Anyone loading .38 Special BP Metallic Carridge?

[Oyeboten]

I have a couple early S & W 'Miliary & Police' I figure would be happiest with BP.


Anyone here doing re-loads for .38 Special in Black Powder?


Original Loadings, I think, were 21 grns BP and 160 grn Bullet...but in June 1899 was changed to 24.5 grns FFF and 158 grn Bullet.


I read somewhere, this gave 950 fps out of a 6 in Barrel...but I'd love to find some BP Ballistic's Tables, or testimony of presen-day chronographed experiments for this, if anyone knows of any.



Anyway, I figure the Original Loads these were made for, would be a lot better than worrying with reduced Smokeless Loads, and a lot safer, and more powerful.



Phil

 

[rjsixgun]

A buddy of mine made some up that we shot outa my J-Frame, they were a hoot to shoot!

 

[Oyeboten]

Lol...


I bet..!


One really ought to have a longer Barrel though for letting the poor Bullet get some stride for itself!

 

[theotherwaldo]

I'm working up a load for .38 s&w, never thought about .38 special.

Hmmm...

 

[Oyeboten]

Nice...yes, .38 S & W in it's original Black Powder Loadings is far far better than any off-the-shelf downloaded Smokeless stuff now.

With a Strong Revolver, careful smokeless loadings can be arrived at for on-par with .38 Special Ballistics, too.

 

[BHP FAN]

I've been shooting 16 grains of Triple Seven out of my .38/200 Webley.

 

[Red Creek]

I load a 158 gr. HBWC on top of 18 grs. of 3f. You should be able to load any bullet as long as the case is full (no airspace between the bullet and the powder). For pistol cases I load slightly more powder than the case volume under the bullet to allow for slight compression. This is a nice load I shoot in a converted 1851 Navy.

 

[RyanM]

I've done it a few times just for fun. Very soft recoiling.

According to Goex, 23 gr under a 160 gr lead bullet gets 777 fps from a 6" barrel.

http://www.goexpowder.com/load-chart.html

 

[mec]

The 38 long colt held 18 or 18.5 grains of black powder under a 150 grain bullet. The longer special case heald 21 or 21.5 under a 158 grain bullet depending upon the source. The early cases were folde head with somewhat greater capacity (though probably inconsequential) than present ones.

A reasonable modern load would be a 100percent density of 3f under a lead 158 grain bullet. The charge should fill the case to the base of the bullet with either no compression or with the bullet compressed the depth of the criimp groove. The charge can be determined by putting powder in a unsized case and then putting the bullet on top adjusting the powder level until the case neck is even with the crimp groove.

 

[Oyeboten]

Hi Mec,



Yes...sounds good to me.

For .38 S & W Special, and or adjusted for .38 S & W also.


I keep having a gnawing desire to CCW with my early M&P, with BP rounds.


I guess there's no reason not to!


Lol...