Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Does anyone still carry .38 Special?

I have a short barreled Ruger SP101 .357. If I carry it, which isn't often, I usually have it loaded with Remington 125gr SJHPs. Quite a blast and flash. Some .38 Special loads, like the Remington 125 gr SJHP +P load are still pretty snappy in it. I've also shot .38 Spl 158 gr LSWCHP +P, the old "FBI load." They've got next to no muzzle flash and recoil is very manageable. Quite gentle, actually. I just picked up 3 20 round boxes of that load in Remington HTP.

Just curious if anyone still carries a .38 Spl and, if so, what load are you carrying?

Yes , I carry a 360 J. Is a J frame 357 magnum. It’s loaded with 38 special 158 grain LSWCHP. The powder is Accurate #5. Hasbeen

S&W "Chief". Federal 158 grain Lead Round Nose.

LRN, now that is old school. Nice revolver.

For trail running I carry a SW360 usually stoked with 38spl+p. gold dot, short barrel rounds. Sometimes I'll load up 135gr 357 gold dot short barrels. The velocity between the two isn't much, so there's minimal gain with the 357's except for a lot more recoil and noise.

I do not

Occasionally this M649 with 125gr Nyclads.

I carry a 637 while bowhunting. Not sure it would do a lot of good if a bear or wolf decided I would be a good dinner but makes a lot of noise and a nice fireball. If I hunted where grizzlies were around I'd pack something bigger.

Nyclad. Does Federal still make those? I used to shoot them in 9mm. They were good rounds.

Many years ago, I remember seeing a video of someone being arrested in some liberal northeast state by a cop who saw the person's gun and inpsected it and then claimed the ammo was "teflon coated cop killer" bullets. I remember thinking, "those are Nyclads, you dolt."

I occasionally carry a Colt Magnum Carry in 357 magnum. I load it with Remington 125gr Golden Sabre ammo, this is a medium velocity load, 1220 fps from a 4" barrel and around 1100 fps from the 2" barrel of the Magnum Carry. Another good load would be the Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel load which is a 135gr bullet at 990 fps. Both of these loads are very controllable from a steel frame snub nose revolver.

642 w +P

Prefer the Sig P365 though

A Ruger LCR in 357 is what a carry about 90% of the time in the summer. I keep it loaded with hot 38 special reloads.

Yes, depending on the situation. It's easier to slip into my sweat pants when I go for a walk. It's a pre-lock 442 loaded with Speer Gold Dot 124 Gr.

It also goes in the console on trips with a spare speedloader strip for the same reason as above.

ETA: An ooooooold Milt Sparks Summer Special with the single loop is what I use on trips for appendix carry when it's not in the console.

Yes, almost all the time. 5.5gr Unique under a 158swc.

A 38 snubbie with +P factory ammo is my go to in all our vehicles.

Already more than I expected.

I like not needing a holster in the summer.

I have a S&W 432-PD, .32 H&R Magnum, snub nose Revolver that I sometimes carry.
It turned out to be a very rare revolver.

Also A Ruger LCR X, 38 Spl +P with a 3" bbl. Both just in pocket carry.

Mod 36

Doesnt everyone, at least once in a while.