Ammunition

[IMGCAP(1)] The .38 Special has been the most popular revolver caliber almost since Smith & Wesson introduced it in 1902. Starting as a black-powder cartridge, which accounts for the too long case, it was switched to smokeless as new powders came on the market. In the 1930s, bigger, stronger guns lead to higher-pressure loads, and you couldn't be sure of which pressure-rated load you were buying until 1974, when SAAMI instituted the (+P) higher rating. The current SAAMI maximum pressures for the round are: standard .38 Special, 17,000 psi; .38 (+P), 18,500 psi; and .357 Magnum, 35,000 psi.

(+P) revolvers aren't necessarily bigger today, just stronger. Even the lightweight pocket guns can...

For many years hunters have used rifled slugs when they go after deer with a shotgun, but it wasn't until the inception of fully-rifled bores and the introduction of saboted loads that the shotgun became an efficient tool for hunters. Now, in some cases, accuracy can approach that associated with rifles, and searching for the best or most accurate load could provide the "shotgunner" with lots of off-season fun. Moreover, wingshooters and waterfowlers may be able to add a rifled barrel that costs around $150 to $325, rather than buying a complete, new slug gun.

Thus, the idea of simply adding a rifled barrel to an existing pump shotgun and turning it into a tack-driver has enor...