[The_Shootist]

My usual snub carry load is the the FBI load, in Remington flavour . But I checked Cor-Bon's page and they rated their 125 gr +P 38 spl round at 1145fps muzzle energy out of a 4" bbl. Correct me if I'm wrong but you could probably knock 100 fps off of that in a 2" snubby barrel, but thats still a respectable velocity.

Anybody else use this round as their carry round? Any idea (ie tests on the web or anectdotal evidence) as to how it would likely perform? You hear alot about Speers Gold Dot short bbl .38 spl offering, I'm wondering why Cor Bon seems to get ignored?

[MCgunner]

1145 fps out of a 4" gun is pretty pathetic from a 125 grainer and out of a 2" I doubt it'd break 1000 fps. 125 grainers are pretty poor out of the short barrels. I'd stick to 140+ grains from a snub. I get 1330 fps or so from a 140 grain Speer handload in a 2.3" SP101. I get 1306 fps from a 180 grainer! My 125 grain white hot load, though, only broke 1150 or so fps in the same gun. I'm thinking the lighter bullet accelerates too fast and is out of the barrel before the pressure begins to peak. This is supported by the light recoil and fireball I'm getting. I use 2400 in all three loads. A faster powder would work better for the 125, but it's never going to be an optimum weight in a 2" gun IMHO. There are factory short barrel loads on the market, though, that are tailored to the snubs, I'm sure loaded with faster burning powders and flash suppressants. I'd experiment with one of those.

Nothing wrong with +P .38, though, for self defense IMHO. I carry a .38 all the time and am carrying one today.

[pinkymingeo]

You get 1306fps with a 180gr bullet in 38spl?

[Gary A]

I'm pretty sure he misread your post and is talking about .357. Right, McGunner?

[Richmond]

For my snubs (S&W 36LS and 637) I sometimes use the Corbon 125 +P, but more often use the Corbon 110 DPX - Corbon offers the DPX for .38 in a standard pressure load.

Some chrono info on this load here:

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Corbon%2038%20Special%20Ammo.htm

I also like the Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel Ammunition 38 Special +P 135.

Those are the 3 I use for carry loads. I keep a few boxes of each on hand.

Actually, I don't think Corbon gets ignored for snubs, but the DPX 110 seems to get most of the attention as a carry round.

[Jim March]

1145 fps out of a 4" gun is pretty pathetic from a 125 grainer and out of a 2" I doubt it'd break 1000 fps.

It's NOT pathetic in 38Spl - the entire Cor-Bon 38+P product line is loaded very hot. If you have a strong 38Spl gun, they're a damned fine choice.

Corbon offers the DPX for .38 in a standard pressure load.

I thought that had been dropped from the catalog?

Yup - see also:

http://www.dakotaammo.net/products/corbon/dpx.htm

My understanding is that they did produce someboxes marked "standard pressure" 110 DPXes but they were in fact +P.

Mind you, it's a good load: 1050fps claimed from a 2" barrel (check the last column for barrel length). Stephen Camp tested some and came away impressed. And it appears to be loaded a bit less wild-child hot than the normal Cor-Bon JHPs in 38+P. I still don't think I'll be shooting any in my vintage Charter Arms Undercover...

[MCgunner]

OH, my bad, that was a .38 load. That's good for a .38 load. DUH Now, it makes more sense. Normally Corbon is white hot.

[Richmond]

Thanks - I guess I don't get out enough! :rolleyes:

I have several boxes of 110 DPX standard marked in the locker, just have not needed any new for some time. I guess I never noticed that they changed the designation.

[Gary A]

I thought that I have read (thought it was on their website but can't find it now) that Corbon did produce a standard pressure 110 DPX but had problems with it keyholing and found the problems went away when they upped the speed a bit, upping the pressure in the process.

[Jim March]

Huh. I guess it's possible.

If I had several boxes of 110 DPX standard pressure, I'd shoot a few for accuracy in my gun, and maybe chrony at least a couple. They canceled it for a reason...

[Gary A]

Jim, thinking about it, I believe it was someone from CorBon posting on one of the forums that talked about the change. I don't want to recklessly put a name to it because I would be guessing. I can't remember which forum. If it comes to me later, I'll post a link, or maybe the poster will chime in here.

[351 WINCHESTER]

Years ago I bought some .38 corbon. I shot some out of my 640. It was like a magnum. I had their 110gr., 115gr. and their 158 gr. The 158 leaded badly, but the others were very hot. They must have had problems with these loads as they tamed them down quite a bit. The 115 gr. used a 9mm bullet.

[Jim March]

Yeah, the Cor-Bon 158 38+P was legendary for both power and leading :). Specs were more or less identical to the Buffalo Bore 158 38+P sold now - 1,000fps from a snubby, which puts the "lowly" 38snub deep into 9mm power levels and with an arguably MORE effective slug.

Buffalo Bore puts a "gas check" on theirs: basically a copper baseplate that does nothing for wound ballistics but does act as a "heat shield" on the bullet's base, preventing fried lead plating the barrel.

My vintage Charter Arms is "strength challenged" and my decision is to never shoot Cor-Bon -=or=- Buffalo Bore 38+P in it. That's my choice, your mileage may vary.

There are guns where these "super +Ps" make all kinds of sense: any 357 can of course cope and any number of strong 38s going all the way back to the old S&W 38-44s.

I want to score some of the BuffBore 38spl "standard pressure but hot" stuff soonest :).

[Richmond]

If I had several boxes of 110 DPX standard pressure, I'd shoot a few for accuracy in my gun, and maybe chrony at least a couple. They canceled it for a reason...

I think I will just shoot it up at the range and buy some new 110 DPX. I had shot a couple of boxes when I first got it and it functioned fine for accuracy.

[45crittergitter]

I clocked the Cor-Bon 158 gr. LSWCHP +P+ at 932 fps from a 2" S&W.

[TeamCorbon]

If you have some of the 38 Spl DPX that is not marked +P, you can send it back to us and we'll replace it with some of our newest lot of +Ps.

The reason we discontinued the standard pressure 38 Spl DPX was that it was keyholing on some of the newer S&W J frames. We raised the velocity to help stabilize the projectile and it shoots fine now. This increase raised it from standard pressure to a +P load.

[Jim March]

Good to get the whole scoop, and awesome customer support :).