Shooter's Log by Richard Douglas April 13, 2020
After ruling the Philippines for almost half a millennium, Spain ceded control to the United States.
The result?
By 1899, the U.S. military was facing an armed rebellion in the Philippines that lead to the development of the .38 Special cartridge (and .45 ACP).
Thanks to this, we now have one of the most popular and versatile rounds ever made.
But how did all this happen? First, here’s an infographic that summarizes the .38 Special timeline. To skip to the rest of the article and keep reading, click here.
.38 Special Cartridge OriginsManufactured by Colt, the .38 Long Colt and the related pistol line were insanely popular.
In fact, it was so popular that rival manufacturers like Winchester offered their own weapons chambered in the .38 Long Colt.
However, there was one problem with the .38 Long Colt: It lacked velocity.
During the Philippine War, American soldiers would fire several .38 Long Colt bullets to take down ONE Moro Jihadi (the enemy). Seriously…the round was that weak.
If they had any hope to compete on the world stage, the U.S. military would have to do something drastic. They would have to create a new bullet.
A round that would fire faster, hit harder and penetrate further.
A Lethal DesignIn 1898, the U.S. military developed and introduced the .38 Special cartridge, which was designed to overcome the underwhelming limitations of the .38 Long Colt.
The resulting design was a miraculous round for the time — capable of fitting not only the old .38 Long (and .38 Short) Colt weapons, but the new .38 Special cartridge could even fire from the Navy’s old cap-and-ball revolvers and the soon-to-come .357 Magnum.
This ability to fit and fire in so many different weapons led the .38 Special to become massively popular amongst service members and the decision to create the versatile .38 Special cartridge revolutionized the military.
By 1907 however, multiple innovations made by John Browning and Colt would make the .38 Special cartridge’s time short-lived in widespread military service.
Soon, the U.S. military would employ the very same program that brought the .38 Special into existence to replace the round with the .45 ACP.
The love affair with the .38 Special, however, would continue back in America for the thousands upon thousands of servicemen who fired it, setting the base for a long-lasting love affair with the .38 Special cartridge.
More:
https://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/history-38-special/#38special
