Three .38 revolvers
“What shall we shoot today?” I ask Joe on Wednesday when we are at the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office range. We like to go on Wednesdays about 10 in case others would like to shoot with us or need a bit of assistance. “.38s,” Joe replies. “You know how I hate them, especially for those of us who like a light trigger and a light recoil,” I remind him. “Guys buy revolvers all the time for women, probably because they think women can only learn to point and shoot and can’t figure how to manage a semi-automatic.” “Maybe these three will change your mind,” he suggests. I really don’t want to do this, but it’s probably time to talk .38 revolvers. Joe sets us up. We are using a Smith & Wesson K38 Masterpiece, a Colt Diamondback, and a Smith & Wesson Chief’s Special. Barrel lengths are different. The Chief is 1 7/8 inches, the Colt is 3 7/8 inches, and the K-38 is 5 3/4 inches. Will the length of the barrels make a difference in recoil and accuracy? “We’re going to make this easy,” says Joe. “First, we’ll shoot single action only.” (This is when you cock the hammer, so the trigger only has to release it. Shooting .38s is a lot easier when all you have to do is cock the hammer first.) “Furthermore, we’ll shoot Wadcutters. Wadcutters have a lighter charge, so there should be less recoil. And in single action, the trigger will be light, too,” says Joe. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I’m so not into revolvers. First, we get to shoot that snubby Chief. I pull the trigger and shoot. Wow! Easy trigger pull! Recoil is a different matter. It’s stiff. Joe thinks so too. We shoot three rounds each. Yep, all six bullets have hit the target. That doesn’t mean I like shooting the Chief. Next, we shoot the Colt with the longer barrel. Cocking the hammer, trigger is light. Recoil? OK, recoil is a bit less than the snubby. Not a whole lot less, but less. Last, we shoot the K-38. It has that nice long barrel. Again, trigger is light in single action. Recoil? It’s less than the other two handguns. We have shot three rounds each in each target and each target shows six holes. That’s good. In a time of danger, will you remember to cock the hammer first? Next, we’re going to shoot using PMC Bronze .38s in Full Metal Jacket. And this time we’re shooting in double action. Great. Double action means you don’t cock the hammer first. This means that trigger is going to have to cock the hammer, rotate the cylinder, and then release the hammer, which makes for a much harder trigger pull. What do you know? Joe wants to shoot the snubby Chief first. Joe will shoot three, and then I will shoot three rounds. Goody. Joe reports trigger pull is firm, but he gets all three rounds on the target. My turn. I pull. It’s hard. Can’t do it. I push the trigger with my shooting finger all the way to the first knuckle. No dice. Finally, I stick my left finger on top of my right shooting finger. Now, I’m able to pull the trigger. Even with two fingers in the trigger, the snubby Chief has a strong trigger pull. Not fun at all. And travel? That’s long, too. But the good news? All of my three rounds are on the target too. You have to really decide to shoot the Chief, because trigger pull is so hard, and travel is long. This gun definitely won’t fire unless you’re good and ready. And even then, I wouldn’t want to shoot it for fun at the range. “With Joe’s three and my three, none have made a tight grouping. But as a defensive weapon, the snubby does work.” I think grudgingly, looking at the six holes in the targets and shaking out my sore trigger finger. Next, we shoot the Colt. I still need two fingers to pull the trigger. It’s hard. Joe thinks differently and says it’s lighter than the Chief. Well, his fingers are stronger than mine. Travel on this gun is somewhat long. Not so long as the snubby, but long. Recoil is strong; almost as hard as the snubby. Together, our 6 rounds make a tight group south of the bull’s-eye. Finally, we shoot the K-38. This guy has a lighter trigger with less travel than the others. Yes, I can shoot it with just my dominant trigger finger, but it’s still hard enough for me to want to use both fingers. Not so bad. Recoil is lighter, too. H’m. With this long-barreled gun, I might change my mind about .38s. All three shots hit the target, just like Joe’s. Heck, all of the targets have six holes with Joe shooting three and me shooting three in double action. All three .38s are accurate. Whether a long or short barrel gun, a .38 is a good defensive weapon. Have I changed my mind about 38s? No. Both the S&W K-38 and the Colt are too long for my holster or purse, and they are not fun to shoot. The snubby S&W Chief? No. Trigger pull and travel are hard and long. Would I want to go to the range for practice? No. No. This is why I hope women try out a .38 at a range before they consider purchasing one. A snubby .38 that fits in your purse is not fun to shoot. And, because the .38 has a cylinder, it’s wider than almost any semi-automatic handgun. So, if a small person were to wear it in a holster inside the waistband or in a purse, it’ll be fatter than a semi-automatic. Some .38s are very light. Even though they may not weigh down your purse, they’ll have more recoil than the Chief because the heavy mass of the metal Chief will absorb some of the recoil. Lightweight guns have little mass to absorb recoil, so they’ll be even more difficult to control. In my opinion, a .38 is not a handgun for a small-boned, challenged, or mature new shooter. It’s fat to hide, has a hard trigger and a stiff recoil. The good thing is that 9mm or even .380 handguns can be much easier to manage, and can hit the target just as well. You’ll be more likely to want to practice at the range. Practice is a good thing. If you ever need to protect your life, having practiced with your gun ahead of time means you’re more likely to be alive should you ever have to protect yourself from certain harm. “Have you changed your mind about .38s?” Joe asks. “Especially the snub-nose .38?” “That’s a hard ‘NO!’ for the snubby. And trigger pull on these other .38s is too much for me. However, I have to admit that when we shot three rounds each, every single bullet hit those 8-inch targets at 7½ yards.” Still. I’m not crazy about .38s.
Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.