Feeding a J Frame for Concealed Carry

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Taurus 85 Ultralight, standard 125gr Blazer ammo. Taurus' web site recommends not using +P ammunition, so I don't.
 
I use J's alot.

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Centennials and Bodyguards are my favorites.

Loads?

I use Cor-Bon 158gt LSWHP (and I'll use Buffalo Bore 158gr LSWHPs, the 850 fps load when I run out of Cor-Bons!)

Yes there are others but these to real good. And my handloads, again 158gr LSWCs, mimic the loads and allow me to do alot of cheap practice.

And folks, it's the SKILL that matters most, not the gun nor the load used.

Deaf
 
MartinS;

Tom at Accurate molds. It is his 36-155W and is also available in a tumble lube version 36-155WT.
He makes them in most calibers. I call it my trash can bullet. I also have it in .44.
Stu
 
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Reloads are Federal 158gr HPSWC or Hornady Critical Defense in 110gr or 125gr.

The first cylinder full are either 125gr HP's in front of 6 grains of Unique, or more likely 148gr wadcutters in front of 5.3gr of Unique.
 
Depends on the gun and what it "likes".

The older all-steel Smiths all seem to be sighted in for the 158gr+P LSWCHP. The Remington load is better than the Winchester, so that's what's in my 649.

The lightweight alloy guns seem to do better with lighter loads. The 340PD is most accurate with the Gold Dot short barrel 135gr .38 Special+P JHP in my hands.
 
125 gr XTP from Double Tap makes an angry little 637.

My new model 60 Pro Series will see reloads in .357 Magnum of 5.3 gr HP-38 and 125 gr XTP, std primers.
 
Ready for a flame?

Personally I carry the 135 gr. Gold Dots in my J-frame.

However, when I hired on as a LEO in 1971 and I wasn’t into reloading, I knew a LEO that loaded hollow based wad cutters upside down and he filled the cavity with Brasso.

It was nasty looking -- not a flying ashtray, but a flying trash can! He said the Brasso was a petroleum distillate that would cause peritonitis and complicate or prevent recovery.

I have no idea of it’s effectiveness or anything about the Brasso bit. I think the only thing complicated would be the possible criminal and civil proceedings against you.

Anyone here know about this loading with or without the Brasso?
 
However, when I hired on as a LEO in 1971 and I wasn’t into reloading, I knew a LEO that loaded hollow based wad cutters upside down and he filled the cavity with Brasso.

It was nasty looking -- not a flying ashtray, but a flying trash can! He said the Brasso was a petroleum distillate that would cause peritonitis and complicate or prevent recovery.

I have no idea of it’s effectiveness or anything about the Brasso bit. I think the only thing complicated would be the possible criminal and civil proceedings against you.

Yeah, stopping someone with a bullet would be different than trying to make a survivor of a shooting die eventually. Seems like poisoning.

I've never heard of using Brasso like that. Interesting.
 
Taurus 85 Ultralight, standard 125gr Blazer ammo. Taurus' web site recommends not using +P ammunition, so I don't.

It's hard to say. Some years, Taurus' info says no +P. Other years it's okay.

Right now, the website shows the 85 UltraLites are +P rated. Yet, the owners manual gives an interpretation that might contradict that.

http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=868&category=Revolver&toggle=&breadcrumbseries=

http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=843&category=Revolver&toggle=&breadcrumbseries=
 
I use factory 148 wadcutters or std velocity 158 SWC in J frame guns. +P in a short barrel gun doesn't give you much more as far velocity and the recoil and muzzle blast don't help controllability.

Reversed hollow base wadcutters expand well...when they expand. I experimented with these back in the 70s with both cast and swaged bullets. About half the time they would either pack up (shedding the lip of the base sometimes) or not expand well at all. As far as adding the Brasso, I'm more interested in stopping the BG now than having him die from infection 2 weeks from now.
 
I have 7 J-frames at present, and have carried one or another of my growing collection since the early 80's.

While I used to put more emphasis on the ammunition than the guns, nowadays it's pretty much my skillset and abilities to effectively use them that get the primary attention.

Sure, I tend to like to use one or another of the better designed modern hollowpoints in guns suitable for those loads, but I often can't even tell you which brand/load may be in which of the snubs at any given time. Sometimes the spare ammo in my speedloaders & speedstrips match what's in the guns, and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes I've even carried a couple different loads at the same time (different speedloaders/strips containing the different loads, grabbed from my drawer). The exception is my 37-2, as it only gets standard pressure loads and that narrows it down a bit in what I've bought.

I tend to prefer +P loads that run in the 125gr, 130gr, 135gr & 158gr bullet weights, and whenever I'm using up older & fresh loads at the same time for quals & training/practice, I commonly mix them up in my guns and run through the courses-of-fire & drills. My snubs exhibit similar POA/POI in my hands, using all that different ammo, out to reasonable drill distances (12 yds), and I usually don't have any problems ringing steel out to 50+ yds with any of my variety of +P loads.

Now, lots of folks have found that standard pressure 158gr LSWC or 148gr WC Match loads offer them better recoil management, controllability & accuracy in their J's (or Colt D's), and that's fine. It's all about consistently accurate rounds on the intended target, after all, right?

Now that we can select from a wide range of J options, lots of folks can better choose a weight & size that can better suit their anticipated needs, and even help them overcome the inevitable inherent disadvantages of the diminutive J-frames.

After all, some of the very attributes that make the little 5-shot snubs so appealing and useful for lawful concealed carry can also make them harder for many folks to shoot, even experienced shooters of larger revolvers.

Obviously, attention must be given to whatever the revolver manufacturers recommends in the way of ammo used in their respective products, and especially as it pertains to the ultra lightweight models (to help avoid bullet pull).

I used to look all over for specialty loads when I was younger, but nowadays I go through so much ammo for quals & training/practice that it isn't practical to limit myself to specialty or boutique loads that are more expensive than the major loads, and/or significantly more expensive.

It's just a snub .38, after all, you know. ;)
 
J Frame Carry Ammo

I carry a variety of several reliable name brand .38 Special +P JHP, for penetration and expansion, in my S&W Model 38 BodyGuard Airweight. I like that the Mod. 38 gives me the option of SA or DA, since the hammer is shrouded to keep from snagging or otherwise interfering with operation .:)
 
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Smart picks for a .38spl snub.....

I don't own any snubs at this time, but I would buy these rounds for serious carry or back up gun(BUG) use;
Corbon DPX, Speer Gold Dot 135gr JHP +P, MagSafe SWAT, Hornady Critical Defense, Glaser Safety Slug(silver), Buffalo Bore 158gr lead SWC HP +P.
I purchased Speer Gold Dots & Buffalo Bore SWC-HPs for my Ruger .38spl GPNY revolver in the 2000s.
The Speer Gold Dot 135gr JHP +P was T&Eed by the NYPD for officers to carry in J frames & the older model 10s.
My friend loads Corbon DPX .38spl in his home protection Ruger LCR.
The Winchester Ranger T .38spl load is good too but it may no longer be sold. :(

Rusty
www.shopcorbon.com www.natchezss.com www.sgammo.com www.midwayusa.com
 
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