If you have any Remington UMC “Green Box” ammo, you might want to pull it out and check it. Remington has issued a recall on .38 Special +P 125 grain SJHP with the lot number of P24UA18R.
The problem? It seems some .357 Magnum ammunition made its way into these boxes.
For 2013, Hornady is introducing a reduced recoil .38 Special load in the Critical Defense line of ammunition. The Critical Defense Lite is a light weight .38 load loaded to standard pressures specifically designed to minimize abuse to the shooters of small, light revolvers.
Seemingly everyone carries a snub nose revolver in their pocket. I’ve got a J-frame Smith & Wesson in mine as I write this. They are easy to carry and have numerous advantages when compared to other guns and style of carry. But, small revolvers carry at least one significant disadvantage: recoil. That’s where the Critical Defense Lite comes into play.
Buffalo Bore is loading .38 Special ammo specifically for short-barreled guns. The load uses a Barnes 110 grain TAC-XP bullet, which is an all copper bullet. The ammo uses brass cases and a low-flash powder.
Until recently, snub nose revolver shooters made due with standard ammunition and the knowledge that the ammo would not be as effective as if it was shot out of a longer barrel handgun. The amount of velocity loss varied with the load and the firearm, but generally, it has been understood that short-barreled guns are less potent than longer ones.
Buffalo Bore rolled out a new .38 Special load called the Outdoorsman. The Outdoorsman is a Keith-style, hard cast lead 158 grain semi-wadcutter bullet loaded to +P pressures. The load is designed for deep penetration and it should make for an adequate (not superior) round when carried for self defense in the back country.
When trekking in the wilderness, predator animals are a genuine concern. Penetration to vital areas is much more difficult to achieve with a handgun against a bear than it is against a human. Therefore, caliber and load choices are different in the woods than in the suburbs.
The Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 38 is a new “hammerless” revolver like those found in the Centennial line. Unlike those guns, the new Bodyguard 38 has a polymer frame and integral laser. It is one of two new compact handguns called Bodyguard introduced by S&W at the 2010 SHOT Show.
First, the basics, it is a five-shot, 38 Special revolver that is rated for +P ammunition. The hammer is full concealed, and the gun is double action only. The gun is black with a grip. At first glance, it looks a lot like a model 442. But, this revolver is actually very different.
The Bodyguard 38 is a polymer framed revolver, the first ever by Smith & Wesson. This means that Smith had to go back to the drawing board to design this firearm. The lower frame (roughly from the rear of the cylinder back), is polymer, while the upper frame (surrounding the cylinder and housing the barrel) is aluminum. As you might expect, the revolver is very light, weighing only 14.3 ounces.
A significant change on the Bodyguard 38 is the relocation of the cylinder release. Instead of being mounted on the side of the frame, the release has been moved to the top of the frame, where an exposed hammer would normally be. Since the cylinder release is along the midline of the revolver, it is now ambidextrous.
Speaking of the cylinder, one of the problems sometimes cited by owners of Smith & Wesson J-frames, is the extractor rod is too short to reliably eject fired brass. This is an annoyance at the range, but a possible deadly problem in a self defense shooting. While not full length, the rod on the Bodyguard 38 is noticeably longer to provide a more sure ejection of spent cartridges.
Smith and Wesson lists the barrel length as 1.9″. Traditionally, S&W has listed the barrel length of their “snubbies” at either 1 7/8″ (1.875″) or 2″. I assumed that Smith was rounding up the 1.875″, but the company rep insisted the barrel length was exactly 1.9″.
Sights are fixed and black. The rear notch seems wider than the notch on the 442/642, but that is my impression only. I didn’t measure them, and the Smith rep was not sure.
Significantly, the Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 38 ships with an integrated laser from Insight Technology. The red laser mounts high and back on the right side of the frame. The laser is adjustable for drift and elevation. Two laser modes are offered: steady and pulse. To activate the laser, the shooter my turn the unit on by pressing a button on the unit.
Taurus introduced a polymer revolver in .38 Special at the 2010 SHOT Show. The “Polymer Protector” is a revolver with a polymer frame and blued steel cylinder and barrel insert. The new Taurus revolver only weighs 18.2 ounces and is rated for +P ammunition.
Streamlined for concealed carry, the hammer is shrouded, but can still be cocked for a single action shot. The grips are polymer, but are wood colored, and actually look good in person.
The front sight is a red fiber optic sight, and the rear is a notch.
I was very impressed with the way this revolver felt in my hand. It was lightweight and pointed naturally for me. I would prefer a DA-only version, but I am still impressed by what Taurus was showing. I look forward to getting one of these onto the range.
AIM, Inc. has gotten in .32 ACP, .38 Special, and .380 ACP ammunition made by Prvi Partizan, a Serbian manufacturer. These three cartridges have been difficult to find lately, with the .380 ACP being probably the hardest to locate.
The Prvi Partizan ammo is brass cased, Boxer primed, and non-corrosive. The ammo is available in 50 round boxes and is priced at $12.95 for .32 ACP, $13.95 for .38 Special, and $16.95 for .380 ACP.
I’ve shot Prvi stuff before, and I have never had any issues with it. AIM, Inc. is not a sponsor, but I have bought rifles and ammo from the before. They always shipped quickly, and I am getting ready to place another order with them tonight.
*** UPDATE ***
Less than five minutes after I posted this article, and less than 25 minutes after I received notice from AIM, all of the .380 ACP was sold out. .32 ACP and .38 Special is still available…right now, anyway.
