Is a .38 good for self defense?

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.

Is a 38 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.

Is a 38 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.

Does a 38 have stopping power?

When topped with a high-quality Hornady or Speer hollow-point projectiles, the stopping power is quite impressive. A good hit with JHP or semi-wadcutter hollow-point rounds out of an old snub-nose revolver will get an attacker's attention.

What is a 38 good for?

38 Special is most commonly used in short-barreled 'snub nose' revolvers such as the Ruger LCR and Smith & Wesson J-Frame. These revolvers are purpose-made for concealed carry and have features that make them ideal for self-defense.

.38 Special Rivals (and Beats) 9mm for Self Defense!

Why is .38 Special so popular?

38 Special is still popular, particularly among those who prefer the simplicity and aesthetic of revolvers. It is inexpensive and available in a wide variety of configurations, from regular ball ammo to hollow points to high pressure +P rounds. The . 38 Special is one of the most durable cartridges in history.

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.

Is 38 Special strong?

38 Special case is loaded with little propellant relative to case volume; the case holds 23 grains of water but is only loaded to 17,500 psi of chamber pressure, compared to 26 grains of water and 35,000 psi for . 357 Magnum. In other words, it's loaded light.

How much more powerful is a 38 or 357?

38 Special has a muzzle energy of 208 foot-pounds, while the . 357 Magnum logs a muzzle energy of 539 foot pounds. The comparisons we've given have the same bullet sizes, making it clear that the . 357 Magnum is more powerful.

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.

Are revolvers safe to carry?

Inherently safe:

A revolver in double action form is inherently safe from most types of negligence. A double action revolver is that where the hammer is in the down position, and as the trigger is pressed to the back, the hammer follows suit by traveling rearward.

Is .38 ammo cheaper than 9mm?

As the much smaller cartridge, it's only fair that the 9mm should cost as little as half as much as a 38 Spl. There's simply less lead and copper in it, and its lighter weight means it costs less to ship as well. It's not uncommon for 9mm ammo to run 20-30% less than 38 special.

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 .

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 .

Are .38 and .380 the same?

38, . 357, . 380 auto and 9mm ammunition are all the same caliber. (Caliber is the size of the projectile, or bullet.)

Is a revolver a good gun for a woman?

If a woman prefers a revolver because of its simplicity or aesthetics (yes, style), I suggest a . 357 Smith & Wesson K-frame revolver. The larger frame tames recoil and offers a proper grip. And yes, it's still concealable.

What is the best 38 caliber handgun?

What is the best ammo for a .38 Special?

Are revolvers good for self-defense?

Revolvers are simple, reliable handguns chambered in a variety of calibers that are effective for self-defense situations. Many of the most popular are chambered in . 38 Special/. 357 Mag., meaning they can use shells of either type.

What is the smallest caliber for self-defense?

First of the small calibers for self-defense is the . 22 rimfires, specifically . 22 Long Rifle and . 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, also called .

How many rounds do you need for self-defense?

In the overwhelming majority of the incidents where an armed civilian fires a shot in self-defense, probably 70 to 90% of them are able to resolve the situation within 3 or 4 rounds, and usually closer to one or two rounds.

What caliber pistol is best for bear defense?

44 Magnum or other larger cartridge. With this in mind, a high-quality handgun chambered in . 357 Magnum, like the Ruger GP100, can be a very effective bear-defense gun.

What is the best pistol for bear protection?

Glock 20

And best of all – you get a whole lot more ammo in every mag. 15+1, polymer frame, unbeatable reliability, and the ability to mount red dot optics makes the Glock 20, Gen 4 a powerful and formitable contender for a bear defense gun.

What does +p mean in 38 special?

Overpressure ammunition, commonly designated as +P or +P+, is small arms ammunition that has been loaded to produce a higher internal pressure when fired than is standard for ammunition of its caliber (see internal ballistics), but less than the pressures generated by a proof round.