.38 vs .38 Special: Key Differences Every Shooter Must Know
.38 refers to the bullet diameter—.357 inches—shared by many cartridges. .38 Special is one specific, rimmed revolver round launched in 1898; it is longer, brass-cased, and loaded to modern pressure specs. The short label is incomplete without “Special.” Shoppers see “.38” on boxes and assume it covers every .38-caliber round, from .38 S&W to .38…