357 Magnum will chamber in Colt New Army revolvers in. 38 Special (e.g., all versions of the Smith & Wesson Model 10), which are not designed for the greatly increased pressure of the magnum rounds. 357 Magnum cartridge will usually not chamber and fire in weapons rated specifically for. 38 Special round and revolvers chambered for it have a unique versatility. 38 Long Colt rounds to be safely fired in revolvers chambered for. 38 Special round to be safely fired in revolvers chambered for. This nearly identical nature of the three rounds allows a. 36-caliber cap-and-ball Navy revolvers, which had untapered cylindrical firing chambers of approximately 0.374-inch (9.5 mm) diameter that required heeled bullets, the exposed portion of which was the same diameter as the cartridge case.Įxcept for case length, the.
38 Short Colt, was designed for use in converted. 357 inches (36 caliber/9.07 mm), with the ".38" referring to the approximate diameter of the loaded brass case. 38 Special was originally loaded with black powder, but the cartridge's popularity caused manufacturers to offer smokeless powder loadings within a year of its introduction.ĭespite its name, the caliber of the. 38 Long Colt which, as a military service cartridge, was found to have inadequate stopping power against the charges of Filipino Muslim warriors during the Philippine–American War. 38 Special was designed and entered production in 1898 as an improvement over the. This particular revolver left the factory in 1900. It is used recreationally for target shooting, formal target competition, personal defense, and small-game hunting.įirst model M&P revolver designed in 1899 for the. 38 Special remains one of the most popular revolver cartridges in the world more than a century after its introduction. Known for its accuracy and manageable recoil, the. In other parts of the world, it is known by its metric designation of 9×29.5mmR or 9.1×29mmR. It was also a common sidearm cartridge used by United States military personnel in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. 38 Special was the standard service cartridge for the majority of United States police departments from the 1920s to the 1990s. 38 Special is most commonly used in revolvers, but also finds use in semi-automatic pistols and carbines. 38 Spc, (pronounced "thirty-eight special"), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson.