| .38 Smith & Wesson | ||
|---|---|---|
A box of WWII-dated .380" Revolver Mk IIz cartridges (and separate cartridges) |
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| Type | Pistol | |
| Place of origin | United States | |
| Production history | ||
| Designer | Smith & Wesson | |
| Designed | 1877 | |
| Manufacturer | Smith & Wesson | |
| Variants | .38/200 | |
| Specifications | ||
| 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) | |
| Overall length | 1.240 in (31.5 mm) | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 158 gr (10.2 g) L SWC | 767 ft/s (234 m/s) | 206 ft·lbf (279 J) |
| 195 gr (12.6 g) L RN | 653 ft/s (199 m/s) | 185 ft·lbf (251 J) |
| 200 gr (13 g) LRN | 620 ft/s (190 m/s) | 176 ft·lbf (239 J) |
The .38 S&W is a revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1877. Though similar in name, it is not interchangeable with the later .38 Smith and Wesson Special due to a different case shape and slightly larger bullet diameter.
The British military adopted a loading of this cartridge as the Cartridge, S.A., Revolver Ball, 380 in, MkI .38-200, with the "200" referring to the weight of the bullet in grains. In 1937, this cartridge was replaced in British Service by the Cartridge, S.A., Revolver Ball, 380 in, MkII. The main difference between it and the previous round was that that it had a 178 gn. FMJ bullet.
The .38 Colt New Police was Colt's Manufacturing Company's proprietary name for what was essentially the .38 S&W with a flat-nosed bullet.
The U.S. .38 S&W Super Police cartridge was nearly identical to the British .38/200 Mk I, using a 200 grain (13 g) lead alloy bullet with a muzzle velocity of 630 ft/s (189 m/s) and a muzzle energy of 176 ft·lbf (239 J), and was supplied by several U.S. manufacturers to the British government as equivalent to the Mk I loading.
The .38 S&W is also called the .380 Rim and .38 S&W Corto.
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