.38 Long Colt: Difference between revisions

The cartridge's relatively poor ballistics were highlighted during the [[Philippine–American War]] of 1899–1902, when reports from U.S. Army officers were received regarding the .38 bullet's inability to stop charges of frenzied [[Moro people|Moro]] ''[[juramentado]]s'' in the [[Moro Rebellion]], even at extremely close ranges.<ref name="DK2006">{{cite book|author=DK|title=Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Px5E3EIF5jQC&pg=PA290|date=October 2, 2006|publisher=DK Publishing|isbn=978-0-7566-4219-8|page=290}}</ref><ref name="The2008">{{cite book|author=Green Muse Writers Collective, The|title=Keep Calm Carry on: A Survival Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=auxpWQox1j8C&pg=PA138|date=December 2008|publisher=iUniverse|isbn=978-1-4401-0249-3|page=138}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.manilatimes.net/juramentados-and-the-development-of-the-colt-45-caliber-model-1911/107609/|title=Juramentados and the development of the Colt .45 caliber Model 1911|date=June 29, 2014|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bagongkasaysayan.org/saliksik/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/13-Artikulo-Lasco.pdf |title=Ang "Kalibre 45" At Ang Pakikibaka Ng Mga Mandirigmang Pilipino |language=Tagalogtl |access-date=August 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009151138/http://www.bagongkasaysayan.org/saliksik/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/13-Artikulo-Lasco.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> A typical instance occurred in 1905 and was later recounted by Col. Louis A. LaGarde:

In civilian use, the .38 LC was chambered in a number of Colt revolvers and saw some use among target shooters. Various U.S. police forces also adopted the cartridge. However, the cartridge became nearly extinct after [[Smith & Wesson]]'s more powerful [[.38 Special]] cartridge became widely popular as a civilian and police service cartridge. By 1908, even Colt was chambering their new [[Colt Police Positive|Police Positive]] and [[Colt Army Special|Army Special]]<!--the Shooting Times article called it a New Army, which is in error; see coltfever source--> revolvers in ".38 Colt Special", which was just a standard .38 Smith & Wesson Special with a different headstamp.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/handgun_reviews_coltp_083106/99264 |title=Colt's Official Police Revolver |first=Paul |last=Scarlata |website=Shooting Times |date=January 3, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coltfever.com/Army_Special.html |title=Army Special |website=coltfever.com |accessdateaccess-date=May 22, 2020}}</ref>

*{{cite book |author1=U.S. Army Ordnance Department |authorlink1author-link1=Ordnance Corps (United States Army) |title=Annual Report of the Chief of Ordnance to the Secretary of War for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1893 |chapter=Appendix 13: Description of Colt's Double-Action Revolver, Army Model 1892, with Rules for Management, Memoranda of Trajectory, and Description of Ammunition |date=1893 |publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|U.S. Government Printing Office]] |location=Washington |hdl=2027/uc1.b2979331 |chapter-url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b2979331?urlappend=%3Bseq=243}} Official U.S. Army description of the original [[Colt M1892|Army Model 1892]] revolver, including its .38 Long Colt ammunition.

*{{cite book |author1=U.S. Army Ordnance Department |authorlink1author-link1=Ordnance Corps (United States Army) |title=Description of the Colt's Double-Action Revolver, Caliber .38, with Rules for Management, Memoranda of Trajectory, and Description of Ammunition |date=1917 |publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|U.S. Government Printing Office]] |location=Washington |hdl=2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t0js9k657 }} Revised U.S. Army description of the M1892 series of revolvers and their .38 Long Colt ammunition. (Note this description has an updated cartridge and higher muzzle velocity, but the other ballistics and trajectory data values are ''unchanged'' from the 1893 description and must be considered as only approximate for the newer revolvers and cartridges.)