.38 Special Ammo Prices

Smith & Wesson rolled it out in 1898 and for most of the twentieth century it rode in every police holster in America. The .38 Special is the quintessential revolver cartridge, mild and honest, which keeps it in the hands of new shooters, target shooters and anyone carrying a snub-nose. Here's the multiplier: every .357 Magnum revolver shoots .38 Special too, so the round feeds a whole second population of guns. .38 Special guns do not fire .357's.

Loads run 110 to 158 grain, with the 148 grain wadcutter as the old target religion. +P marks the hotter loadings — your revolver's rating decides that question, not the ammo shelf.

Revolver ammunition often ships in small boxes and the per-round price shows it. Savvy online purchasers will nevertheless find 500 and 1000 round case deals and save big because of this.