Range Report - revisited: BP .38 Special

[Oyeboten]

Having realized my initial foray with the Chronograph had occasioned some Bone-Headed errors for readings being in some Strings, all-the-same FPS (blush...)


I have now learned to use the Chronograph correctly, and, herein, report the results -


.38 Special...Test Guns, being


3 Inch Barrel, S & W, Model 10-6




5 Inch Barrel, S & W, 'M&P', Model of 1902





Distance from Muzzle to Chronograph, roughly 10 Yards.





Load: .38 S & W 'Special' Cartridge - 158 Grain Semi-Wadcutter, Lead, .040 Lube-Wafer, 20.7 Grains "DUPONT" 3F Black Powder (dating to the early 1960s ) good compression, good Crimp...Federal Primers, same length but varied Headstamp Brass.


3 Inch......5 Inch

715...........759
731...........797
705...........842
675...........814
720...........787
689...........765





Load: .38 S & W 'Special' Cartridge - 158 Grain Semi-Wadcutter, Lead, .040 Lube-Wafer, "777" 3F Powder, Volume equivelent to what 15.5 Grains weight of B P would have been, no compression, no air-gap, good Crimp...Federal Primers, same length but varied Headstamp Brass.


3 Inch......5 Inch

780...........878
729...........877
787...........876
775...........858
755...........841
775...........883



Load: .38 S & W 'Special' Cartridge - 158 Grain Semi-Wadcutter, Lead, .040 Lube-Wafer, 20.7 Grains "GOEX" 3F Black Powder, good compression, good Crimp...Federal Primers, same length but varied Headstamp Brass.



3 Inch......5 Inch

767...........858
777...........814
692...........834
765...........841
720...........791
689...........812



For comparison-

Factory Made 'FAMAE'...made in Chile I think...158 Grain, RNL


3 Inch......5 Inch

706...........828
771...........847
765...........861
787...........802
767...........825
691...........858



Lastly...


Had a Plastic Box of what looked like full Wad-Cutters, unknown provenance...found in my mid 1980s Shooting Stuff...tried three rounds in the 3 Inch -


1096
1031
1061


Recoil was unremarkable...report was unremarkable.

No idea what is in them, but, pretty perky!

 

[Voodoochile]

Supprising that the Black Powder loadings were on average more potent than the factory loadings.

Very nice report bud.

 

[Oyeboten]

I will do 'Pyrodex'...'TrailBoss', heftier '777', Loadings soon, also, and report in on their FPS for these 'test' Revolvers.



Also...I'll try some original, 1930s, and, 1950's era "Peters" 158 Grain RNL 'Police Loads'...see what they do.

 

[Tomahawk674]

Thank you so much for the information Oyeboten. Your data shows how hotter the 777 fffg is vs regular BP. This reasures my decision to use pinnacle powder over 777 for the 38 S&W cartridges I custom ordered, but that's just because the little top break I'm going to use them in isn't very stout, and I'm really afraid of structural failure. The outter walls on the back of the cylinder look so slim...

I do love how 777 performs and cleans up though.

 

[Oyeboten]

Hi Tomahawk674,



Nice to hear...


At some point, I will be getting on to Loading the .38 S & W Cartridge, similarly to my present obsession/beginner's foray, with .38 Special.


If you like Shooting your .38 S & W, I encourage you to consider doing your own Loading/Re-Loading.


It is such a pleasure, and, has everything going for it a boy could want -


Science, Arithmetic, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thrills, Research, Learning, Verneer-Dial-Callipers, Reading, Brooding, Success, Satisfaction, real smiles, saves Money, provides real 'Reasons' to get out to the Range, and requires one to have cool gadgets and esoteric stuff laying around...and, to genuinely pay attention to detail.


And that...is hard-to-beat.