110 grain Hornady XTP for 38 Special

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Kleiner riese

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I have 110 grain bullets I plan to reload and shoot, (infrequently,) from a Ruger GP100, a Ruger LCR 38 Special or EAA 357. I have read the velocity of this load can be hard on the forcing cone but wonder if this would be a problem with infrequent use in these revolvers. All three are less than 5 years old. Thanks.
 
If you are loading those bullets to 38 Special or even 38 Special +P load-data/pressure there is no chance it will hurt your guns. It was the hot 357 Magnum loads pushing SAAMI Maximum Average Pressures with 110gr and 125gr bullets that were splitting forcing cones, and flame cutting barrels and top straps, more often on K-frames than L and N frames. If you're loading that bullet in 38 Special you will be less than 60% of the pressure of those hot 357 loads that cause the damage. Shoot as much 110gr 38 Special +P as you want you wont hurt any of your revolvers.
 
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mcb said:
If you are loading those bullets to 38 Special or even 38 Special +P load-data/pressure there is no chance it will hurt your guns. It was the hot 357 Magnum loads pushing SAAMI Maximum Average Pressures with 110gr and 125gr bullets that were splitting forcing cones, and flame cutting barrels and top straps, more often on K-frames than L and N frames. If you're loading that bullet in 38 Special you will be less than 60% of the pressure of those hot 357 loads that cause the damage. Shoot as much 110gr 38 Special +P as you want you wont hurt any of your revolvers.
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Just curiosity really, is the lcr rated to handle +p?
 
I’ll agree, you’ll grow long tired of shooting those bullets out of your .38’s before your revolvers give up the ghost from shooting them.

Load up some sensible loads and fire away!

Stay safe.
 
Kleiner riese said:
I have 110 grain bullets I plan to reload and shoot, (infrequently,) from a Ruger GP100, a Ruger LCR 38 Special or EAA 357. I have read the velocity of this load can be hard on the forcing cone but wonder if this would be a problem with infrequent use in these revolvers. All three are less than 5 years old. Thanks.
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I save the 110s for small frame guns. Your LCR then would be the best candidate for what you have. The lighter bullet can make the low-mass gun more manageable.There isn't really a good reason to see how fast you can run it. If loading up on the hot side, maybe use the GP100 to get more gun under the load.
 
I get a bunch of the 110 XTP’s each year in their Get Loaded promos. I load them for my LCR 357 and my mother-in-law’s LCR 38, with no attempt to push them too fast, just nice, mild loads for practice.
 
Riomouse911 said:
I’ll agree, you’ll grow long tired of shooting those bullets out of your .38’s before your revolvers give up the ghost from shooting them.

Load up some sensible loads and fire away!

Stay safe.
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I'd get tired of paying for them before I even get close to tiring of shooting them. A little pricey for a plinking bullet.
 
RealGun said:
I save the 110s for small frame guns. Your LCR then would be the best candidate for what you have. The lighter bullet can make the low-mass gun more manageable.There isn't really a good reason to see how fast you can run it. If loading up on the hot side, maybe use the GP100 to get more gun under the load.
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Thank you.
 
thank you.
Varminterror said:
I get a bunch of the 110 XTP’s each year in their Get Loaded promos. I load them for my LCR 357 and my mother-in-law’s LCR 38, with no attempt to push them too fast, just nice, mild loads for practice.
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Thanks. Im most interested in potential damage and accuracy. I assume with newer firearms damage should not be an issue if used occasionally.
 
As others have said, the issue with forcing cones and 110 grainers was more with higher pressure .357 loadings, using slow burning powders and a poorly designed forcing cone.
 
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gotboostvr said:
I'd get tired of paying for them before I even get close to tiring of shooting them. A little pricey for a plinking bullet.
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Easy enough to buy some inexpensive coated lead sec in that weight or close to it. Just did a ladder test on such a bullet with bullseye and found a good load. Even at higher charges, recoil was modest.
 
Kleiner riese said:
thank you.

Thanks. Im most interested in potential damage and accuracy. I assume with newer firearms damage should not be an issue if used occasionally.
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Don’t push them to max speed and they won’t be an issue if used continuously. I shoot a bunch of 93 grain Meister LRN’s in my LCR as practice fodder, thousands and thousands of them, nary a flame cut or crack in sight. They’re just not being pushed very fast. I run hot loaded 125’s as well, also thousands and thousands of them, again, nary a scratch.
 
Kleiner riese said:
I have read the velocity of this load can be hard on the forcing cone but wonder if this would be a problem with infrequent use in these revolvers.
Click to expand...

Damage to the forcing cone of revolvers from high velocity .357 mag 125gr JHP's and somehow translated to 110gr also is strictly an issue with S&W K frame models 19 and 66. This is due to the thinning cut on the bottom of the forcing cone to allow the cylinder crane to close. The impact of the lightweight bullet from a magnum cartridge strains that area and can result in cracking.

The current model 66 with its redesigned cylinder locking and barrel has corrected the design to eliminate forcing cone cracking. I have never heard of a Ruger or Colt .357 ever having an issue with 125 grain or 110 grain bullets causing forcing cone damage. Load your 110 grain bullets according to a loading manual and do not worry about any damage to your handguns.
 
Hornady manual says up to 8.4gr of AA #5, OAL of 1.445" with a 110 XTP. Quickload says this is way over pressure, and nowhere do I see any 110gr bullet handling 8.4 gr of #5. I have 150 or so loaded with 8.2-8.3 gr, in Starline reg 38 spec, QL says 19,400psi. My guns are a Henry Big Boy steel lever gun, and S&W 686 pro series 357.
Would anyone fire them, or should I pull them?
 
I've understood it to be slow burning powders in the 357 mag loads coupled with light bullets that causes top strap flame etching and forcing cone damage.
 
milo-2 said:
Hornady manual says up to 8.4gr of AA #5, OAL of 1.445" with a 110 XTP. Quickload says this is way over pressure, and nowhere do I see any 110gr bullet handling 8.4 gr of #5. I have 150 or so loaded with 8.2-8.3 gr, in Starline reg 38 spec, QL says 19,400psi. My guns are a Henry Big Boy steel lever gun, and S&W 686 pro series 357.
Would anyone fire them, or should I pull them?
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I would shoot them in a 357 chamber that is rated to handle that pressure. I would figure out a way to label them so they don't end up in a 38. I would shoot them sooner than later as you know what exactly you have. Someone else may have no clue.
 
AJC1 said:
I would shoot them in a 357 chamber that is rated to handle that pressure. I would figure out a way to label them so they don't end up in a 38. I would shoot them sooner than later as you know what exactly you have. Someone else may have no clue.
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I was more concerned with the brass handling it than my firearms.
 
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