+P for older Charter Undercover

[crawdad185]

I've got one of the early model Stratford Charter Undercovers. I already know it is not rated for +P ammo, but was wondering if you guys think it would be safe to shoot +P for defensive use only. In other words, practice with standard loads but load it with +P for defensive use.

 

[JERRY]

you can fire 5 rounds well enough, the gun would be taken for evidence so you wouldnt have to worry about doing it against for a while with that gun anyway.

but why? a standard pressure 158gr. LHP will work just as well when youre talking about a snubby. not expansion wise but poa/poi is generally more true, cost is lower so you can afford to practice more...

 

[crawdad185]

Well, you know I was wondering about that. The 2" barrel isn't going to allow a whole lot more velocity from a +P I would think.
Can you recommend one of the LHP rounds that isn't +P and that has good terminal ballistics? They are scarce around my neck of the woods, so I'll have to order them.

 

[JERRY]

non +p loads are about the same in my opinion in a snubby.

pick any name brand non +p LSWC 158gr. and be done with it.

spend more time getting good with your gun and worry less about the terminal effects of the bullet from a snubby.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO older standard pressure rounds were he same as current +P rounds of today except for the designer stuff like Buffalo Bore and Double Tap which are hotter than some of the others.

 

[moonpie]

i have a 1971 vintage undercover loaded with Hornady Critical Defense as my main carry. the polymer insert allows expansion from a short barrel while the recoil and POI are nearly the same as the LSWCs i used to keep in my gun.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

When I carry this vintage CA I usually have some Remington 158 +P lead hollow points in it just because I have some.

 

[Haywood]

Shoot enough +P to see what is accurate. Practice with standard rounds. It will be fine. The extended use of +P will ware the gun out faster by stretching the frame.

 

[roaddog28]

Here is a suggestion. Buffalo Bore 150gr cast wad cutters. I believe there fps is 800 out of a 2 inch revolver. Wad cutters give great penetration cut better holes than the wonder hollow point ammo. For a snub nose revolver a wad cutter does not have too depend on expansion to do the job.
Check it out on Buffalo Bores web site.
Good luck,
Howard

 

[SaxonPig]

+P is not loaded to high pressure. +P is in fact standard pressure ammo. Any gun in good condition that is stamped "38 Special" can shoot +P. It is a fallacy that it is some sort of over pressure ammo.

 

[Drail]

+P is mostly just marketing. The standard loads work just fine if placed in the right spot. If you cannot do that then +P isn't going to make up for it.

 

[bannockburn]

roaddog28

I will have to look into the Buffalo Bore 150 gr. wadcutters. Way back when, before there were so many choices for high performance ammo for short barreled revolvers, I use to put together some pretty decent handloads for my Undercover using Hornady 148 gr. HBWC bullets. Good penetration, minimal recoil, and very good accuracy.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Me too. Back in the late 1960's early 1970's I was perfectly content with my 2" model 10 full of 148 grain wad cutters over a dose of Bullseye.

Even loaded some inverted with that hollow base forward like folks did back then.

 

[crawdad185]

My brother just happened to have a full box of the Remington +P 158 gr. Lead Hollow Points at his house. I borrowed them just to see if it made a huge difference that I could see or feel. Other than a little more felt recoil in the hand, they shot just fine. In fact, they were a pretty accurate load. I'm still working on my accuracy with this little revolver, but I'm starting to get the feel for it. The gun is turning out to be a nice little revolver. I think I'm going to like it.

 

[MedWheeler]

According to Charter Arms, the use of "+P" ammunition is not recommended because the powder burn rate is not "optimized" for complete combustion in the time it takes the bullet to leave the short barrel. This results in some of the burn taking place after the bullet is gone, meaning that portion of the burn does not contribute to the projectile's velocity or ballistic energy. Charter Arms does not say anything beyond that on the FAQ portion of their site about the use of "+P" ammo, and certainly does not say that its use can damage the firearm.

My two Undercover .38 revolvers are loaded with a "standard velocity" load. One is dated from 1966, and the other from 1987.

Speer makes their Gold Dot available in a 135-grain load that is supposedly engineered to perform its best in two-inch barrels.