.38 caliber is a frequently used name for the
caliber
In guns, particularly firearms, but not #As a measurement of length, artillery, where a different definition may apply, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge ( ...
of
firearm
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions).
The first firearms originate ...
s and
firearm cartridges.
The .38 caliber is a large firearm cartridge (anything larger than
.32 caliber is considered a large caliber).
[Wright, James D.; Rossi, Peter H.; Daly, Kathleen (1983). ''Under the Gun: Weapons, Crime and Violence in America''. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter. .] Before 1990, the standard sidearms of police in the United States were revolvers that fired the
.38 Special cartridge, seconded by revolvers firing the
.357 Magnum, a lengthened version of the .38 Special.
Handgun cartridge table
See also
*
9 mm caliber
*
38 (disambiguation)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:38
Pistol and rifle cartridges