.38-200
Encyclopedia
The .38-200 was a British military revolver
cartridge
identical to Smith & Wesson
's .38 S&W
cartridge but with specific loadings for military service.
The .38 S&W was modified for use by the British military and called the .38/200 (also known as 380/200 Revolver Mk I) in 1922 for .38 caliber pistols and revolvers (such as the Enfield No. 2 Mk I and Webley Mk IV) which replaced the larger .455
and .476 inch handguns. The .38/200 cartridge was initially issued to British military forces as the .380/200 Revolver Mk I round. British authorities later issued a different .38 S&W military cartridge with a lighter, 178 - 180 gr jacketed bullet, known as the .380 Revolver Mk IIz.
had been decimated and replaced by a larger and mostly conscripted force. It was recognized that the short training period available to the new recruits did not give them time to become proficient with the large-bore .455 revolvers, and that a smaller caliber would be easier for new recruits to develop competence with in pistol shooting.
British Army initial specifications submitted to ammunition manufacturers for the .38/200 military loading were as follows:
Webley
demonstrated a lighter version of their Mk III revolver with modified .38 S&W
ammunition, firing a heavy 200 gr bullet, later known as the 380/200. It received favorable reports from the Army and the revolver was accepted in principle.
As Webley had used the .38 S&W
cartridge dimensions for their revolver, and the cartridge length was fixed by the size of the cylinder of the revolver (the same as for the wider .455), Kynoch
produced a cartridge with the same dimensions as the .38 S&W but with 2.8 grains (0.18 g) of "Neonite" nitrocellulose
powder and a 200 grain (13.0 g) bullet. This combination gave a velocity of 630 ft/s (189 m/s) at the muzzle, and over 570 feet (170 m) per second at 50 yards (45.7 m). In tests performed on cadavers and live animals, it was found that the lead bullet, being overly long and heavy for its calibre, become unstable after penetrating the target, somewhat increasing target effect. The relatively low velocity allowed all of the energy of the cartridge to be spent inside the human target, rather than penetrating completely. This was deemed satisfactory and the design for the .38/200 cartridge was accepted as the "380/200 Cartridge, Revolver Mk I".
, which outlawed the use of bullets designed so as to "expand or flatten easily in the human body". A new cartridge was therefore adopted into Commonwealth Service as "Cartridge, Pistol, .380" Mk II" or ".380 Mk IIz", firing a 180 gr (11.7 g) full metal jacket bullet
. The 380/200 Mk I loading was retained in service for marksmanship and training purposes. However, after the outbreak of war, supply exigencies and the need to order readily-available and compatible ammunition, such as the .38 S&W Super Police, from U.S. sources forced British authorities to issue both the 380/200 Mk I and MkII/IIz cartridge interchangeably to forces deploying for combat.
The .380/200 cartridge was phased out of British service in 1963, when the 9 mm calibre Browning Hi-Power
was finally issued to most British and Commonwealth forces.
The Cartridge, Pistol, .380" Mk IIz is still produced by the Ordnance Factory Board in India, for use in revolvers of the Indian Army and some African countries.
Revolvers chambered for .38/200 may also fire .38 S&W (AKA .38/145), .38 Police Positive, and .38 Banker's Special cartridges, along with the .380" Mk IIz round, though caution should be exercised as always when using ammunition designed for more modern guns to different specifications.
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
identical to Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
's .38 S&W
.38 S&W
The .38 S&W is a revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1877. Though similar in name, it is not interchangeable with the later .38 Smith and Wesson Special due to a different case shape and slightly larger bullet diameter....
cartridge but with specific loadings for military service.
The .38 S&W was modified for use by the British military and called the .38/200 (also known as 380/200 Revolver Mk I) in 1922 for .38 caliber pistols and revolvers (such as the Enfield No. 2 Mk I and Webley Mk IV) which replaced the larger .455
.455 Webley
.455 Webley is a British handgun cartridge, most commonly used in the Webley top break revolvers Marks I through VI.The .455 cartridge was a service revolver cartridge, featuring a rimmed cartridge firing a .45 bullet at the relatively low velocity of 650 ft/s...
and .476 inch handguns. The .38/200 cartridge was initially issued to British military forces as the .380/200 Revolver Mk I round. British authorities later issued a different .38 S&W military cartridge with a lighter, 178 - 180 gr jacketed bullet, known as the .380 Revolver Mk IIz.
MkI
After the First World War, there was a move away from the larger .455 caliber. The professional core of the pre-war British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
had been decimated and replaced by a larger and mostly conscripted force. It was recognized that the short training period available to the new recruits did not give them time to become proficient with the large-bore .455 revolvers, and that a smaller caliber would be easier for new recruits to develop competence with in pistol shooting.
