Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 This question came up on another site, guy has a .38 Colt Lightning and I wondered if .38S&W would also work. Someone says the S&W case is wider. Anyone?? Rye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goody, SASS #26190 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 38 Colt Bullet diameter: .357 in (9.1 mm) Case length: 1.031 in (26.2 mm) Rim diameter: .445 in (11.3 mm) Parent case: .38 Short Colt Neck diameter: .381 in (9.7 mm) Base diameter: .381 in (9.7 mm) 38 S&W Length: 0′ 1″ Bullet diameter: .361 in (9.2 mm) Rim diameter: .440 in (11.2 mm) Neck diameter: .3855 in (9.79 mm) Rim thickness: .055 in (1.4 mm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson County Mike Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Hi, 38 S&W is also known as 38 Colt New Police. Then there is a 38 Colt Long and 38 Colt short. I think the Common load is a 38 Colt for Cowboy Action shooting is the 38 Colt Long. I think Goody's post explains the difference. Colt did this to confuse us, , because they refused to mark their revolvers S&W for the popular 38 S& W cartridge. Here is a link that I think is pretty good, regards, Mike https://www.guns.com/news/2011/08/25/the-other-38s-short-long-and-everything-in-between Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Just to add a bit of confusion; 38 S&W and 38 S&W Special are different cartridges. 38 S&W AKA 38 Colt New Police Bullet diameter = .361 in (9.2 mm) Neck diameter = .3855 in (9.79 mm) Base diameter = .3865 in (9.82 mm) Rim diameter = .440 in (11.2 mm) Rim thickness = .055 in (1.4 mm) Case length = .775 in (19.7 mm) 38 S&W Special AKA 38 Special Parent case = .38 Long Colt Case type = Rimmed, straight Bullet diameter = .357 in (9.1 mm) Neck diameter = .379 in (9.6 mm) Base diameter = .379 in (9.6 mm) Rim diameter = .44 in (11 mm) Rim thickness = .058 in (1.5 mm) Case length = 1.155 in (29.3 mm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Alls I'ze know is 38 Short Colt will chamber in Sawmill Mary's Uberti Cattleman in 38/357 and 38 S&W won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share Posted January 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Warden Callaway said: Alls I'ze know is 38 Short Colt will chamber in Sawmill Mary's Uberti Cattleman in 38/357 and 38 S&W won't. Yep, according to what’s been posted the .38 SW is slight larger than a .38 spl. I had no idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusta B. Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 28 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said: Yep, according to what’s been posted the .38 SW is slight larger than a .38 spl. I had no idea! Kinda like the difference between C and C-sharp Rye ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 The Colt Lightning was chambered for .38 Long Colt. You can run .38 Short Colt in it. .38 Short Colt looks very similar to .38 SW, but they are not the same cartridge. I have two Lightnings. One of them is an antique made in 1880 something. The other was made in 1902. The old one has the larger .375" bore. The newer one has the tighter, .357" bore. I run 150 grain .358" hollow base bullets in both guns to good effect. .38 S&W uses a .360" bullet. The S&W round will not chamber the newer pistol, but it will chamber in my older one, if tightly. Accuracy is not so good. So, in some circumstances, you might be able to get the Smith and Wesson round to chamber in a lightning, but there is no reason to do so. .38 Short Colt will work just fine if you want a sub load, and you can always go with Long Colts. Brass is available. Hollow base bullets are out there but expensive and rare. You could cast your own, but depending on when it was made you might be able to use the same bullets used in .38 Special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 22 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said: Just to add a bit of confusion; 38 S&W and 38 S&W Special are different cartridges. Throw in .38-44 and things get really confusing. To wit: .38 Short Colt made a little longer is .38 Long Colt. .38 Long Colt made a little longer is .38 Special .38 Special made a little longer is .357 Magnum .357 Magnum made a little longer is .357 Maximum. Prior to the creation of .357 Magnum, there was something called .38-44. It was .38 Special loaded up to what would be .357 Magnum pressures, and led to the creation of the Magnum cartridge. I am not expert, but I believe that the .38-44 was more powerful than a .38 Special +P .38 S&W made quite a bit longer, that is to say the case being the same length as the cylinder in a S&W New Model 3, with the bullets loaded entirely inside the case, was a special target load known as .38-44. It has nothing in common with the more well known pre-.357 Magnum cartridge other than the name. The older cartridge's name was derived from the fact that it was a .38 being chambered in a gun designed for a .44. Brass for this .38-44 does not exist. Some claim you can create it by cutting back .357 Maximum brass, but I have to wonder why go to the trouble when you can run .38 S&W in guns chambered for this caliber. I wrote to S&W and asked, and they told me you could. And I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Steak Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Is 38 Long colt worthwhile as a CAS round or is it better to just stick with 38 Special? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Since .38 spl can easily be loaded down to minimum power requirements with light bullets now commercially available, there really is NO advantage to shooting a .38 LC. Brass will cost more. Shoot the common stuff in modern guns. Now, if you have a gun that is chambered to .38 LC, you are stuck with loading that old cartridge, but you shoulda known that when you bought that old gun. good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butch McGie, SASS#71758 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I shoot the .38 Long Colt in my open tops. It is my impression that there is less barrel flip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 1 hour ago, Chuck Steak said: Is 38 Long colt worthwhile as a CAS round or is it better to just stick with 38 Special? Only if you have an revolver or two that is actually chambered for it. It then becomes very versatile as you can not only use it in that gun, but also in any .38 Specials or .357's you may some day obtain. But if you don't have a gun where you MUST use it, then I really don't see the point to it. Me, I have guns chambered for it, so it was worth doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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