.38 spl ammo

[RustyShackelford]

26 hits .....

I saw a brief media article online about a recent shoot out where a drug dealer was shot a documented 26 times & lived.
As noted nearly any bullet can cause serious damage at CQB ranges but as many cadre & tactics trainers tell students; use enough gun.

Id add that I purchased a new box of Remington Golden Saber 185gr +P .45acp, 25rd in 11/2013. It was $28.00.
The QC and rounds were sub-standard. I've seen Remington is expanding the new home defense line.
Big Green may have improved since 2013 but Id suggest the Speer Gold Dot or maybe wait & see if they bring out the G2 Gold Dot series in .38spl +P.
This new handgun ammuntion should not be confused with the G2 RIP rounds. These loads are new and as of 04/2015 not really proven in street shootings or hunting.

 

[CZ9shooter]

I saw a brief media article online about a recent shoot out where a drug dealer was shot a documented 26 times & lived.

Ok, he lived. So what? I am sure he was incapacitated. And probably long before the 26th shot. Incapacitation is the goal, not death. Often times they one in the same however.

I am not familiar with the story, but from that simple description it sounds like overuse of force to me. If he had body armor or something I might feel differently

 

[dagger dog]

My 2C on a 2" 38 Special self defense load.

Buy a chronograph and do your testing with your gun, then and only then will you know for certain.

 

[jad0110]

If one is going to carry wadcutters as their primary load, I would suggest some form of hollow point, standard or +P for the reload. Wadcutters are tough to get into the cylinder using a speedloader. Never tried with speed strips.

For my, I carry either the 158 LSWCHP +P for the 135 Speer GD. Either has a fine reputation for expansion and penetration in the little round guns. The 158 does kick a bit more, and a low light there is slightly more flash, but honestly the difference to me wasn't great enough to choose one over the other.

 

[Lucky Derby]

Just use both! I like Buffalo Bore's offerings. They have both +P and standard loads with a 158gr SWCHP. The HP cavity is DEEEEEP! And the lead is on the soft side. If anything is gonna expand at 38 velocities, I would think that this would be it. And if not, you still have the positive characteristics of a (semi)WC.

The +P variety is a bit overzealous for a lightweight snubbie IMO. I tried that, which actually does chrono around 1000fps, but switched to their standard pressure load for carry. Even that is on par with most other manufacturers' +P loads.

This

 

[StrawHat]

When I carried a 38 Special, I used hard cast full wadcutters. They worked fine.

Kevin

http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_files/75f11fe4e235da7c69cabf94daa7dbd9-932.html

 

[cocojo]

I'm carrying the Remington Golden Sabre's 125 JHp's. Tried a variety of different rounds and settled on these. Neck and neck with Gold Dots in 135 but I like the GS a bit better. Great results on You-Tube with this round in testing media.

 

[SeanSw]

We currently use 125gr golden Saber +p in our LCR. It's about all the fun I can handle in that gun.

 

[Monac]

Years ago, there were regular gun show in northern Illinois, at a place called Grayslake. Somebody there sold 38 Special ammunition loaded with 100 grain bullets at 32 S&W Long velocity. It was as if you were shooting 32 Longs in a 38 Special. They were the mildest recoiling 38 loads I ever encountered, and accuracy from an S&W Model 15 was excellent. I haven't been able to get any for about 20 years, and no one on the Internet ever seems to have heard of them. They'd make good training loads for ultra-lightweight revolvers.

I never took one apart to measure the bullets. They were a glossy medium grey, not silver or black. They may have used some zinc or bismuth in the alloy; if I ever knew, I've long forgotten.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I'm carrying the Remington Golden Sabre's 125 JHp's. Tried a variety of different rounds and settled on these. Neck and neck with Gold Dots in 135 but I like the GS a bit better. Great results on You-Tube with this round in testing media.

Neck and neck indeed, but with noticeably worse muzzle flash in the process.

 

[gun_with_a_view]

When I used to fire test rounds into 4 X denim and 12 inches of newspaper wetpack, Golden Sabers exhibited the most consistent expansion.

 

[cocojo]

Funny cooldill it does have more muzzle flash or blast but felt recoil to me felt lighter for some reason than the 135's. I'll stick with the GS 125's, I don't mind the blast if the recoil is lighter. They seen to get good results in most testing.