Is 38 Special a good defense round?

Is 38 Special A Good Self Defense Round? The gist of . 38 Special is that it's a medium bullet at medium velocity. It can be effective for personal defense but ammunition selection (and placement!) is important, especially if your gun has a shorter barrel length.
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Is a 38 Special more powerful than a 9mm?

Standard pressure . 38 Special only produces 264 foot-pounds of force (147-grain bullet at 900 feet per second out of a 4-inch barrel), while standard pressure 9mm can produce 365 foot-pounds of force (124-grain bullet at 1,150 feet per second). This is 38.25% more energy at the muzzle in favor of the 9mm.
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Is 38 Special a good carry round?

38 Special in a snub nose revolver is one of the most popular carry guns for women. Women represent a rapidly growing demographic in terms of concealed carry and the small revolver is an ideal choice for a number of reasons.
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Which is better for self defense 38 Special or 357 Magnum?

From a ballistic standpoint, it's clear that 357 Magnum is superior to 38 Special +P. However, the 38 Special +P round has proven itself to be an effective defense round many times over.
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What is the point of 38 Special?

Known for its accuracy and manageable recoil, the . 38 Special remains one of the most popular revolver cartridges in the world more than a century after its introduction. It is used for recreational target shooting, formal target competition, personal defense, and small-game hunting.
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Concealed Carry: Standard pressure .38 special ammo.



What is the best caliber for home defense?

The most common caliber for a home defense handgun is 9mm. This does mean that your gun will penetrate through walls and can possibly harm your loved ones during a home invasion. Also, many experts recommend hollow point ammo because of the power, and they are a bit safer to shoot in a home defense scenario.
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What is the difference between .38 and .38 Special?

There's no difference between a . 38 and a 38 special. The former refers to a caliber with a . 357 inch bullet diameter, while the latter is a cartridge variant under the .
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What is the difference between .38 Special and .380 ACP?

38 special is designed for use in revolvers and the . 380 ACP is used in semi-auto pistols.
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Is 38 +p good for home defense?

38 Special cartridge, the revolver is a good home defense handgun. It takes a great deal of time, money, and training to be appreciably better armed with a handgun.
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What has more recoil 9mm or 38?

. 38mm Special offers low recoil when compared to the 9mm Luger. Bothe these cartridges have lesser recoil as compared to other cartridges like .
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Is .38 bigger than 9mm?

Both bullets are equal in bullet diameter, the 9mm case is about 3/8 of an inch shorter than the . 38 Special but boasts double the pressure.
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What is the most popular snub nose revolver?

The Neverending Appeal of Snub Nose Revolvers

Models like the Smith & Wesson 686, and the Kimber K6S are favored by most gun enthusiasts because of their reliability, ease of operation, and the almighty power they deliver.
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How much kick does a 38 Special have?

If you have shot any one caliber listed, you can estimate the comparative recoil from the other guns based on the figures given. For example, a 38 Special has roughly twice the recoil of a 380 ACP i.e. 1.39 X 2 = 2.78. Again this assumes guns of equal weight at 40 ounces.
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Is a 357 Magnum the same as a 38 Special?

38 Special and . 357 Magnum are exactly the same in width. It's only when looking at their length that you'll notice a difference. Many handgun owners shoot one or both of these rounds, and while the cartridges have a common heritage, these bullets perform in strikingly different ways.
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What is the best ammo for a .38 Special?

Best 38 Special Ammo For The Range
  • Federal American Eagle 38 Special 130 Grain FMJ.
  • Fiocchi Pistol Shooting Dynamics 38 Special 130 Grain FMJ.
  • Federal Law Enforcement 38 Special +P 158gr. LSWCHP.
  • Hornady 38 Special 158 Grain XTP JHP.
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Are revolvers better for home-defense?

After the shot, the cylinder rotates, making the gun ready to fire again. For a first home-defense firearm, a revolver is hard to beat. And if you're looking for a firearm you might choose to carry concealed sometime down the road, a revolver won't leave you disappointed.
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Is a revolver enough for home-defense?

One advantage of the revolver in home defense is that it is easier to operate and learn to shoot. There isn't much to shooting a revolver: simply open the cylinder, insert bullets, close the cylinder and pull the trigger.
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What is the best handgun caliber for general self-defense?

Capacity. The 9mm offers greater magazine capacity than virtually any other pistol caliber carried for personal defense. If the wounding capabilities of 9mm and the other cartridges are nearly identical, it would seem to be that having more rounds in you magazine will give you a better opportunity to stop an attacker.
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Which is more powerful a 38 Special or a 380?

38 Special carry more energy than those from a . 380 Auto. In the example of the . 380 firing a 90 grain bullet at 1,040 feet per second, that bullet would provide about 215 foot-lbs.
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Is .380 enough for self-defense?

From a self-defense perspective, the . 380 ACP performs to its greatest ability at close ranges, and by close I mean less than 3 yards — closer is even better. And, as always, shot placement is king.
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Is a 22 or 380 more powerful?

A 380 ACP case, on the other hand, is just about as long (0.68 inches) but the bullet it fires is 0.355 inches in diameter. This means there is a lot more room for powder inside a 380 ACP case than a 22 LR case, resulting in a more powerful round.
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What is the best 38 caliber handgun?

38 Special Pistol. 7 Best . 38 Special Revolvers For CCW [2022]
  • Model 638 Smith and Wesson 38 Special Revolver. ...
  • Charter Arms Undercover 38 Special Gun. ...
  • Smith and Wesson Model 10: The First 38 Special Revolver. ...
  • LCR Ruger 38 Special Revolver. ...
  • S&W M&P Bodyguard 38 Special Revolver With Laser.
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Is a revolver more reliable than a semi-auto?

Those who advocate for the relevance of the revolver will often counter with one or both of following arguments: Revolvers are more reliable and more accurate than semi-autos. There are plenty of other advantages of wheel guns, but in my experience, these two seem to be the most commonly repeated.
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Is a .22 rifle good for home defense?

Carrying a 22LR or using one for home defense isn't a good idea. While it's certainly better than a sharp stick in the eye, even the most powerful 22LR load is anemic compared to even a 32 ACP. Unless it's literally your only option, don't use a 22LR.
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