. The 150-grain bullet load is the heaviest variant of the .38 Long Colt Ammo, which can travel at a velocity of 777 feet per second while creating an energy level of 201 ft.lbf.  Manufacturer Colt produced the .38 Long Colt Ammo in 1892.  Uses The US Army has mainly used the .38 Long Colt Ammo for military purposes. Later it was used for target practicing and sports but was abandoned after the .38 Special Ammo was introduced. 

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