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Last updated November 11, 2026

.38 Special hollow point ammo prices

Compare standard and +P JHP defense loads for revolvers.

Search .38 Spl JHP by Cost per Round
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IronScout provides observed price and availability data for .38 Special ammunition across tracked online retailers. Data reflects historical price observations and does not include purchase recommendations.

These figures cover all tracked .38 Special listings, not only .38 Special hollow point loads.

Observed 30-Day Price (Per Round): median: $0.658, sample size: 7323.

Prices last updated November 11, 2026 · 348 listings tracked across 28 retailers · 31 days with data in the 30-day window

How we calculate this

SQL PERCENTILE_CONT over daily-best per-product-per-day observed in-stock prices

  • Daily-best is MIN(price_per_round) per (caliber, product, UTC day).
  • Only in-stock observations included.
  • Coverage varies by retailer and source.
View 348 tracked .38 Spl products →

.38 Special hollow point loads

Product LineGrainPressure
Federal Punch .38120grStandard
Speer Gold Dot SB .38 +P135gr+P
Federal HST .38 +P130gr+P

What to know about .38 Special JHP

Standard-pressure .38 Special JHP may not expand reliably from short barrels due to insufficient velocity. For snub-nose revolvers, +P loads are the common defensive choice — the extra velocity is what makes hollow points expand at .38 velocities. From full-size revolvers with 4"+ barrels, standard-pressure JHP reaches higher velocity than from a snub-nose.

Related

Frequently asked questions

Which .38 Special hollow points are designed for short-barreled revolvers?
Speer Gold Dot 135gr Short Barrel is purpose-designed for snub-nose revolvers. Federal HST Micro .38 and Hornady Critical Defense 110gr FTX are also designed to expand at short-barrel velocities.
Will .38 Special JHP expand from a short barrel?
Standard .38 Special JHP may not achieve sufficient velocity from 2-inch barrels to expand. Short-barrel-specific loads like Speer Gold Dot 135gr Short Barrel and Hornady Critical Defense FTX are engineered to expand at the lower velocities typical of snub-nose revolvers.
How is .38 Special defense ammo priced?
Premium .38 Special JHP such as Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel and Federal HST Micro is priced in a similar range to 9mm JHP; Remington Golden Saber is a lower-priced option. Current observed .38 Special prices are in the 30-day price summary at the top of this page.