Rimfire · Proprietary · Not SAAMI standardized · Not standardizedObsolete
.38 Short Rimfire
Early American rimfire cartridge for revolvers and pocket pistols; one of the dominant handgun cartridges of the Civil War era before centerfire cartridges took over..
- Caliber
- 0.374″ · 9.5 mm
- Introduced
- 1861
- Case
- Rimmed
- Primary use
- Target, Small game
- Status
- Discontinued
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Introduced
- 1861
- Type
- Rimfire
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Various / American commercial
- Manufacturer
- Various / American commercial
- Standard
- Proprietary · Not SAAMI standardized · Not standardized
- SAAMI
- Not SAAMI standardized
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Rare
- Case capacity
- 13.3 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:20
- Primer
- Rimfire
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 13,000 CUP, SAAMI crusher
- Eff. range
- 25 yd
- Max range
- 2150 yd
- Recoil
- 1.2–1.8 ft·lb
- Subsonic
- Capable
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .38 Short Rimfire — an obsolete/collector cartridge.
Performance
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
Wikipedia · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 9.50 | 0.374 | ~ |
| Neck ⌀ | 9.55 | 0.376 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 9.60 | 0.378 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 11.00 | 0.433 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.30 | 0.051 | ✓ |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 18.54 | 0.730 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 30.35 | 1.195 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .38 Short Rimfire is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Lineage
History
The .38 Short Rimfire was introduced during the Civil War era and chambered in a variety of Remington, Smith & Wesson, and National Arms Company revolvers and pocket pistols. It predates all centerfire .38 cartridges and is encountered in antique revolvers of the 1860s–1870s.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .38 Short Rimfire use?
- .38 Short Rimfire typically uses a 1:20 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .38 Short Rimfire?
- .38 Short Rimfire uses a 0.374″ (9.5 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .38 Short Rimfire still in production?
- .38 Short Rimfire is discontinued; typical availability is rare.
- What is .38 Short Rimfire used for?
- .38 Short Rimfire is primarily used for target, small game.
Sources & provenance
- Standard SAAMI — SAAMI cartridge & chamber drawing — .38 Rimfire
- Secondary Lindcott Armory editorial — Card 4 — obsolete cartridge standards status (.38/.46 Short Rimfire) · standards_status
- Standard Obsolete — no current SAAMI or CIP standard
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 20 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
