Originally Posted by gitem_12
Originally Posted by USSR1991
Originally Posted by night_owl
For many decades American cops carried weak 38 Special RN rounds in nice quality revolvers - good guns and usually effective.
Hot 380 ball probably penetrates better than those old 38s.


Uh, NO! There's a little thing called SD (Sectional Density). It's a really simple calculation that compares a bullet's weight to its diameter and is a huge determinate of penetration. Here, the .380 fails miserably. A 90 grain .355" bullet has a SD of .102, while a 95 grain bullet is only .108. By comparison, a 40 grain .22 bullet is .115 and the "lowly" 158 grain .357" bullet has a respectable SD of .177. You guys carry a .380 if you are so inclined, but just don't fool yourself into thinking it's more than a mediocre choice for self defense. Just MHO.

Don


actually I think there is a number of recorded in did encryption where the 158 RN 38 load failed miserably


SD does not take bullet shape into consideration. So, a .357" round nose 158 grain bullet has the exact same SD as a 158 grain SWC bullet. Since the round nose bullet in .38 Special has been supplanted for all practical purposes by the SWC and other designs, that's just one more reason why today's .38 Special is a better choice than the .380 for self defense.

Don

NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor