Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Can a 38 Special defend against an attacker?

carrying one today on a short day trip. Nothing wrong with a well loaded .38 Special

Casting bullets has been a life long hobby. You don't cast bullets to look at them. I can't count the number of .358 caliber bullets that have gone thru barrels of the 38's and 357's I've owned. I have absolutely 110 % faith in their lethality, it is in the hands of the user..mb

When I was a teen ager I shot a fox squirrel through the head right under the eyes with a 158 gn LRN. S&W Model 10. Drove to a little country store. Old man on the porch said " Boy your squirrels fixin to get away" .
Squirrel was running around in the back of the truck.

Can and has thousands, maybe tens of thousands of times. A bullet that will penetrate enough to reach the vitals and placed into the vitals will do the job.

Ron

I once killed a wounded deer with one.It was loaded with fmj bullets.Wound channel looked like it was punched with a steel rod.If you plan on using a 38 special or any handgun,use good expanding bullets.

Yes

Jeez Louise how many of these.......

Can someone make one thread listing all the handgun calibers with a checkbox yes or no next to each so we can be done with these silly questions?

If the attacker has a 9mm they have to shoot you 4 times to kill you, you only have to shoot them twice with the 38...

Kent

Chronographed some Winchester .38 158 LRN recently that clocked around 620fps out of my 4” Model 15.
My loads run right at 850 with a 158 Lee FN cast out of wheel weights.
To my mind, that’s two different animals. Though admittedly I’ve never shot anything living with a .38.

Only works if you have ammo for it.

The early 38's were loaded with black powder. When smokeless powder got popular, many of the existing 38 pistols couldn't handle the pressure. Newer guns made for higher pressure are considerably more powerful. They tend to be slower than a 9mm but with a much heavier bullet which makes them better stoppers.

Bill Jordan wrote that it's the most powerful round that the average man can master.

And that was back when the average man was way more manly than today.

17 y.o. kid under bad influence of older man were going through a neighborhood with several empty homes at the time. Breaking in, taking stuff. Friend in bed with wife, had two young daughters asleep in other room, all lights off when he hears something. Looks out window and sees two men peaking in and around his house. Grabbed his 22 and kept an eye on them till one went around the back. He swapped his 22 for his 9mm and went to the basement. Sees a large shape then the door handle rocks. My friend fired one shot through the glass. and hears a moan. Kid made it to the street where he collapsed and died. Other perp's wallet was found on scene. Police think the two collided running towards each other after the shot. Parent of the kid tried to sue my friend . This was in Utah. Cops told them, 2am, trying doors with known felon I believe, multiple break-ins reported in area, wife and two baby girls asleep....forget it!

Have known James for years but he just up and told me this story when we went turkey hunting. Such a carefree type guy one would never guess he had been traumatized. He headed to sleep with ear plugs in and I joked about my snoring. He told me he now sleeps with ear plugs every night because he does not want to hear anyone breaking in. They can have whatever they want. He said the kid looked like a nice young kid. Can't imagine how many what-if scenarios have played through his head.
Single shot of 9mm ball through a glass window.

What if they are in a tank?

I tell people to get a Ruger .380 for home protection. It might not kill them outright but it's small and easy to point in a rush. They'll know they entered the wrong house.

So what’s the max for a fat tranny in pink slippers? Asking for a friend……

Pot meet kettle.

Yes.

Only if one uses these.