Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .38 Special

I had no idea they were a problem to get. I have several boxes sitting on the shelf. They are a tough to beat light/mid-range load bullet that work with fixed sight Smith's.

One thing I'll say about S&W, after owning a truckload of their fixed sight 38's. I've never had one that wouldn't shoot POA with 158's.

I will keep that in mind for sure.

And it's 'say', not saw. My dumb ass fingers.

Got up early today and cast a pile of 150 SWCs with my RCBS 38-150KT mold. Sized and loaded some of them over 6.0gr of AA5 and headed to the farm. Put the first 5 from 40 yards in a 3” group from sitting position shooting my 38/44 outdoorsman. Hadn’t used AA5 in the 38 before but had my measure full from loading 32 H&R this morning. Very clean burning and shoots good enough for me, book says it should be going about 950fps.

I just picked up a Ruger LCRx, 3" .38 spec. The DA is very smooth, the SA, not bad.

For the price, that's a good gun.

DF

Been shooting this one a lot lately. It was my issued duty gun a long time ago. Been sitting in the back of the safe since retirement, unloved. Still a great revolver.
Bob

S&W 67 .38

You were heeled right handsome with that one, still are. Thanks for posting that good photograph.

Sorry, double picture post. Dirtfarmer is the only one who owns Colt 38's?

There's a Diamondback, Officers Model Target and Officer's Model Match somewhere here.

The Diamondback is okay (I wish it was a 22 some days). Both Officer's Models are two silly shooting 38's.

I've got the very same gun. Bought mine in the early to middle 1980s. Still have it, but haven't shot it in at least ten years.

The older S&W revolvers had more attention to detail and were more expensive to make. Features were pinned barrel, chambers recessed for cartridge rims, extra screws in the frame, wood grips with better checkering and "diamond" surrounding grip screws, forged or milled components. Newer guns do not have them making them cheaper to make. Manufacturers refer to such products as more advanced designs.

If you have guns you haven't shot or taken out of safe for long time now is a good time to sell. People want them and laws aren't strict enough yet to makes sales between individuals more difficult or impossible. If you hold on it might be more difficult to sell because as Michael Moore said it is still possible for Trump to win re-election.

The D frame Colt is a perfect size for the .38 Special. I've owned a couple different Detective Specials, always wanted a Diamondback.

Mine shoots very well

Big fan of the Colt D-Frame, myself. I carried a 1950s Detective Special for years.

There are a few of us old timers with the Detective Specials. I've got 3 of them. Love them!! They point well too.

I posted the pic in the thread Revolvers for Concealed Carry.

The top gun is a Cobra.

Not meant to be shot a ton, hence the all steel twin under it.

A Colt DS will work.
Bob

That will work, for sure. Very nice old revolver.

Nice one, my son picked up a Model 15 (68 vintage) that had not been fired much if at all a few weeks ago, and had just picked up a Model 14 that hadn't been fired after it left the factory...both had boxes and all paperwork. The 14 is a real shooter with Federal Wadcutters.

I traded into a Model 67 when they came out, mine had the red ramp front sight and IIRC the rear sight assembly was blackened stainless (it faded to a dark gray after a few years).

A Model 67 no dash, round-butted by bench grinder and file, then a checkering file to recut backstrap serrations, and Hogue Bantam grip installed. A HiViz front sight was epoxied in an eighth inch slot cut into where the old one was ground off. A taller rear slight blade, with deepened and widened notch, and an 11 pound trigger rebound spring were installed.

Voila! It’s a Smith collector’s nightmare, but a slightly more compact, easier to carry, nimble handling 4” 38 Special, with an absolutely excellent sight picture for aging eyesight.