This would be for plinking for my wife's ~3" Rossi, so something light and fun to shoot would be great. Wife handled it with no problem, those 5 Super Vel had been in the gun probably over 5 years by then, she bought it to CARRY, not to shoot, if she needed to fire it to save her life it would be fine. I SEE THAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT USE THE AMMO FOR D/R. We look at three classics: one each in .45 ACP, .38 Special, and 9mm. My Hornady 11th edition shows this for 38 Special 158 gr lead RN, LSWCHP and LSWC. Just want to state for the record, that with one of the more heavy duty Corbin presses it is possible to easily swage some hard cast bullets. A significant difference in speeds is usually noted. I get okay accuracy with 4.4 of W-W 231 and 125s, depending on what bullet is used. Minnesota. The design of this modern revolver makes the SW guns seem archaic. I realized that I had hit a very special count for a very special cartridge: 20,000 rounds of .38 Special. These are put into a large hydraulic press and extruded into a continuous coil of wire. I have 4 handguns that will shoot .38. I too must be older than my years (35), as I love reloading .38SPL and have a S&W 442, S&W 36, and my most recent acquisition is a S&W 19-5 that is an absolute joy to shoot. Youd just be risking ALOT firing it in a .38 framed revolver. it seems awful confusing, but with time you will be able to interpolate the published data into something that will give you good starting points to work up your loads. I'm going to start with 3.8 grains. Clear editor. Dont get me wrong: I think the Smith and Wesson Model 642 Airweight revolver is an outstanding self-defense (concealed carry) revolver and you wont feel/care about how snappy/unpleasant the recoil may be in a real self-defense event. Here's what the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook says for cast 125g flatpoint for 38 in the powders you mentioned. A GI surplus 1911 that puts most loads into dinner-plate sized groups cut 3.8 inches with the classic recipewhich is probably the only time Ive gotten excited about an almost four-inch group! Powder Bul Weight C.O.L. 5, #2230, and #2460 are products of Accurate Arms Company There is a difference in the manufacturing process of swaged bullets. The Speer #8 lists a max of 7.5 grs Unique with a 125 gr Jacketed SP This would be for plinking for my wife's ~3" Rossi, so something light and fun to shoot would be great.All three of those powders have published load data for that weight bullet in .38 Special.All three of those powders have published load data for that weight bullet in .38 . Jacketed bullets are legal for DR, as long as they are 158 grain round nose or semi-wadcutter. I have found that if you go down too low in charge you will have some ignition issues occasionally. My hand ached for a week. head I use 3.2gr. A circa 1918 Colt gobbled them up, as did several other 1911s that can be particular about bullet profile. Each of the classic loads is also economical. Thats not quite how that works. 2 and No. My usual 38 Spl load is a 125 gr plated bullet over 5 grains of bullseye. You may find it will need to be faster for good 50 yd. WAP, WMR, WSF, WSL, 760, 748, 231 and 540 are products of Winchester, Components Div. Classics go well together: circa 1909 S&W .38 Special and traditional 148-grain wadcutter load of 2.7 grains of Bullseye. I really enjoy Trail Boss and use it extensively for plain lead and plated bullets. The .38 with careful selection of components can be the cats as* for almost any shooter. Home About Partners Contact. Although the .357 cylinders are the same length so they can be timed to a 642. I carry my M642 extensively, but I only shoot it occasionally because it is a snappy little b!tch with standard loads. The best part about this is that not only do you never really lose your fired cases, but you they are always in great condition. Soft shooting. for 38 special i had the same issues you did when i was trying to load for my DR revolver 14-3. to light of power had a soft recoil but ungodly bad accuracy. I did start out fawning over all of the tactical gear, but once I had that covered my tastes matured I think to love the wood and steel guns. Ive been looking for a reason to get into reloading, and am particularly intrigued by the extremely long case life of .38 Special. This. The load is a great learning tool in .45 for beginner and experienced alike. Brass collection is easy since it doesnt eject. Does anyone have any data. In terms of the best stopping power for .38 Special, I personally like 150 grain full wadcutters or 158 grain hollowpoint semi-wadcutters. [ARCHIVED THREAD] - 5.0 gr unique with berry's 125gr = .38 Special squibs (solved ! Groups with these loads ranged from 1.25 inches to just under two inches