Smith
& Wesson Model 649
Caliber .38
Special
5 round capacity
1986 - 1996
In 1996 the Model 649 was discontinued in the .38 Special caliber and replaced with
a slightly larger version in .357 Magnum, which is still available today.
.38 Short, .38 S&W, .38 Long Colt, .38 Special and a .357 Magnum.
Take note of the first two cartridges and you
will see that the bullets extend over the case mouth.
The outside
case diameter of these old cartridges measures, oddly enough, .38"
as do the bullets.
When the .38 Special was designed the bullet
was fully seated inside the case and
measures the familiar .357"
while the outside case diameter remains .38".
The 357 Magnum
cartridge, introduced in the 1930's, didn't suffer from
any
historical precedents to confuse it's title.
The photograph above shows the SW649 with a full complement of
.38 Special +P Glaser Safety Slugs.
These cartridges use bullets
known as pre-fragmented projectiles. It is not a hollow point.
The blue tip seals in hundreds of tiny pellets that expand on
impact creating a wound channel
far in excess of it's original
size. In a typical home encounter or anywhere that innocents may
be effected by an over penetrating full metal jacketed bullet, this is the cartridge to use.
It will not exit your attacker, who
forced this confrontation to begin with, and it will destroy
itself on most
solid objects, such as typical house walls or
furniture, should your shot miss. When choosing a projectile
type,
especially for home defense, don't make the mistake of
buying the cheapest thing on the dealers shelf.
The Glasser's are
very expensive. $15.00 and up for five or six of them, but the
object is to protect your family
and these help to fill the bill. My sincere wish is that you never need them.
An interesting and effective concealment holster made by Pachmayr is not a holster at
all, but more of a replacement grip with an oversize housing.
It
is designed to look like a wallet in your hip pocket. With the
grip covered by a short jacket or sweater, it all but disappears
from view.
The gun is completely operational including reloading,
with secure storage for five extra rounds.
SMITH &
WESSON 2100 Roosevelt Ave. Springfield MA 01104 1-800-331-0852 (USA) www.smith-wesson.com |