38 Special

Buy Special for online

38 Special The .38 Special is one of the most durable cartridges in history. Introduce in 1898 as the .38 Smith & Wesson Special it was meant to upgrade the U.S. Army’s firepower.

Product details

The company stepped back from double-action revolvers in the early twenty-first century but in 2017 relaunch its revolver line with the Colt Cobra. The Cobra uses the same name as an older line of Cobra revolvers.

Smith & Wesson assigns its revolver frames a letter designation depending on the physical size of the frame the size of the user and the caliber use. The Model 442 is one of the company’s “J” frame guns intend for conceal carry.  Smith & Wesson still uses steel where it counts: the barrel is madeof stainless steel and the cylinder of carbon steel.

The heavier more powerful .357 Magnum cartridge is actually a descendant of the .38 Special round.  One modern example of a .38 Special–capable revolver is the Model 686. The 686 is base off Smith & Wesson’s L (medium) revolver frame. The “L” frame accommodates a wide variety of hand sizes while still capable of handling the heavier recoil .357. The 686 is made of stainless steel has a four inch-barrel and adjustable sights.

Kyle Mizokami is a defense and national-security writer base in San Francisco who has appeared in the Diplomat Foreign Policy War is Boring and the Daily Beast. In 2009 he cofound the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch. You can follow him on Twitter.

Manufacturer: COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO.
Model: DETECTIVE SPECIAL
Serial Number: 697150
Caliber Info: .38 SPECIAL
Chambers: 6
Condition: Excellent
Metal Condition: 80-85%
Wood Condition: Excellent
Barrels: 1 7/8
Action: DOUBLE
Engraving: COLT PONY (& see description)
Item Location: Valatie, N.Y.