at 25 yards across a handful of pistols. I went to the grocery store to buy a loath of bread.. A cold header, at their basic level, are multi ton power presses laying down on their side. Bullseye is a little smoky, a lot sooty, and has a distinct odor. Only need cast when driving up to 1200 fps or so. I started with a Lee Loader for my shiny new Python .357, because all the ammo I could find (in 1968) was lead semiwadcutters, loaded so hot they sloughed off the lead in the bore, so after a box you couldnt see any rifling, it looked like a smoothebore, and lord was it hard to clean!! One cool load Im working on is two pellets of 000 Buck. @ Grumpy- I tried LOTS of grips on S&W revolvers. Rookie, back in the day when I was reloading I went through a 3 round butt L. Horton special model 24, a 4 24 and a 4 624. My Lyman 49th has data for 125 gr JHP and 120 gr LRN. Boolit Grand Master. I cannot begin to fathom shooting 20,000 rounds out of that revolver! The cowboy loads would be good choices as listed, since these ARE reduced loads for that sport, where usually just hitting a metal plate to make a sound is all that is required of the round. I have several manuals and some say that this load is a low +p, some say it is not, but it is very accurate. Unlike the author, I did *not* keep records, I cant even imagine how many rounds I loaded, almost 100% .357 magnum, since that was all I shot. Zero 158 grain swaged SWC, Starline brass, Winchester or Federal primer, 2.8 grains of Bullseye, roll crimp. swatmag.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. It is always higher when powder is next to primer. was a breeze. I miss those days. I find the Pachmayr Compac grips on my 640 reduce the slap of full-boat .357 to less than that on my 3 M65 (w/ wood Altamont grips) or my 4 686 (Pachmayr Gripper Professional grips.) The 38 Special Ball round was designed a long time ago to comply with specifications laid down for ammo that was : 1) Compliant with the Hague Accords of 1907 in regard to "unnecessarily" injurious ammunition. Does anyone have experience with loading WST for 125 gr plates bullets or a place to start the research/testing? Ive been loading 158gr FMJ with Titegroup and the only problem Ive had is getting the seating depth right after the die locknut slipped. with #2 Lyman duplicate. head I use 3.2gr. Magtech Sport Shooting, 38 Special, 125 Grain, Full Metal Jacket, Flat, 50 Round Box 38Q The fast powders, W231, HP38, Bullseye would go over pressure very quickly with any slight changes, in seating depth or primer change. You are spot on about Trail Boss, that stuff is magical with cast reloads. Hollow points are not. An early Les Baer .45 knotted a group of the lead SWCs into a tight 1.3-inch group, while an M&P .45 did 1.25 inches. IIRC, I used 4.5 gr of Bullseye under a 125 gr lead bullet for a light plinker, and 5.6 gr of Bullseye under a 148 gr wadcutter (~815 fps, 4" bbl, probably around 750 fps out of a snub). When I finally nabbed my own canisters of Bullseye, the first load I spun up was 2.7 grains under Hornadys hollow-base wadcutters. TITEGROUP AND 125GR 38 SPECIAL LOAD DATA Ammunition-Gunsmithing Reloading Forum Register Notices Consider Becoming A Supporting Member Click HERE For The Benefits Reloading All Reloading Topics Go Here Thread Tools Display Modes # 1 01-24-2016, 05:38 AM RONALD HENSLEY Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Waynesville NC Posts: 114 Likes: 12 Great Cast Lead Bullet for IDPA. Case life is excellent, especially for mild loads. I have the shrouded hammer version, the 638, and have been wary of training much with it because of its aluminum frame. 8.) Hence I carry a semi-auto pistol chambered in .40 S&W. 5 are good choices. It is just a guide and the reason you should start under these charges and work up. Last I looked still available at Brownells. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Pick up any current gun magazine and youll be inundated with images of sexy black rifles. Winchester 231 is between Bullseye and Unique for the .38 special (see my personal load above). The Speers do occasionally and the Magnus a little more. Re: 38 special loads by GrumpyOldMan 11/10/2013, 4:23 pm IIRC, the NRA Action Pistol power floor is a "factor" of 125, which requires a full 1,000 fps for 125-gr bullets. Best to start a little low, and work up slowly with a chrono, though. Anyone that uses a J frame S&W should seriously think about swapping grips, and finding which set works for them. I have 125 grain jacketed bullets, Bullseye powder and CCI 500 primers. And yes I appreciate them for a hunting gun because of their fine accuracy and find trigger pulls (older classic guns). Bullseye, Unique and 2400 are products of Alliant (formerly Hercules) Powders. Your previous content has been restored. It seems to burn