British Army initial specifications submitted to ammunition manufacturers for the .38/200 military loading were as follows:
- Cartridge: .38 S&W (.38-200)
- Bullet: (Mk I) 200 grain, lead alloy, lubricated
- Muzzle velocity: 625 ft/s (190.5 m/s) (+ or – 25 ft/s (7.6 m/s)) from 4-inch (102 mm) barrel.
- Chamber pressure: 13,000 PSI (Max.)
Webley
Webley
Webley Inc. is a company providing speech-driven unified communications solutions.Webley is privately held and headquartered in Bannockburn, IL....
demonstrated a lighter version of their Mk III revolver with modified .38 S&W
.38 S&W
The .38 S&W is a revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1877. Though similar in name, it is not interchangeable with the later .38 Smith and Wesson Special due to a different case shape and slightly larger bullet diameter....
ammunition, firing a heavy 200 gr bullet, later known as the 380/200. It received favorable reports from the Army and the revolver was accepted in principle.
As Webley had used the .38 S&W
.38 S&W
The .38 S&W is a revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1877. Though similar in name, it is not interchangeable with the later .38 Smith and Wesson Special due to a different case shape and slightly larger bullet diameter....
cartridge dimensions for their revolver, and the cartridge length was fixed by the size of the cylinder of the revolver (the same as for the wider .455), Kynoch
Kynoch
Kynoch was a manufacturer of ammunition, later incorporated into ICI but remaining as a brand name for sporting cartridges.-History:Kynoch was established in Witton in Birmingham in 1862 by Scottish entrepreneur George Kynoch when he opened a percussion cap factory in Witton. In 1895 he built an...
produced a cartridge with the same dimensions as the .38 S&W but with 2.8 grains (0.18 g) of "Neonite" nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...
powder and a 200 grain (13.0 g) bullet. This combination gave a velocity of 630 ft/s (189 m/s) at the muzzle, and over 570 feet (170 m) per second at 50 yards (45.7 m). In tests performed on cadavers and live animals, it was found that the lead bullet, being overly long and heavy for its calibre, become unstable after penetrating the target, somewhat increasing target effect. The relatively low velocity allowed all of the energy of the cartridge to be spent inside the human target, rather than penetrating completely. This was deemed satisfactory and the design for the .38/200 cartridge was accepted as the "380/200 Cartridge, Revolver Mk I".
MkII
After a period of service, it was realized that the 200 gr soft lead bullet could arguably contravene the Hague ConventionHague Conventions (1899 and 1907)
The Hague Conventions were two international treaties negotiated at international peace conferences at The Hague in the Netherlands: The First Hague Conference in 1899 and the Second Hague Conference in 1907...
, which outlawed the use of bullets designed so as to "expand or flatten easily in the human body". A new cartridge was therefore adopted into Commonwealth Service as "Cartridge, Pistol, .380" Mk II" or ".380 Mk IIz", firing a 180 gr (11.7 g) full metal jacket bullet
Full metal jacket bullet
A full metal jacket is a bullet consisting of a soft core encased in a shell of harder metal, such as gilding metal, cupronickel or less commonly a steel alloy. This shell can extend around all of the bullet, or often just the front and sides with the rear left as exposed lead...
. The 380/200 Mk I loading was retained in service for marksmanship and training purposes. However, after the outbreak of war, supply exigencies and the need to order readily-available and compatible ammunition, such as the .38 S&W Super Police, from U.S. sources forced British authorities to issue both the 380/200 Mk I and MkII/IIz cartridge interchangeably to forces deploying for combat.
The .380/200 cartridge was phased out of British service in 1963, when the 9 mm calibre Browning Hi-Power
Browning Hi-Power
The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized...
was finally issued to most British and Commonwealth forces.
The Cartridge, Pistol, .380" Mk IIz is still produced by the Ordnance Factory Board in India, for use in revolvers of the Indian Army and some African countries.
Revolvers chambered for .38/200 may also fire .38 S&W (AKA .38/145), .38 Police Positive, and .38 Banker's Special cartridges, along with the .380" Mk IIz round, though caution should be exercised as always when using ammunition designed for more modern guns to different specifications.
Sources
- Maze, Robert J., Howdah To High Power, Tucson, AZ: Excalibur Publications (2002), ISBN 1-880677-17-2
- Shore, C. (Capt), With British Snipers to the Reich, Paladin Press (1988), ISBN 0-935856-02-1
- Stamps, Mark, and Skennerton, Ian, .380 Enfield Revolver No 2, London: Greenhill Books (1993), ISBN 1-85367-139-8