38 Special Ammo For Sale
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Federal Champion 38 Special Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 130 Grain FMJ Ammunition
$449.9931 In stock now
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Federal Champion 38 Special Ammo - 50 Rounds of 130 Grain FMJ Ammunition
$24.9951 In stock now
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Prvi Partizan 38 Special Ammo - 50 Rounds of 130 Grain FMJ Ammunition
$25.4946 In stock now
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Federal 38 Special Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 130 Grain FMJ Ammunition
$519.998 In stock now
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Remington 38 Special Ammo - 1000 Rounds of 130 Grain FMJ Ammunition
$519.9916 In stock now
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Remington 38 Special Ammo - 250 Rounds of 130 Grain FMJ Ammunition
$134.998 In stock now
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Remington UMC 38 Special Ammo - 300 Rounds of 130 Grain FMJ Ammunition
$164.9915 In stock now
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Federal 38 Special Ammo - 50 Rounds of 130 Grain FMJ Ammunition
$27.9946 In stock now
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Winchester 38 Special Ammo - 500 Rounds of 130 Grain FMJ Ammunition
$289.996 In stock now
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Federal Punch 38 Special +P Ammo - 200 Rounds of 120 Grain JHP Ammunition
$229.9910 In stock now
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Federal Hydra-Shok Deep 38 Special +P Ammo - 20 Rounds of 130 Grain JHP Ammunition
$31.9911 In stock now
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Overview of 38 Special Ammo
The 38 Special has been a cornerstone of American self-defense and revolver shooting for over 120 years, introduced in 1902 and still one of the most widely chambered handgun cartridges in production today. A rimmed, centerfire cartridge, the 38 Special is most often chambered in revolvers, but carbines and a handful of semi-automatic pistols have also been built for the round.
The 38 Special goes by several other names, including the 38 Smith and Wesson Special, the 38 Colt Special, 9x29.5mmR, and 9.1x29mmR. In its standard loading, the 38 Special weighs 158 grain (gr), has a total cartridge length of 1.455 inches, and travels at roughly 755 feet per second (fps). +P loadings push velocity and energy higher for self-defense use, while wadcutter and target loads run lighter and softer for match work and practice.
Many revolver shooters eventually move from 38 Special to 357 Magnum for added power and versatility. The 357 Magnum was developed directly from the 38 Special case, and any 357 Magnum revolver will safely chamber and fire 38 Special ammo, which makes the 38 Special a popular practice load for 357 owners.
The 38 Special is frequently mixed up with the 38 Super, which is a high-pressure semi-automatic cartridge rather than a revolver round. Our 38 Super vs. 38 Special comparison lays out the differences.
What are the most popular 38 Special brands you sell?
- Federal 38 Special Ammo
- Fiocchi 38 Special Ammo
- PMC 38 Special Ammo
- Remington 38 Special Ammo
- Winchester 38 Special Ammo
For extended range sessions and training, browse our 250 rounds of 38 Special ammo for bulk purchasing options, or step up to the 1000-round case for the best price per round.
How does the 38 Special Compare to Other Calibers?
| Comparison | Recoil | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 Special vs. 357 Magnum | Higher | Significantly more power and velocity, better for hunting | Much higher recoil, more expensive ammunition |
| 38 Special vs. 9mm | Similar | Higher capacity in semi-auto pistols, faster reloads | Requires semi-auto maintenance, potential feed issues |
| 38 Special vs. 380 ACP | Lower | Better energy and penetration, proven stopping power | Lower capacity (revolver), more recoil than 380 |
| 38 Special vs. 38 S&W | Lower | More powerful and versatile, better ballistics | Higher recoil than 38 S&W, not compatible with older firearms |
Our 38 Special ballistics charts put those same matchups side by side on velocity, energy and bullet drop, load by load.
Best 38 Special Ammo for Specific Use Cases
| Use Case | Winners |
|---|---|
| Best 38 Special for Self-Defense |
Best Overall: Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special +P 110gr JHP Runner-Up: Speer 38 Special +P 125gr JHP |
| Best 38 Special for Snubbies |
Best Overall: Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special +P 110gr JHP Runner-Up: Blazer 38 Special 125 Grain FMJ |
| Best 38 Special for Target Practice |
Best Overall: Ammo Inc 125gr TMJ Runner-Up: Fiocchi 38 Special 130gr FMJ |
Customer Reviews
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Gary said:
All I have to say is the ammo is crap. It does not eject from the gun, and they swell up and jam the gun. It cost $75 to unjam the gun.
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BIS said:
I had a 3% dud rate. Recoil for a .38 special is very heavy. Many times i had to use a tool to knock the used rounds out of the cylinder. I used this ammo at my outdoor range since the indoor range would not let me use steel case ammo. I dont know why. I am a loyal ammo.com customer and this was the first time i had any issues. All other purchases have been of excellent quality
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Josh said:
I went to the range and used this first thing with a cleaned Ruger sp101. Shot one chamber of 5 and all of the rounds where stuck and I had to smack the ejector rod just to get them a little bit up. It took a bit of effort getting them out and one I wasn't sure was going to come out. I then shot 100 rounds of various brands in both .38 and .357 mag with no problems. I have shot hundreds of rounds through this gun ( multiple brands ) and never have had a problem . They had all been brass cased but I thought I would try these for the price. Not worth it if I have to pry them out.
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Festus said:
No problems at all.
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Bruce S said:
quality is ok but usually i experience no duds
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Scott said:
Not impressed with this being a Winchester product. Out of 15 shells,2 were duds . Not a good track record.
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Eli said:
This was my first purchase from Ammo.com, but it will not be my last.
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pissed off ohio said:
this ammo sucked and i bout 500 rnds.
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Reid said:
Shot 50 rounds of the 1000 I purchased. Weapon was a new Ruger ACR. Every spent round was difficult to remove from the cylinder; I had to remove one spent casing with a screwdriver. I put an an equal number of brass ammo through the gun with no problem expelling the ammo.
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BOBBER said:
I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THE 150 ROUNDS I HAVE SHOT
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home defender said:
this ammo shoots so smooth out my 3-inch model 36 Smith and Wesson that it allows my wife to group the shots very tight with a very slight muzzle flip at 40 feet. If I am not home, my wife can pick up the revolver and point and shoot without worrying about safety's, slides, magazines, clip in or out etc. - as she would have a lot of other things to think about in a pressure situation including threat assessment and visual target identification
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Johnny-Boy said:
Worked great and shot straight.
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Tyler said:
And had light primer strikes like every ten rounds or so.
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David said:
Approximately every one in six rounds has a primer issue and will not fire when used in a Smith and Wesson Model 10
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Robert said:
Bought 1000 of these to teach myself how to shoot a snub nose Smith & Wesson. Gone through more than half. Each kicks the same. No miss fires. Come out of the cylinder easily. Will buy them again to keep in practice.
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Dan said:
Fired consistently and accurately