completely in the .38 and is not as critical as the faster powders like Bullseye. I don't have a chronograph, but have considered picking one up. Bonus is the CT #305 grips are both large enough to be actually useful, and can use the laser, or turn it off if you dont need the laser. .38 brass isnt as common as 9, .40, or .45 brass at the range, but of all the revolver brass you can find its the most plentiful. You will be, essentially, making 38 Short Colt. Enter 38 Special. That one Ill keep. There are so many new powders today, its hard to keep up. WST is less dense than BE. Im new to loading the 38 for accuracy, but the biggest issue I found with case length is your crimp. Yeah no. I'd imagine I'm not the first person to use this load, but I have found it is a very sooty/smokey load. DR loads (158gr Remington swaged LSWC over 3.6gr AA#2 in Winchester .38 Special cases) I shoot American eagle, remington factory,remington umc, and mag tech. I wanted a good carry gun that was light and reliable, so I decided that the .38 would fit and I just went with it. Ive long since changed to a press, but that Lee Loader in its cardboard box is still in a storage box for obsolescent reloading gear. I have found that some powder coated bullets which are the same weight as lead, feel quite punchy out of the gun. Great gun with the best factory double action trigger Ive ever shot. I have a long way to go before I'm ready to compete, but enjoy plinking and hand loading. looks like today. A Forum dedicated to the sport of Bullseye shooting, Bullseye-L Forum::Ammunition Discussion, I'm looking for an accurate load using 125gr bullets. Smith & Wesson Model 27 .357 Magnum (because no 6-inch Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver was on hand). Especially if you reload. hebyta At 25 you can get away with a lighter load. Hehe, back before Nick skimmed down. Read my very long thread about "DR loads that don't suck". Thanks very much to LarryinTX for that! Hornady Interesting. The only way to shoot both 9mm and .38 special is to have two separate cylinders timed to the revolver. Three in particular proved as good as their longstanding reputations would indicate. I tried 10 shots of each: 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7. You may end up with one "not" clearing the barrel. If you are new to reloading. During my first half century on this planet, my caliber of choice for defense was 45 ACP- but for everything else it was always 38 SPL. Just dont shoot a rabbit with this load if you want to be able to eat any of it. By The average street punk today has more firepower than the Russian Army did in WWII and trying to re-load a revolver in a fire fight is the best way to commit suicide that I could ever think of. When using a 158 gr. 5 are good choices. Load cut these cards at five yards out of this Model 15. What I learned after 50 years of shooting and reloading 38spl cases some where around 100 thousands rounds. Most notably the lighter weight bullets. But I would only be caught dead with one in my hands if I had to use one for self defense (pun intended). Allgoodhits Posts : 726 Join date : 2017-09-17 Location : Northern Virginia Like Due to different barrel lengths, type of bullet, seating depth, primer type and other factors, you may not get near the FPS charted. When I finally got my hands on a pound of Bullseye, I naturally started with some of these loads. I use 3 gr. Reloading supplies and load recipes are available everywhere. What I have found most remarkable is how well some pistols that typically fling wide groups have clustered the semiwadcutters. I dont see much conversation on these specifics but I think Its all about the size of the explosion in the chamber. The .38 Special is the most popular of all centerfire revolver cartridges. When I teach other people the basics of reloading, I teach them on the .38 SPL. Ammunition is available everywhere handguns are legal. A Tyler T grip would have helped here, but is incompatible w/ factory grips. Fifty yards of course is the preferred distance. Notes: Bbl Length: 5.6; primer: Fed. I just dont like practicing with it. IIRC, the NRA Action Pistol power floor is a "factor" of 125, which requires a full 1,000 fps for 125-gr bullets. Its the only gun that has appreciated in value (as long as you ignore inflation). Regulator, SBSS #2255, Pawnee Station, Ro I & II. Shot placement is just as important if not more. One cool load Im working on is two pellets of 000 Buck.. Times across steel plate racks and many of my standard drills with the 200-grain SWCs rival my best easy-shooting 9mm results. That being the case, I truly NEED as much ammunition as possible and the ability to defeat soft barriers such as auto windshields, sheet metal, drywall, doors, etc. I also find the LCR .357 enjoyable to shoot with