Difference between 38 and 38 special pistols

[S & W 642]

I would like to know the difference between 38 and 38 special in a revolver. I have heard people refer to 38 and then say 38 special and would like to know the difference.

[PlacitasSlim]

38 special is what you get when you purchase a new .38 at a gunshop. It is also what most people mean when they say .38. There are other loads, that I normally only see in cowboy action such as .38 colt, but .38 special is the normal .38 cartridge.

[rich e]

Theres also a 38 S W,  thats much shorter than a 38 spcl.  Kinda like a 22 short, compared to 22 long rifle,  but I'm not sure if you can shoot'em out of a 38 spcl.

[Ken ONeill]

No, the base of the .38 S&W is larger than the .38 Special, so a properly chambered gun should not accept it. Fifty years ago or so, when imported mil surplus guns of all types were popular and readily available, a number of British .38 S&W's were rechambered to .38 Special, and sold by Ye Olde Hunter (and perhaps by others) and the brass was reported to swell at the larger base of the old .38 S&W chamber, which of course remained, in the .38 Spec. rechambering job. As an aside, many .455 Webleys were also rechambered to .45 ACP at this same time. The .455's also had a base larger than the .45ACP. In the one version I've fired, the base of the brass did swell a bit, but the gun worked okay.

[Savage]

Looks like Ken was all over this one! As he correctly stated, the .38 S&W is commonly reffered to as a .38. The .38spl case is longer & smaller dia. than the .38 S&W, and the two are not interchangeable in a properly chambered handgun. The .38 chamberings that can cause the most grief are the 38ACP and the 38 Super. While the case dimensions are the same, they are loaded to much different pressure levels and the Super can be very dangerous when fired in an older pistol chambered for the ACP.
                               
Savage

[williamlayton]

I ma following this because there are many who would only see the numbers and assume the same idenity.
On can get a kaboom if he doesn't recognize the difference.
I can shoot 38 super and 9X23 in the 9x23 STI but I could not shoot 9X23 in a 38super.
As you pinted out the same with a special not being a 38.
Take care when you re-load and when you purchase ammo.
All blonds are not the same.
Blessings

[BillP]

Although the 38 spec. came first, it's easy if you think of the 38 spec. as a .357 Mag. "short" and not a "38" at all.  You can shoot a 38 spec. in a .357 and it's a lot more plesent round to shoot.  The .357 mag. will not fit in the 38 spec. because it's too long.  Some folks even carry +P 38 spec. rounds in their short barrel .357 Mag. revolvers because they consider the extream muzzle flash of the .357 to be detretmental to their night vision.

[Mikey]

OK, a few specifications here:  The 38 Smith and Wesson Special (the 38 Special is 1.15 inches long and .358 in diameter); The 38 Smith and Wesson (38 S&W, aka the British 38-200 is .775 inches long and .360 " in diameter).  These rounds are not interchangeable.

The 38 ACP and the 38 Super are dimensionally identical and the 38 ACP can be fired in 38 Supers but the 38 Super should not be fired in 38 ACPs.  Early in its history the 38 ACP was originally loaded to current 38 Super ballistics.  When Colt chambered the 1911 in 38 auto, the pistol was much stronger than 1908 Model in 38 Auto, allowing for stronger loadings and the cartridge was renamed the 38 Super and was identified by a nickle case. The 38 ACP was downloaded to its current approx 1040'/sec and retains a brass case.  The new 38 Super cartridge was loaded to about 1280 - both cartridges carried the same 130 grain 9mm bullet.  Both cases are .900" long.  Both cartridges are straight cased and may chamber in some 38 Special revolvers.

The 9x23 Winchester is interchangeable with the 38 Super and can be fired in 38 Super autos.  The 9x23 Winchester is a 38 Super +P, for all intents and purposes.  Reloading manuals list data for the 38 Super that is identical to factory 9x23 loadings.  The 9x23 is a 9mm case (slight taper) lengthed to 23mm, the 38 Super is a straight-walled case that that is a semi-auto version of the 38 Special but fires a 9mm bullet. 

The 9x23 should never be fired from a 38 ACP.

The 9mm Largo, 9mm Bergman, 9mm Bergman-Bayard, 9mm Steyer and 9mm Export are all the same case length, 23mm long but are about midway in velocity and pressure between the 38 ACP and 38 Super.  Most all these 9x23 mm referenced in this paragraph may be fired from a 38 Super but may be too long in overall cartridge length to function through the magazine.  The 9mm Export most closely approximates the 38 Super with a 128 gn 9mm slug at about 1320'/sec.  Hope I got all this right.  Mikey.

[williamlayton]

YUP! Well, as usual and with more detail, correctly stated and well stated.
I always enjoy your comments. I learn what I thought I knew--but probably didn't.
Blessings

PS--I am not expected to remember--I hope.