Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Does anyone shoot a 38 special?

Grips are very similar to a set of Altamont "S&W K Round Classic Panel Super Rosewood Checkered with Silver Medallions" grips I just ordered for a 66.

https://www.altamontco.com/pistol-grips/smith-and-wesson/k-round/

I have a 6” stainless Security Six that I love. I will admit though that the trigger is tough compared to my Smith & Wessons. I still love it though. I’m getting ready to install a Wolff spring kit on it.

Why, now that American President mentioned high capacity 9mm many will buy such revolvers and the prices will climb drastically. This is a good one, due to long barrel one can just stick it behind a belt (sometimes affectionately called Mexican carry style) not bothering with holster. All this needs is high quality grips like those made by Pachmayr. This are comfortable and unlike some made by Hogue do not "stick" to clothing.

Of course, .38spl is a great cartridge. Fun to shoot, very accurate, and lots of choices in handguns to shoot it in.

1905, 4th change, M&P made in 1915. Targets shot at 12 yards.

I love to shoot the 38 special. Have a 5 screw k38 pre 15, 67 no dash (my daughter has it now), 67-1, two 66-1, 65-5, two 28-2 and a 586 on its way now.

I load and shoot well over a 100 a month. Would shoot more if I had more time to load.

I ordered a S&W 637 yesterday.... my wife adopted my old LCP several years ago and I needed to replace it. I really like an Airweight J frame in these applications.

My first center-fire handgun was a .357 that ate a lot of
38 spcl. Blasted a bunch through my dads Python too.
I got to shoot for free, so the price was right.....

But I have no love or even remote fondness for the .38 spcl as a cartridge.

Yrs later got a Smith 60 no dash and learned how to shoot that thing decent in DA mode. Carried it w +P for a couple yrs and then dumped it.

Not really a .357 mag fan either.

Had about 8 diff .44 mags, liked em better.

But old age and arthritis.....sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Boomers might be done for me, so Ill proly have to run a .357 for yotes or deer.

Will not shoot 38 spcl, even for plinking. My kids might.

I just dont enjoy plinking or even target shooting.
Test and find something accurate and then set the sights and go hunting.

My dad was different. He could spend a day at a range lobbing lead one after another.

And he might hit the range 2 or 3 times a week LOL

Very cool.

This is the oldest M&P (Model 10) I have. It's from the early 1950s. Shoots well.

Some of mine have seen a fair number of rounds through them.







This old 442 has been around the block.

Mackay, what do you have loaded behind those DEWCs?

It entirely depends on what the purpose is.

For low recoil target practice, Clays, 231, or Unique.

For carry, Unique or Power Pistol.

Pops ran Unique in all his 38 special and even mid level .357 mag target stuff.

Remember blasting as a kid, couple hundred rounds and my hands look like ive been in the coal LOL

Too many years ago, I bought a new S&W Model 66 with a 6-inch barrel. I did shoot a 50-round box of Remington mid-range 125 grain JSP .357 Magnum loads, but ever since I've fired only standard pressure .38 Specials, whether they be my own reloads or factory rounds. In other words, I treat that M-66 as a stainless steel K-38. Thus used, I'm confident that it will last far longer than I will!

Those old dead-soft wadcutters smoked to beat hell when goosed by Unique or 231. Until at least 1980 KCPD had an old commercial machine that cranked them out by the 5 gallon bucket. I recall walking in there 2nd week of Academy, seeing those buckets stacked two deep down the long wall and thinking I'd died & gone to Pistol Heaven. We shot thousands of them over the next 18 weeks (they used sped-up PPC as a qualifier) the only catch being your sidearm was inspected daily and there was hell to pay if it wasn't spotless.

They also had a yellow painted plow disc half buried in the berm, 70 yards from the picnic tables. Every Friday we would head over there and take six shots each to see who bought beer at Kelly's after class. Unlike my classmates, I'd spent years shooting rocks, groundhogs a 'yotes with a pistol, further than that. I didn't buy a first round for 18 weeks

Pops cast his own bullets, pretty hard.
Have his 4 cavity 158gr SWC mould. And about 500 lbs of already alloyed Lyman ingots.
I have a brand new digital Lyman furnace in the garage, along w a few other moulds too (sold my bud pop's old furnace).

I have 7 38 specials. All but 2 do double duty as a 357. On my trips to the range I always carry a revolver. I mainly shot 38 specials in it. I especially like dumping the brass I my ammo box instead of chasing it on the Ground.
Hasbeen

Re hasbeen1945: Yet another reason to love a .38 Special revolver! Even .45 ACP brass vanishes entirely too easily, even on a designated range. And for us old guys, bend & stoop can be a literal real pain, as well as a waste of scarce shooting time for oneself and others!

I hate chasin' brass, and the older I get the more I hate it. One reason my entire jammamatic inventory is my uncle's 2nd Model Colt Sport Woodsman....

I took to taking one of those arm length picker upper gadgets to the range with me to retrieve .45 brass. Slow but it works to save my back and knees.