all .38s and most .357s. Here's what the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook says for cast 125g flatpoint for 38 in the powders you mentioned. Honestly, plated bullets won't give you the level of accuracy needed for bullseye competition, even at 25 yards. The big medicine was delivered by a 1911, but S&W K frames (favorites were Models 12 & 64) took care of everything else. I estimate that the price for each of the three loads runs between $7 and $8 per box of 50. My personal loads for practice replicate my carry. If you're looking for a real light load that's easy to shoot, I'd just use WW's data for the W231 with a 125 gr. LRNFP - your load, with a plated bullet should be Very Similar, or slightly slower and safer. In fact, Hornady's handloading manual includes .357-inch bullets in the load data for the .38 Super, specifically 125-grain and 140-grain XTP bullets, along with .355-inch bullets, and their one remaining .356-inch bullet, the 125-grain HAP. If you have the means, I highly recommend you trying one out. You may find it will need to be faster for good 50 yd. Thanks for the excellent article, Josh! 3.7gr WST with Zero 158 SWC did the job for me. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Unsurpassed for .45 ACP target loads. Recoil is the good kind that reminds the shooter handguns are serious tools but without eliciting a flinch. I keep it under my seat in case I get an unwanted intruder and I cant get to my IWB semi auto. My use of the term adequate means that Hodgdon has produced a workable result for the .38 Special, .38 Special +P, and .357 Magnum that may be used for 125 grain weight bullets having velocity limitations. The trigger has smoothed out over time. Dont take this the wrong way; Im guessing the average age of .38 spl fans is about my age (70). I'm planning to use Alliant's Unique powder to reload with 125 grain flat point jacketed bullets from Berry's and Winchester small pistol primers. 32 S&W Long 15,000 Not sure how that translates to Bullseye powder. .38 Special: What Ive Learned After 20,000 Rounds, Stacey Abrams Whopper: No one believes in eroding the Second Amendment, Scottsdale Home Owner Uses Shotgun to Stop Naked Home Invader Caught in His Childs Room [VIDEO], Liberty Ammunitions Innovative Personal Defense Rounds are Lighter, Go Faster, and Hit Harder. This is good, because the snub takes a lot of practice to have a consistent capability. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. . So if you find a "lead" load it is also a plated load. At belly button range, very nasty load. They are low because of swaged bullets. 6.) . But one classic target load is not far behind the .38 wadcutter in its own reputation with target shooters: a 200-grain semiwadcutter bottling up 4.6 grains of Bullseye. The 38 Special, practically snubnose 38 Specials, seem to do their best work with bullets right around the 155-160 grain range. As I researched loads in the meantime, I kept seeing the same several popping up again and again in sources from as recent as yesterday to long out of print books from when air travel was a newfangled wonder. accuracy. Please enable javascript before you are allowed to see this page. The upside of the grainage is that the small charges mean more loaded rounds per pound of powderhelpful since Bullseye can take a while to reacquire once the container is empty. WST is a good powder for a very specialized load. Do you folks think a start at 3.0 gr and work up from there with a 125 gr bullet would be a safe load. It doesnt appear like there is much of an advantage in using WST with lighter weight bullets. And.those Hornady 158 HPs are easy to reload but I have never had one open up in a varmint of any sort. The 4.0 grain load is relatively mild recoil and was accurate. Very little recoil, and grouped acceptably out to 15 yards or so. The same volume of BE will weigh much more than than same volume of WST. 4.0 gr. These are the bullets I bought: 158 gr from Roze dist. There is almost no recoil and the student can increase power level when they feel ready using the same gun. .38 J frame.) I thought about trying 2.5 gr. I had enough, The Model 1911 pistol will officially turn 100 years old on May 5, 2011. The flyers tend to be severe. The .38 Special remains very popular for personal protection and Michelle Hamilton shares her thoughts on the top loads for concealed carry, like this 158-grain SWCHP FBI Load, based on her testing. Never ransom rested it, but held 10 ring off sandbags. 110gr JHP! Dec 18, 2011. I'm still hunting for a DR load for my S&W M19-5. I first started reloading 40+ years ago at a Lee Loader in .38 Special for a brand new Smith & Wesson Model 66 I had just purchased. That's usually +P power level in .38 Special. Hornady One cool load Im working on is two pellets of 000 Buck. These are hand loads.. load data was published in Lyman 50th edition.. 