We recently discussed the ins and outs of .38 Special ammunition for snubby revolvers here in these pages, and described the challenges involved with trying to make the most special of revolver cartridges perform from abbreviated barrels, which rob velocity and energy from the bullet. As a moderate energy level cartridge, the .38 Special doesn’t have a surplus of energy that it can afford to lose, and when you shoot it in the small guns, it can lose just enough energy to have a dramatic effect on terminal performance. Continue reading “The .38 Special Hydra-Shok Deep Journey”
Tag: .38 Special
Guns in Brazil
America is a patchwork quilt of gun laws and public attitudes towards guns. Even though we’re all Americans, the gun culture can look very different from state to state, and region to region.
.38 Snubby Ammo
If you’re like most shooters these days, your interest in the revolver as a defensive weapon centers around small frame guns that are easily carried and concealed. Continue reading “.38 Snubby Ammo”
Feeding Your Revolvers: Reloading Basics
One thing all firearms have in common is the need to be fed if you have a desire to enjoy them to their full potential. If you have more money than you know what to do with, then you can comfortably order ammunition on line – assuming it’s even available, as witnessed by this year’s run on munitions of nearly every caliber. For the rest of us, there is either the choice to shoot less, or reload your own. Continue reading “Feeding Your Revolvers: Reloading Basics”
Review: The Colt Night Cobra
Colt is back.
I can’t tell you how much it pleases me to write that! Continue reading “Review: The Colt Night Cobra”
Review: The .38 Special Ruger LCR
We took a good look under the hood of the Ruger LCR a while back and also did a field report on the LCR in 9mm. Since that time, I’ve been doing some additional shooting with the .38 Special version of the LCR, and I’m nearing the 350 round mark. As such, I thought it was time for me to share some of my latest observations on this innovative snubby. Continue reading “Review: The .38 Special Ruger LCR”
Wadcutters For Self Defense
I admit it, I’m a bullet nerd. I’ve always been fascinated by ballistics, and particularly terminal ballistics. I enjoy learning about how bullets do their work, and studying the minutiae of expansion, penetration, retained weight, permanent and temporary cavities, testing protocols, and all the numerical measures of bullet performance. Continue reading “Wadcutters For Self Defense”
Training With Light Loads
In the post-war heyday of the revolver, it was common for police and armed citizens to load a different kind of ammunition for practice than they did for duty or defense. In the police community, for example, many officers shot their training and qualifications with soft-recoiling, 148 grain, .38 Special wadcutters, and loaded more powerful .38 Special or .357 Magnum ammunition for duty, and a legion of armed citizens without badges did the same. Continue reading “Training With Light Loads”
Field Report: Taurus 856 .38 Special
Undoubtedly the coolest thing about starting this blog is how much I’ve learned since. Most of this knowledge is centered around the use of a roundgun, but but a considerable portion is about guns themselves. Some of that is through research and reading, some of it comes from Mike setting me straight, and a lot of it comes from you guys in the comments section. Some of it is gained first hand, though, as was the case with the Taurus family of firearms to which I recently got acquainted through the Taurus 856. Continue reading “Field Report: Taurus 856 .38 Special”
Guns of The Shootists Holiday
In 1985, notable sixgunner and gun scribe John Taffin joked with some shooting buddies about a week-long range trip where the participants would be limited to bringing a maximum of two firearms. It started as a fanciful notion, but the idea was too good to dismiss, so Taffin and friends soon found themselves planning the first trip, which came to be known as the “Shootists Holiday.” Continue reading “Guns of The Shootists Holiday”