I've come to the conclusion that the 38 Smith and Wesson Special is my all time favorite centerfire cartridge. I've loaded, reloaded and shot more 38 Spl than any other two cartridges combined over the years, probably more than any other three or four, for that matter. Mostly I've shot it in 4" revolvers, but shot a bit out of a 6.5" OM Blackhawk and various other firearms. It's easy on the budget with just a pinch of powder and half the lead (or less) of a heavy loaded 45 Colt. Well assembled ammo out of a decent firearm results in pleasing accuracy. Recoil is negligible (both my sons first fired a 38, way back in the 20th Century) and components are still easy to come by. No, it'd not be my first choice for hunting big game or dangerous game, but a while back I read an article that catalogued handguns that were used successfully in ending bear attacks and the lowly 38 topped the list. Go figure.

Now, I DO enjoy the 45 Colt and 44 S&W and 45 ACP (although I HATE policing brass from a bottom loader) and have reloaded quite a stack of 9mm over the years as well, but the 38 is the one I keep coming back to. The 32 SWL is another favorite, but the numbers don't stack up in comparison, nor do I own a good example of firearm in that caliber.

Sitting here in SW MO helping take care of Mom during a difficult transition period has given me the opportunity to catch up a little bit on the reloading. And yes, I've done double the 38 spl of any other caliber I've tackled so far. In a couple weeks I'll have the chance to unload some of that brass - and I'm looking forward to it.

Someday I need to replace that 6" 38 I had to leave in Brazil. In the meantime, the Model 10 HB I got from cas way back when will continue to do good service.