25 Auto 32 H&R Magnum 32 Auto 32 S&W Long 357 Magnum 38 Special 38 Special +P 38 Super Auto +P 380 Auto 40 S&W 44 Rem. Any clues for powder and starting loads???? I was just trying to get a general consensus of what other guys were using. I use CCI Snake shot for two and Buffalo Bore short Barrel 130 gr. Recoil is mild enough that for many years it was the golden choice for the next introductory step for young or new shooters after rimfire. 110gr JHP! But for plinking, they'd be fine. Installed some wood boot grips, modified them with grooves at the bottom of each side panel, similar to those on Pach. Jacketed bullets create a bit more wear on the rifling, but its better than trying to wire brush out a bunch of lead build up. I load my own, 130 gr RNFP using Win 231 powder a little over the mid point in the published load data. Current J frame factory grips have similar features and are made of a stiffer compound. All three of those powders have published load data for that weight bullet in .38 Special. I dont mind it at all, though others do and look to similar performing powders that address these things. Agree 100% since I reload and shoot it since years, lost count. If I do carry a revolver its my 642 with a laser grip in my right front pocket or my SW model 69 5 shot 44 mag. A bullet with a copper gas check or copper plating is best for INDOOR ranges to keep lead vapors out of the air. Would .44 Special be somewhat similar to .38, in terms of ease of reloading, case life, etc.? (Note H110 & W296 are the same as of 2008 as is HP-38 & W231), (IMR 4227 is same as H-4227 if made in Australia), * Blackhorn 209 is a black powder substitute with smokeless like qualities. I.E. To many shooters, .45 ACP means 230-grain hardball at 830 fps. Me too! If you, I took the vow not to buy any more AR-15s a couple of years ago. Instead, Ive favored things like the K and L frame Smiths (5 screw pre-model 10 and 686 in my case) and Ruger revolvers for higher round count activities. 38 Special +P 18,500 Ethan Johns is a military professional with worldwide experience in specialized units. You have entered an incorrect email address! Does anyone have any luck with Jacked Bullets. June 13, 2016 in 9mm/38 Caliber. Has anyone loaded 38 special with these compoments? Good shootin! Many of these men had no real experience with the handgun, and we had but a few weeks to get them up to very high standards that most shooters will never reach. For those folks shooting a lot of lead bullets, invest in a Lewis lead remover. For those who have issues using auto pistils, due ti arthritis or other medical issues with the hands an LCR or 642 is a great choice. Some people then claimed SAAMI raised the 357 Mag to 45,000. You gotta try the S&W M342 Airlight TI. I just bought a Lyman mold 160 round nose with a crimp groove. Reading the "WARNING" on the site, it states to not exceed the loads published and to start 10% below the loads shown and work up from there. Loads for .38 S&W: This short, little cartridge has been around since the 1870's and was most common in the "break-top" models. This represents a great start, and if thats all you do, youll still be far better off than the majority of the population. My Ruger LCR .357 Magnum is pleasant to shoot even with full pressure loads. You cannot paste images directly. A handgunner using .38 Specials is set for targets, plinking and small game while .357 Mag. Your email address will not be published. Im also impressed by the apparent durability of your Airweight J-frame. Hmm. Thank you. For me, the 32 H&R Mag is my 357 Mag, and the 32 S&W Long is my 38 SPL. . [.38 Special] is a very versatile and useful round. Yes, I had no issues with the 38 SPL, but the 32 is just more FUN- especially when I get seven shots of it in a revolver the size of J frame! Just shows the importance of trying/checking the feel of a gun and if possible, test firing it, before you buy it. 2.7 GR WST IS TOO LIGHT FOR THE 50 YD LINE. Plated bullets are to be loaded as lead bullets. Go figure. Main fame for the .38 is now the J frame size revolvers, as a CCW gun. And Vihtavouris N320 and N321 fall in this range for burning times. No benchrest, nothing but two shakey hands holding the pistol. There seems to be a dearth of information using WST powder for the 38 Spl cartridge. There is one good reason to use WST. Some medium fast powders would work with lighter weight bullets. less to start.) I have tested both brass and nickel-plated cases using mild loadings and have not yet worn out a case. These two can cover the entire performance spectrum up to .38+P. Reloading Data for .38 Special - Load Data - 1895Gunner. Posted March 2, 2013. The .327 Fed Mag is IT! Hornady 115-grain HAPs over 4.4 grains of