38 special wadcutters for home defense?

[jmurda]

I picked up a bunch of 38 special wadcutters I believe they are 158 gr. Looks to me that they would be perfect for home defense. They penetrate about an inch into a dead tree at 10-12-15 yards. Thoughts on this?

[DucatiRon]

Better than a broom but not the best choice. But if its all ya got use it.

Home defense >>>>Buy a Shotgun and do it right.

[firebird.77]

A shotgun would significantly increase your firepower, but .38 wadcutters have been a standard for defense for decades. Modern expanding type bullets do better, however. If you are planning on sticking to a .38 for home defense your best bet is to look for Hornaday or other rounds specifically designed for defensive use (high velocity expanding hollow points). They are expensive, but you really only need to use one cylinder a year to practice, so in reality a $25 box of 20 rounds will last you 3 years.

[Brick]

I think somewhere earlier than Speer Reloading Manual # 10 there were listed Defense Loads for the .38 Special 148 Gr (which is the common weight for wadcutters) Bevel Base wadcutters (note this doesn't apply to the Hollow base variety). But, The Speer #10 itself shows maximum loads for the 148 gr BBWC at velocities in excess of 900 fps.

Though it might be urban legend there was also talk of .38 Spec. Hollow Base Wadcutters being loaded with the cavity out to form a large "hollow point". It was claimed at the time (early 1970s) to be a load made for the early Air Marshalls.

[johnydavid]

Home defense your probably talking 20 ft at most. It'll be deadly. I would not want a chunk of lead hitting me at 700fps and expanding as it rips a new hole in me.

[ungawa]

Penetration is king and .38s are a little weak. And notorious for under penetration. Even though they have killed a whole lot of people, the fact remains.

I would find data on what kind of penetration to expect with such and odd bullet from your load.

When I was a kid I liked them because they made 1-inch holes through plywood because of the flat front surface

[Shisno]

Get a block of sim test gel and see for yourself. The blocks can be had for about $100 and are good for multiple uses. So it will come in handy later if you want to test some other rounds of yours.

[mpan72]

I did a quick search for gel tests with .38 sp wc and there isn't a lot out there. From what I did find you would be better off with a quality jhp. I would not feel unarmed with the wc but would much rather have something designed for defense. If you are worried about over penetration in your home there is some good ammo designed for that.

[johnydavid]

Average wad cutter 148gr 657fps 20" penetration with 4 layers of denim. I don't get why people think a 38 is weak. It's not a joke at all. One of the most notorious rounds of all time and all of a sudden it's weak. Yes they have 45ACP and 357 and 44 mags out there but it doesn't mean a 38 is now weak. It's weaker in comparison but not weak by any means. Good adequate self defense round, wad cutter, semi wad cutter, round nose = deadly.

[johnydavid]

Wad cutters were made for target but adopted for self defense quite some time ago. FBI used semi wad cutters for quite awhile