A lot of ink has been spilled (electrons dispersed?) about the .38 Spl. round. Introduced back in the black powder days, it adapted and overcame and has seen upstarts, flashes-in-the-pan and even the occasional mainstay over its lifetime. For decades it was the go-to round for law enforcement, and has seen a fair amount of use in the military.
One thing the .38 Spl. has not seen - up until now - is velocities well into the 1,100 fps range without getting into +P ratings. The Polycase .38 Spl. ARX round does just that, in the form of a lightweight, 77-grain injection-molded projectile moving at a blistering (for .38 Spl.) 1,116 fps. The company claims the distinct design of the projectile makes use of fluid dynamics to achieve proper terminal performance.
The lightweight projectile means that recoil, especially in the featherlight revolvers still in favor for concealed carry, will not be anywhere near as punishing as the stalwart 158-grain mainstay. For revolvers made of exotic material (scandium and titanium) or polymer weighing less than one pound, a round that can be shot without excessive felt recoil is worth investigation.
MSRP: $28.99 per box of 20 rounds.
