Originally Posted by
country1
As to performance, there is a reason federal agents used a .38 Special snub nose as a backup vs. a 9mm pocket pistol. The ammo needed to adequately penetrate cover.
Do you have any evidence to back this up? No, because none exists.
1) "Federal Agents" are not typically issued a "standard" backup weapon, but are allowed a choice from a list of approved weapons. There could be any number of reasons an agent would choose a .38spcl as a back-up, just as they'd have any number of reasons to chose other weapons on the list.
2) There is no evidence that beyond the "old-school hold outs", that ANY officers preferred to carry a .38spcl as a back up. Yes, the .38spcl and .357mag revolver WERE standard issue at one point, so many agents ALREADY HAD .38spcl back up weapons. There is no evidence that any official evidence supported using a .38spcl. Personally, I see MUCH more evidence that 3 factors contributed to older agents, 20yrs ago, choosing a .38spcl as a backup weapon:
A) They were already familiar with the .38spcl, and or already had a .38spcl back up weapon because that's what used to be their standard issue.
B) They too bought into the anecdotal, yet unsupported gun-lore that the .38spcl was more powerful cartridge.
C) They were hesitant to depend upon semiautomatics. During that time, semiautomatics were criticized by agents for being LESS dependable than the double action revolvers that they replaced.
3) The standard issue ".38 Federal", or ".38 FBI", was actually 20,000psi .38spcl +P, pushing a 158grn bullet at just over 1,000fps. Yes, a .38spcl +P with 158grn bullets WILL out perform a 9x19mm standard pressure with 158grners, based on the simple fact that the 158grn bullet will need to be seated TOO deep into the case to ensure proper feeding, which will displace powder.
You'll also recall that following the Miami shootout in '86, the FBI decided that the .38spcl was underpowered for their purposes. For some reason, the average gun guy only remembers the North Hollywood shootout of '97 and the underperformance of the 9mm, but neglect the tragedy in Miami a decade earlier that proved it's predecessor, the .38spcl +P to be inadequate as well.
A few old hold outs not wanting to depend on a semiauto pistol, not wanting to buy a new backup weapon, and not wanting to give up on their old service revolvers that they trained on for years does not prove to me that the .38spcl has superior stopping power.