Please Help Me to Choose a Pistol

Post by **TwoRivers** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 1:38 pm

No, the .380 revolver cannot, SHOULD not, be rechambered to .357 Magnum. The .380 is larger in diameter and shorter, and groove diameter is larger. Plus overall length of .357 Mag is greater, and pressure much higher. If you are fond of your eyes and fingers, forget that idea. Cheers.

amk · Post by **amk** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:30 pm

I was asking about the .38 S&W which penpusher referred to, not .380. 357 mag revolver can chamber & fire .38 special cartridges too.

AMK

YouTube · Post by **mundaire** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 5:16 pm

amk";p="47991 wrote: I was asking about the .38 S&W which penpusher referred to, not .380. 357 mag revolver can chamber & fire .38 special cartridges too.

AMK

.38 S&W aka the .38/200 is NOT the same as .38 Special and the two are NOT interchangeable! Also while the former is classified as a PB the latter is a NPB calibre.

The .357 Magnum cartridge is based on a lengthened .38 Special case, so you are quite correct the .38 Special ammo chambers in and can be safely fired from a revolver designed for the much more powerful .357 Magnum cartridge.

However, the reverse is NOT true! Do keep in mind that the .357 Magnum cartridge works at more than double the pressure of the .38 Special cartridge (35,000 PSI vs 17,000 PSI), in fact if I am not mistaken one of the primary reasons for lengthening the .357 case was to ensure that it could not be chambered in guns designed for the much milder .38 Special cartridge - which would most certainly result in disaster!

Back to your original question, can the .38 S&W aka .38/200 be chambered and fired from a revolver designed for the .357 Magnum. Unfortunately (or fortunately) NOT, the case dimensions of the .38/200 are sufficiently different (a thicker neck & base etc. even though it is shorter in length) from the dimensions of the .38 Special & .357 Magnum means that it will simply not fit in the cylinder, and neither is is recommended that one try to force it to fit either! The operating pressure of this cartridge is the lowest of the lot at 14,500 PSI, but since it cannot chamber in guns designed for either the .38 Special OR the .357 Magnum, this point is quite irrelevant.

FYI - the reason why I said "fortunately" above was - if it COULD INDEED be possible to chamber & fire .38 S&W ammo from guns designed for the .38 Special or the .357 Magnum, BOTH would AUTOMATICALLY be classified as PB calibres as per law! Thankfully this is not the case and you can own both the .38 Special & .357 Magnum on a regular NPB license.

HTH

Cheers!
Abhijeet

amk · Post by **amk** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:42 pm

So which is the .38 S&W cartridge penpusher was referring too when he said it is being sold to civilians by IOFB? And if it is PB then how is it being sold in the civilian market?

Thanks for the info Abhi. You are correct, the mag was lengthened to make sure it wouldn't fit in .38 special only chambers.

AMK

YouTube · Post by **mundaire** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:58 pm

amk";p="48036 wrote: So which is the .38 S&W cartridge penpusher was referring too when he said it is being sold to civilians by IOFB? And if it is PB then how is it being sold in the civilian market?

AFAIK the only .38 rimmed ammo made by IOFB was the .38 S&W (.38/200). This is still in production and is regularly supplied to the security forces for use in service revolvers. Of course it is this very use by security forces that has led to it being classified as a PB calibre.

Honestly I was not aware of the IOFB supplying dealers with this ammo for sale to civilians, but if penpusher is saying that it is - then knowing him he is basing his assertion on first hand information, maybe he can elaborate more...

BTW - there is no law against the IOF selling PB ammo to civilians, so long as they have a valid license for it they are eligible to buy the ammo and IOF has no problem supplying the same. But so few (and increasingly fewer) people have PB licenses that I imagine dealers simply don't bother purchasing them (from IOF) and stocking these calibres...

Cheers!
Abhijeet

penpusher · Post by **penpusher** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:01 pm

Tingriman ,

NPB handguns for which you can get ammo. in India are .22 rimfire, .25ACP.32short and S&W Long, .32ACP, .380ACP, .30(7.63)Mauser, .30(7.62)Tokarev,.30Carbine,.357MAg

PB handguns are those than can chamber and fire .38S&W aka .38-200,9X19/9mm luger/9mm para(all three are the same,just different names),.455 rimmed and .45ACP.

.22 rimfire,.32ACP and .32S&W Long are the easiest and the cheapest to find and buy.

Get a .32 revolver or pistol.In case you wish to buy a handgun in any other caliber,then you should buy a revolver.

BTW, making a profit should not concern you as you would not be allowed to sell the firearm that you import ,during your life time.

YouTube · Post by **mundaire** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:07 pm

penpusher";p="48039 wrote:BTW, making a profit should not concern you as you would not be allowed to sell the firearm that you import ,during your life time.

A little birdie told me about some IFS personnel being able to somehow bypass that particular rule... lest we forget - in this land of equals, some are more equal than others...

penpusher · Post by **penpusher** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:53 pm

http://ofbindia.gov.in/download/civiltr ... re2007.pdf

PROCEDURE FOR SALE OF CARTRIDGES PRODUCED BY
INDIAN ORDNANCE FACTORIES
(AMMUNITION FACTORY KHADKI, PUNE)

(xii) Minimum order quantity for each type of ammunition shall be as follows:

.......12. Cartridges S.A. .380” Rev. Ball -1000 – do – – do –

Post by **TwoRivers** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 11:45 pm

AMK: I know you were. .38 S&W, .38/200, .380 Revolver are all designations for the same cartridge. Can get confusing.

amk · Post by **amk** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 1:50 pm

I'm assuming the .380 revolver cartridge mentioned in the link penpusher gave is the .38 S&W which is PB? So this means dealers can get the ammo but since demand is so low most/all of them do not bother.

AMK

tingriman · Post by **tingriman** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:56 pm

The SA .380 balls are manufactured by IOF basically for revolvers with the following de.scriptions:

Total length of Ammunition 31.62 mm
Total mass of Ammunition 16 g (approx.)
Mass of bullet 11.54 ± .13 g
Mass of propellant 0.260 g

(http://ofbindia.gov.in/products/data/am ... /sc/10.htm)

Can this ammunition be chambered in .380 pistols (9mm short) and also is it available to civilians?

YouTube · Post by **mundaire** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:11 pm

tingriman";p="48408 wrote:Can this ammunition be chambered in .380 pistols (9mm short) and also is it available to civilians?

a) NO.... For everyone's benefit: just because 2 cartridge designations sound similar DOES NOT MEAN that they are interchangeable! Disregard this at your own risk... on the other hand very dissimilar sounding designations may sometimes be interchangeable, so PLEASE arm yourself with knowledge FIRST!

b) Yes, if you have a PB license for a .38 revolver (.38 S&W)

Indians For Guns

Indians For Guns

Please Help Me to Choose a Pistol

Re: Please Help Me to Choose a Pistol

Re: Please Help Me to Choose a Pistol

Re: Please Help Me to Choose a Pistol

Re: Please Help Me to Choose a Pistol

Re: Please Help Me to Choose a Pistol