How Good is the 38 Special +P 158gr LSWCHP for SD

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hinton03

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Currently using Hornady 125 gr XTP (S&W M49 and Colt DS) but I keep hearing great things about the "FBI Load".

Is this just a hanger onner or is the +P 158gr LSWCHP a serious contender as a SD load?

Also looking at the Hornady +P 110 gr Critial Defense load; has anyone shot this load.
 
The reason it is still around is because quite simply it flat out works. Other than the FBI just about (not all) every police agency in the nation used this cartridge and it earned an impressive track record. The other reason it is popular is that it uses the traditional 158gr bullet, there for POA and POI will be pretty much on. Unlike some of the lighter bullets it will still get very good penetration whether it expands or not when shot from a velocity robbing snubby. Here is some very good reading about this load.

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/38 Special 158gr LSWCHP.htm

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/38 Snub Ammo Test.htm

Also look here
http://www.brassfetcher.com/38special2inchbarrel.html

Here is everybodys favorite the Speer 135gr +P Short Barrel
http://www.brassfetcher.com/Speer 135 grain GoldDot Short Barrel.html

Here is the 158gr +p LSWCHP against the Win 110gr +P+ Treasury Load

http://www.brassfetcher.com/.38 Special 158gr Federal Nyclad +P SWCHP.html

I hope this helps.
 
That load seems to reliably shoot to point of aim with most snub-nose and four-inch .38's.

Something to be said for that.

I've found it to be very accurate, and without excess muzzle-blast.
In any gun, its all about hitting the target.

I wish those loads were not so darn expensive in factory ammo.

MPDammopouch.jpg
 
It is a proven 38 special load....

and has withstood test after test as well . The research has shown that for decades this load, known as the FBI load , has the stopping power in the 38 special snub nose revolver.
 
I have the "FBI" load ready to go for my Smith & Wesson model 10 4 inch and also my Ruger Police Service Six 4 inch. I don't have a short barrel revolver but I still would use the "FBI" load in one if I owned one. Bottom line. The "FBI" load has the history of beening the best SD round for the 38 special.
roaddog28
 
It is a proven performer.
You can eek out a bit better performance with the 135gr gold dot from a snub and with the right powder you might be able to work up a superior load with the Barnes XPB. However, the 158lswchp is proven, shoots POA in the guns it was intended for if loaded properly, it is cheap to load, and allows for frequent practice with a carry load. All said, I still use the 135gr GD in my snub but I would probably use the FBI load if the GD's were unavailable.
 
The remington 158 SWCHP's are good rounds, provided your gun shoots them to POA. I love the Remington SWCHP but my gun tends to keyhole with them. I am using the Honady Critical Defense rounds in Standard & +P loadings, along with the Federals Nyclads. My guns like the FTX 110's and shoots to POA. Good ammo from these guys, they did their homework on them. Plus they get good penetration with expansion from a snub barrel. What more could you ask for.
 
I keep the Remington 158gr LSWHP's in all my .38's.
Click to expand...

Same here!

Why mess with perfection? It works out of both snubs and service sized revolvers. Plus is has a 40+ year real world record of stopping bad guys!

Another reason why people still use it is that it is reasonably priced. Unlike buffalobore's $1+/ round uber velocity stuff. I'm not knocking BB, but man, who can afford to shoot enough of that stuff to see if YOUR gun likes it!
 
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I bought some BB's and they packed a wallop for non +P in my Ruger SP...I bought them for my Wife's Rossi but they were to much for her
 
I ordered some somewhere several months ago...It may have been from Midway.

At this point, you have to just get what you can, wherever you can, and it can take some huntin' just to find anything.
 
i dont know whats up with .38 ammo all ive had is my old 3d brand swc and lrn 148 and 158 to put in my gun,havnt seen a hp in forever,slim pickins, and finally found some eldorado starfire +p 125hp to keep in my hb 10-6,now cant find much info on it either.
 
how it compares with the Big 3 in regards to expansion.
Click to expand...

I cant find the thread, but a few months ago, Stephen Camp compared the Georgia arms LSWCHP to the remington and winchester flavor's. IIRC, the Georgia arms was fine for 4" or longer barrels, but the remington was still tops for snubs. I believe it all boiled down to the hardness of the lead and reliable expansion at snubie velocities.
 
If you happen to roll you own, there is some good discussion in here regarding how to replicate the 158gr Buffalo Bore version of the FBI load:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloading/91534-duplicating-buffalo-bore-fbi-load.html

I have read a few reports that seem to indicate that the lead in the Buffalo Bore load is comparible to the Remington load in terms of softness but could not find a link.

Here is a good side-by-side test of the Remington load and the Buffalo Bore one:

http://www.brassfetcher.com/38special2inchbarrel.html
 
I usually carry the "FBI Load" in my J frame. I use the current Remington 158gr LSWC/HP +P offering (Part #R38S12) because the lead is soft enough to reliably expand even with the lower velocities usually associated with a short barrel revolver. In a 4" barrel I'll also use the Winchester (X38SPD) and Federal (38G) ammo too.
 
It's the one I have used for years. Out of a 4" barrel,

that lead slug opens to around .6" in ballistic gelatin. There are several good articles by Stephen Camp online about this round/bullet. He likes it a lot.
The police in many large cities used it for several decades, as did the FBI-in fact the police in Philly actually changed to the standard velocity version as opposed to the +P because it was considered too powerful (?)

Federal, Winchester and Remington all used to make their versions of it, all with nearly the same performance.

It works best with the 4" barrel - gets the most velocity.

mark
 
I have some of the Buffalo Bore "standard Pressure" versions of this load. The bullets are dead soft lead. The hollow point is very large, and square sided, and square bottomed. The Remington hollowpoint is a more or less conical shaped hole. I have read that some say that the BB bullet is somewhat more prone to fragmenting the nose of the bullet...which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
 
What more could you ask for? How about a price less than $40/for 50?
Click to expand...
Amazing, $40-$50.

A few years back I bought a case. I don't think they cost $6 a box. I gave a number of boxes to friends and new shooters that decided on the 38 for protection.
I guess I should see how many boxes I have left.

At any given time I have 6-8 loaded 38 revolvers around, all loaded with that load.
On the shelves next to me there are a bunch of SKS clips and 35mm film canisters loaded with the +P LSWCHP, just to keep them handy.
 
Midway currently has the Buffalo Bore +p (and the standard pressure) LSWCHP's in stock at $24.99 for a box of 20. They show Remington +P's at $32.99 for a box of 50, which are not in stock, but you can put them on backorder...which I may do.
 
its in my j-frame, my mother's j-frame, my colt official police, and sometimes my security sixes as well!

The 2 snubs and the colt are all fixed sight guns- and the 158gr+p load shoots to the sights on all of them. Also, as a reloader, I can push 158gr LSWCs to similar velocity so all my practice ammo shoots nearly identical. Its just a great all around load.
 
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