Bullseye alongside 25-yard timed-fire target. I think you will find since the .38 special is headspaced on the rim your case length is very important to achieve your best accuracy. BrianEnos.com Upload or insert images from URL. 110gr JHP! I still think highly of the LCR but would shoot only 148 grain wadcutters in .38 Special or .32 H&R Magnums in the .327 Magnum model. Its worth mentioning that loaders do all kinds of obsessive rituals to squeeze the groups down. 100 except where otherwise noted in "remarks" Be Alert: Publisher cannot be responsible for errors in published load data. However, after consulting my several different manuals, 3.5 seems to be a border line max load. IT'S A COMBINATION TAPER AND ROLL CRIMP. This post was originally published in 2018. I'm looking for some recipes for 38 special for a 125 grain copper plated (like Berry's) flat point bullet using Unique, Bullseye, or W231. There are many fun uses for buckshot. I have some W231 that I use for my .38 super. DISTINGUISHED LOADS SUCK - Distinguished Revolver loads that don't suck? Using higher pressure loads will wear brass out faster and it will become brittle with time. 2.) Bullets are .357 for jacketed and .358 for lead in diameter. COPYRIGHT 2021, THETRUTHABOUTGUNS.COM. )Lastly, the .38 SPL has a very large following and materials can be had readily. I use 3.2 gr Bullseye to push a 125 gr cast along at 750 - 775 fps in the 38 SPL from 5 and 6" barreled revolvers. This pistol uses the .38 Special with a Remington wadcutter bullet seated flush with the case mouth. This gun now wears factory synthetic grips which are decent but could use more girth behind the trigger guard. RN, 158 gr. I dont miss lubing casescarbide is king! I don't completely understand the physics behind it. Ive tried full metal jacket and the Hornady Action Pistol (HAP) match hollow point in this load, and both ranged from good to great in my nines. In half a dozen different sixguns, it ranged from accurate to spectacular. I load a hard cast 125gn for my 38 special all the time. It would have been too hot. Depends on what kind of load you're after. 2) Ammo that would work in the Air Force's Air Crewman Colt's and Smith and Wesson revolvers that had weak alloy cylinders. 5.) Power Pistols works well in short auto cartridges and higher pressure cartridges but no so well with a 158 grain bullets in 38 Special. So I'd think you should find a decent load for short line at about 700 Fps and for the long line at about 800. All right are Reserved Reload Ammo, Reloading The .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), hi=849 lo=728 ES=122 (powder up and down), hi=821 lo=684 ES=137 (powder up and down), hi=815 lo=637 ES=178 (powder in normal positions), hi=714 lo=549 ES=165 (powder up and down), hi=758 lo=693 ES=65 (powder up and down)(DO NOT USE LESS), Hi=886, Lo=861, ES=25 (This is a Carolina Cast bullet SWC-great cowboy load), hi=859 lo=743 ES=116 *(my personal medium load), hi=875 lo=685 ES=190.2(powder up and down), hi=710 lo=497 ES=213 (powder up and down), hi=791 lo=625 ES=166 (Powder up and down), hi=785 lo=670 ES=115 (powder up and down), hi=801, low=766 ES=35.32 in Contender 14 bbl. Load it like Trail Boss. There have been guns Ive bought for the caliber, but the .38 wasnt one of those. The more serious concern for some loaders is that the small charges of fast-burning powder take up little room in the case, making it possible to double charge a cartridge and exceed safe pressure. Great article & thread!!! I dunno. I've tried 2.8, 3.0, and 3.2. I load these bullets to the edge of the shoulder and use anywhere from 3-4 grains of TB. Just got back into reloading 38 special again after a long hiatus with no revolver, and was instantly reminded of what a joy it is to reload. JHP, 125 gr. My other son fired one shot and handed it back. Really interested in getting the. (This is prevalent among most aftermarket designs- they are smallest in the longest, strongest finger area, and largest at the bottom pinkie area.). 4.2 gr. In terms of thousands of rounds of range practice, though, that is a definite no-go in my book. Posted: 4/17/2014 10:53:09 AM EST. I am using this load in some .38 specials. Thanks to all for the info. It is a very versatile and useful round. Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 9 customer ratings. Jacketed bullets are not legal for Distinguished Revolver. 4.0 gr. CorBon Self Defense, 38 Special, 125 Grain, Jacketed Hollow Point, +P, 20 Round Box 38125 I get 1000 fps with this load. L6: 1.550 inch = 39.37 mm Barrel Length : 2.0 inch = 50.8 mm Powder : Hodgdon HP38 Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge, incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge. As I said I am not familiar with your frame and suspect it is one of the latest models out by Smith.