I always enjoy seeing the ammo companies come out with a new handgun cartridge. The ammunition companies are always interested in boosting sales and handgunners are always looking for that new idea that will increase their handgun performance. That’s all good. But the defensive handgunner should never overlook some of the real treasures that we already have. A real favorite of mine is a cartridge that is only 126 years old, the .38 Spl.
The .38 Spl. cartridge started life in 1898 as an improvement over some of the less powerful .38-caliber cartridges then in service. It started out as a black powder cartridge but, within a year of its introduction, was offered in smokeless powder. While our military soon moved on to the .45 ACP cartridge, the .38 Spl. quickly became the darling of American police officers and the American shooting public. This was primarily because of its inherent accuracy, manageable recoil and its availability in small and medium-frame revolvers that were easy to carry.
Now, to be honest, the early .38 Spl. loadings were rather anemic when it comes to personal defense, but that is certainly a thing of the past. Modern ammunition development has provided today’s defensive shooters with many different bullet weights and designs, along with several power levels from which to choose. Truly, the .38 Spl. is as old as 1898 and as new as 2024.
At the lower end of the power scale are the factory target loads using the 148-grain wadcutter bullet. This is an excellent place for the new shooter to start because of the minimal felt recoil. The new shooter can focus on improving marksmanship skills without anticipating any sharp recoil. However, this same load is quite popular as a defensive round for those who carry the lightweight, small-frame revolvers for the same reason; the recoil is manageable. One of my favorites for these smaller revolvers is also the Federal 125-grain Nyclad loading in standard velocity.
One of the earliest attempts at increasing the defensive performance of the .38 Spl. was the introduction of +P ammo using a 110-grain JHP bullet, although I was not impressed with its performance in actual shootings of which I am personally aware. Much better terminal performance can be found in the 125- to 130-grain JHP +P offerings from various companies. And some of these companies are now offering loadings in this bullet range specifically designed for short-barreled revolvers.
My own personal favorite for personal defense in the .38 Spl. is the 158-grain lead hollowpoint that was often called the FBI load. This +P round gives something like 900 fps from a 4-inch gun, is generally quite accurate and gives good penetration. Today it is loaded by all the major ammunition companies and is my standard carry load in my 2½-inch-barrel Smith & Wesson Model 19. Another favorite of mine is the 158-grain semi-wadcutter hard cast load offered by Double Tap Ammunition.
I am not sure that any other American handgun cartridge is offered in so many various designs and loadings as the modern .38 Spl. cartridge. There is truly something for everyone to meet their personal defense needs.
So, while I certainly applaud new cartridge development, I would suggest that defensive shooters not overlook the old, tried & true cartridges; the best example of which is the .38 Spl.
