.38 S&W Ammunition

[rhippert]

I need some education on this caliber.

I have a .38 S&W Terrier (probable ID) that takes a .38 S&W short cartridge.

When I search on the web for this caliber, I do not see any indication that the rounds are short or long.

Is there more than one length of .38 S&W?

The rounds that I have are about the size of a .380 Auto round.

 

[Jim Watson]

Is there more than one length of .38 S&W?

No.
.38 S&W is .38 S&W. There is no such thing as .38 S&W Short (or long.)

There is not even such a thing as .32 S&W Short even though there is a .32 S&W Long; the little one is just and only .32 S&W.

 

[rhippert]

Jim,

Thank you.

I hate it when you go in a gun store and someone says "this gun takes .38 S&W short" or "make certain you get .38 S&W short". You walk away going "short, I didn't know there was a long"??

 

[Jim Watson]

Well, around here, the vulgar term is ".38 short" to mean .38 S&W instead of .38 Special. The shoppers probably do not know there is such a thing as an entirely separate pair of .38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt.

Could be worse, I have heard that in some areas you ask for ".38 Regular" to get .38 S&W instead of .38 Special.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I've also heard the .38 S&W referred to as the .38 Short. Like Jim said, it's said like that because the .38 S&W is shorter than the .38 S&W Special.

I shoot an Enfield No.2 so I like to reload the ammo for that revolver because I like to shoot 170gr and 200gr lead rounds instead of the 146gr LRN ammo available from the factory sources.

 

[kanook]

38 S & W (short & wide)