.38 caliber is a frequently used name for the
caliber
In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge (firearms) , bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the f ...
of
firearm
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
s and
firearm cartridges.
The .38 is considered a large firearm cartridge; anything larger than .32 is considered a large caliber.
[Wright, James D.; Rossi, Peter H.; Daly, Kathleen. (1983) ''Under the Gun: Weapons, Crime and Violence in America'' Hawthorne, New York: Aldine de Gruyter. .] Before 1990, the standard sidearms of police in the United States were revolvers that fired the
.38 Special
The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not to be confused with .38 S&W), .38 Smith & Wesson Special, .38 Spl, .38 Spc, (pronounced "thirty-eight special"), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & ...
cartridge, seconded by revolvers firing the
.357 Magnum
The .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum, .357 S&W Magnum, .357 Magnum, or 9×33mmR as it is known in unofficial metric designation, is a smokeless powder cartridge with a bullet diameter. It was created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, and Douglas B. ...
, a lengthened version of the .38 Special.
Handgun cartridge table
:
See also
*
9 mm caliber
*
38 (disambiguation)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:38
Pistol and rifle cartridges