Any real reason to prefer FMJ 38 SPC 158grain over LRN 38 SP 158grain

Maybe less lead deposited in the barrel with FMJ?

Whichever is more accurate for you, I use coated

"I've shot LRN since the beginning of time," I was that other guy you heard shooting back then

If your range requires jacketed/plated ammo, it's a fairly simple choice.

Would the FMJ have more recoil, assuming each having the same velocity? I thought lead generally has less friction and could be loaded with a little less powder to get the same velocity as FMJ. Or is the difference too small to notice?

If you shoot a light weight revolver lead round nose has a tendency to jump out of the case enough to jam the cylinder around the third or fourth shot.

I shoot both. I haven't noticed any huge difference in accuracy, but I have noticed if I shoot the FMJ last, there is less leading.

If it's the same price I would choose fmj to minimize lead exposure. I shoot mostly lead hand loads.

The only .38 Special FMJ bullets I know of were those made for the military to comply with international law. There have been many partial jacket (open at the front) ..38 bullets made, but those are not FMJ.

Jim

The FMJ I have shot is a 130 gr practice load. I didn't see any accuracy plus or minus with FMJ compared to lead loads.

As was stated earlier, folks usually use it at indoor ranges where lead is verboten.

Sellier & Bellot, PPU, Geco are some of the companies that offer FMJ .38 Special cartridges. FMJs do generate more recoil, but outside of light weight snubbies category I don't think it will bother one at all.

Zendude said:

Would the FMJ have more recoil, assuming each having the same velocity? I thought lead generally has less friction and could be loaded with a little less powder to get the same velocity as FMJ. Or is the difference too small to notice?

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I would think it would be the other way around. Lead starts to melt at higher velocities, leaving leading in the bore. That's why FMJ bullets can be driven to a higher velocity without leaving lead in the bore, the jacket melts at a higher temperature. So to my way of thinking, Jacket bullets cause less friction than lead. However I'll bet the difference in recoil is negligible

I see Federal FMJ 158 grain ammo on sale all the time. I prefer 158 grain LRN simply because so many of my revolvers are old, and I don't want to stress anything. Probably not really a concern, but it's just a little bit of extra caution I take.

Driftwood Johnson said:

I would think it would be the other way around. Lead starts to melt at higher velocities, leaving leading in the bore. That's why FMJ bullets can be driven to a higher velocity without leaving lead in the bore, the jacket melts at a higher temperature. So to my way of thinking, Jacket bullets cause less friction than lead. However I'll bet the difference in recoil is negligible

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Jacketed bullets are harder because of the jacket and are more difficult to push through the bore. Jacketed bullets generally require more powder to push them to the same speed as lead bullets. So, Zendude is right. A person might or might not feel the difference in recoil.

Check this out: https://books.google.com/books?id=d...=fastest bullets coated lead jacketed&f=false

I believe you.

For whatever its worth, years ago the Memphis Police Department tested several .38 Special cartridges, then the MPD standard round, and determined that the lead SWC bullet tended to "skid" on concrete/asphalt rather than ricochet. So the lead bullet (though inSWC profile) was standard department issue for many years.

This may be a consideration for urban use.


Bob Wright

I shoot lead in .38 because they're so cheap for me.
Cast from wheel weights, I have less than a penny apiece in the bullet.

I shoot coated lead. I used to shoot naked lead but just moved to coated for zero leading. Some of my guns didn't lead up with regular lead and some did. Now none of them lead up. FMJ is the best but more expensive. As much as I shoot I couldn't afford FMJ. I shoot 2-300 rounds a week.

Bore dia. and rifling has a lot to do with leading.

Jim K said:

The only .38 Special FMJ bullets I know of were those made for the military to comply with international law. There have been many partial jacket (open at the front) ..38 bullets made, but those are not FMJ.

Jim

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What's this?

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/handgun/38-cal-357-158-gr-hp-xtp#!/

It's FMJ by anyone's definition. No exposed lead is FMJ.

Are you referring to ball ammo which isn't a hollow point to limit expansion?

Sorry, but the XTP does have exposed lead on the forward hollow point surface. It will dust and vaporize lead upon contact with a hard backstop.
FWIW, ALL bullets "skid" when hitting a hard surface at a shallow angle. While in training in a police academy, we were taught to shoot into a hard surface if someone was shooting along such as a concrete wall, and allow the bullet to skid hugging the wall for a more likely impact. Bullets skip on water in a similar fashion.

The throat diameters determine whether I use jacketed over lead. My Smith 36-1 Chief's Special is a good example. I am not reaming it, because it is nickel plated. Reaming will allow the plating to peel, and replating will mess with the new throat diameters.

There are some FMJ rounds that are practice rounds for their counterpart self defense loads. An example would be the Speer Lawman training ammunition as a counter part to their Gold Dot self defense loads. The FMJ ammo is loaded to approximately the same speed with the same weight bullet to simulate the use of their premium grade ammo.

Jim K said:

The only .38 Special FMJ bullets I know of were those made for the military to comply with international law. There have been many partial jacket (open at the front) ..38 bullets made, but those are not FMJ.

Jim

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My local Walmart stocks these regularly. I just reread the original post. If you're talking about 158 grain specifically, I don't see many either at most stores.

Jim K said:

The only .38 Special FMJ bullets I know of were those made for the military to comply with international law. There have been many partial jacket (open at the front) ..38 bullets made, but those are not FMJ.

Jim

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The Armscor 158 FMJ I have from Dillon, and which are still offered, have no crimp groove and require a taper crimp. They are real jacketed, not plated.

I only use lead in my .45 Colt, I use to use the magtech 158 gr LRN for .38 and they leaded something fierce but it was cheaper range ammo 15.99 if memory serves vs the 19.99 on the rem or winny loads in FMJ, not much difference in price individually but when I didnt reload and shot 300 rounds a week the 3-4 bucks a box really helped out.