.38 caliber in a semi-auto?

[jrdudas]

I participate in Cowboy Action Shooting where I use Ruger Blackhawks in .38 Special.  I want to get a CCW permit and am trying to find a good carry piece.  I am attracted to 9mm semi-autos because of the price of ammo and the variety available.  I have not seen any semi-autos in .38 caliber.  Is there a manufacturer that makes semi-autos in .38?  

Of the guns I have looked at so far, I am attracted to the Bersa .380 because of the fit in my hand.  However, after buying a 30-30 rifle that will not get used much because of the cost of ammo, I don't want to buy something that uses expensive difficult to find ammo.  I know that .38 is available in wheel guns, but I'm thinking that they are more difficult to conceal and probably more uncomfortable to wear also.

What do you think?

Thanks, JR

[Nuttinbutchunks]

Well, technically, the 9mm measures .355 of an inch, and the .38 measures .357. So there's .002 difference. The nine is a great choice, and the minimum caliber I would and am currently carrying. Tomorrow, if all goes well, I'll put a Springfield .45 Compact into service. I just think if you're gonna blow a hole in someone make it a big one :grin:

But the 9mm is very comfortable to shoot. Me personally, I wouldn't go with a .380, I want to knock em down with four or five shots, one would also be good. That's why the .45.

There's a great variety of .40 S&W pistols out there. And if I were starting from scratch, that would be my first choice. But I have reloading dies and brass for the .45.

That's my $2 worth.
Nuttin

[Mikey]

jrdudas:  the only semi-auto that I am aware of that is currently chambered in the 38 Special is the Smith and Wesson Model 52 - it si a target piece designed to shoot wadcutters.  

Colt used to make 38 Special barrels for their 38 Super autos but I'm not so sure they do that anymore.  

Wheel guns may be a bit more difficult to conceal than autos, but tons of guys pack j-frame Smith and Wessons as well as some of the olde Colt snubbies.  Today's S&W snubnosed revolvers are designed to handle +P loads.  

The Bersa 380 is a fine carry pistol.  I haven't read any bad comments about them yet and a lot of folks on these forums carry them, or the Makarov (ammo for the 9mm Makarov caliber is mil-surp and inexpensive).  

If you feel the cost of 30-30 ammo is expensive then start reloading - there is an economy of scale to reloading that will allow you to shoot more often and less expensively.  The same goes for any pistol you decide to carry.  You can begin reloading inexpensively enough so that you can shoot more than one caliber.  

That's what I think.  Mikey.

[red_ford_truck]

i started out with a makarov 9mm-18 pistol.....paid $140 for it in like new cond at a gun show...its small enough to carry and it is powerful enough for general purposes......no magnum , but with FMJ ammo im sure it will go thru mr. bad guys leather jacket and make a mess of things.
then i got a s/w 396......snub nose , aluminum & titanium 5 shot airweight revolver...18 ounces (empty)........held 5- 44 special rounds....had to use ammo 200 grains or less.  wasnt fun to shot.i realize it was to be a CCw piece, but , man did it kick. Cor Bons hotly loaded 44 special ammo is impossible to manage in that gun.
so i went back to the 8+1 makarov.
btw i traded the 44 special s/w in on a Ruger Super Black Hawk 44 Magnum with a  9.5" Barrel (stainless)...that rascal is nice!

for what its worth, I'll keep the makarov and its 9-18mm Makarov cartridge for my CCW purposes.....

rft

[Zeke Menuar]

I am one of the folks that carry a Bersa Thunder.  Best CCW deal on the market.  Accurate, reliable and priced right($199 at Sportsman's Warehouse).


Once upon a time Smith & Wesson made a target pistol in 38 Special called a Model 52.  Here is some internet propaganda about it.

"NRA Bullseye competition exploded in popularity in the 1950s, and S&W created a special gun to use in the Centerfire stages of the typical 2700 aggregate. It was the legendary Model 52, a target-grade pistol with 5" barrel. Models 52s fired the rimmed .38 Spl. cartridge in its flush-seated wadcutter form. That took some fancy engineering to do. The Model 52 magazine would only take five rounds. For Bullseye shooting, that was OK."

Not sure if I would use it for concealed carry.

ZM