.38 spl. "Special Tool" headstamp

[higgins]

I had a .38 spl. case which I think was lost that was headstamped "Special Tool" it was normal in every other way, in fact I got it from commercially reloaded ammo. I'm assuming it was for a heavy duty fastener driver of some sort. Anyone know what it was for?

[Winger Ed.]

It's the case from a real powerful .38 blank that was used to shoot nails into steel sheets & concrete.
Sort of the Magnum version of the regular .38S&W size .38 blanks for setting nails in concrete.

They're made like a regular .38 case, but the annealing & such is less, and they crack real easily.

[FergusonTO35]

Aren't grenade launcher rounds primed by a .38 S&W case?

[Winger Ed.]

Aren't grenade launcher rounds primed by a .38 S&W case?

Depends on which one.

rifle grenades for .30-06 had a special cartridge that looked more or less like a .30-06 blank.

[Mk42gunner]

Aren't grenade launcher rounds primed by a .38 S&W case?

Some of the 40mm practice rounds had a basic .38 Special case for holding the primer. Just how long that case was, I do not know.

Also some of the CADs (Cartridge Actuated Device) used in aircraft armaments were based on the .38 Special case, some very short, with electrical primers.

Given the plethora of real .38 Special brass meant for small arms; I wouldn't mess with attempting to load any of the other stuff, just save it in the odds and ends box. Or display it in a shadow box with the rest of your cartridge collection.

Robert

[Outpost75]

The explosive actuated shears used to sever cables and wiring from the Korean and Vietnam era Martin-Baker ejection seats used pairs of .38 Special power loads. One was actually enough to do the job, but two were used in case one misfired.

The same .38 power loads were used to power explosive bolts to release old school gravity bombs from wing mounts on recip engine CAS aircraft such as the A-1 Skyraider.

[NuJudge]

My brother and I used to work at steel mills in the Detroit area. At both of them, the Corporations used large cast iron ingot molds to turn the liquid steel into ingots. The ingot molds developed cracks during use. Even before being placed into use, and as cracks developed in use, pieces of steel plate were bent around crack sensitive areas and nailed in place with Powder Actuated Tools. All of the PAT blanks I saw at the mills we worked at were .38 Specials, but at a different mill I saw the blanks used were .38 S&W.

There are a lot of PAT blanks I have seen. Some of them actually fire a bullet, such as the Winchester 8 gauge slug gun I saw used at a mine's furnace, to chip off buildup.

[Boogieman]

I have used alot of them worked as good as any