What 38 Special load to use in Ariweight?

[sixgunner455]

642-2, had it for 8 years. It usually is loaded with Speer Gold Dot 125gr standard pressure.

I got a good deal on a few 50 round boxes about ten years ago. I'm running out.

I practice with various hand loads, but have settled, for this gun, on 125gr RNL over 3.5gr Bullseye. Mild recoil & POI mirrors the 125gr Gold Dots. If my wife is going to shoot it (hardly ever happens!) I'll back even that light load off a bit, closer to 3.0gr.

It has eaten a bunch of 158gr SWC at 3.0-3.5gr Bullseye, and a few +P - enough to let me know I don't love +P loads in it. It usually wears a set of Goncalvo Alves Bananas, which are smooth, beautiful, and give me a full, comfortable firing grip.

It's a lot more fun to shoot a Kframe, but I love this gun for carrying. Shooting it is a chore I make myself do, so I can be proficient with it.

 

[LTR shooter]

Personally, I find shooting +P in my 642 very objectionable. Kicks like a mule and all those wonderful adjectives.

Wow , picking up my 642 tomorrow. Sounds like I might be in a for an unpleasant surprise at the range! I've fired all steel 357 magnum snubs with magnum ammo and with rubber grips the recoil was pretty tolerable.

Does the 15oz 642 with +P 38 Special actually recoil more than something like a Smith Model 66 2 1/2" with Magnum ammo - 125 JHP or 145 Silvertips?

For starters I am loading std. pressure 38s with the Hornady 125XTP and a few +Ps. Also some 148 WC for some mild loads. I'll have to see what kind of factory defensive ammo he has on hand.

 

[cush619]

Speer 135 Gr Short Barrel +P in my 642. I practice with standard velocity lead bullet handloads but carry the Gold Dots. I shoot up my carry ammo at least once a year. I order the Speer 135 Gold Dot ammo on-line. I don't understand the "it's too high priced for me" comments- your life is on the line when you use your carry gun. Practice with cheap stuff, carry the best.

 

[sloman]

Does anybody know who had the 135 +P Speer Gold Dots in stock?? Please share!

 

[S&Wfan]

I personally don't find shooting 38 +P ammo in my Airweights any problem at all.

Use a proper grip and you are ok. "Proper" means to grip the revolver as high as possible, rather than lower like I see a lot of new shooters do.

Ammo? Hummm . . . right now some of that 130 gn .38P+ Winchester stuff sold at Wally World. It shoot at POA and is available.

I'm not obsessed with any certain brand though . . . and have several hundred rounds of Remington and Georgia Arms 158 gn. LSWC-HP +P . . . and also sometimes stoke the revolver with handloaded 148 grain wadcutters.

All of 'em will ruin the day of anyone shot by one!!!

Heck, even old "plain jane" .38 Special 158 grain lead round nose--shot from a .38 snubbie will ruin one's day REAL FAST . . . like this fella found out. Ruby said he deliberately gut shot Lee Harvey Oswald in the gut "so he would suffer the most" before he died.

A .38 snubbie is no gun to take lightly!!!

 

[beatledog7]

S&Wfan:

Heavy bullets at +P pressures are ok in a 642; I used to shoot such loads when I used a Hogue overmolded grip. When I started carrying the 642 IWB and switched back to the factory grips, I found that not being able to get my pinky on the grip made such loads hard to control in my weak hand. So I changed to normal pressure, 125gr Nyclads.

 

[wrs840]

I settled on Remington R38S12 .38 spl +P 158gr LSWCHP a while back. They target well for me out of short barrel .38s and I'm confident that they are potent enough for my purposes.

 

[Lee D]

when i get em out, my 637s are stoked with 129 gr +P hydra shoks and they both love the load.

 

[jj1962hemi]

I purchased 158 gr SWCHP +Ps from Georgia Arms "reloads" (they do it in a factory) for $11.50/50 rounds. This is a nice round (the Speer 125gr short barreled +P HPs are hard to find, moreson in 38 SPL than 357 around here). It gave me a source of practice ammo that mirrors new at a lower cost. I'm still working on finalizing a carry round.

 

[LTR shooter]

Thanks for the replies , all of you have been a great help!

Unfortunately, I went to pick up the Airweight yesterday won on GB and it is not the non-lock model shown in the auction but one with the lock. I called the shop , they said the guy I need to talk to is not there until tomorrow. I'll deal with an actual gun shop that I can visit in person from now on.

 

[jj1962hemi]

I wouldn't rule out GunBroker. I've had half a dozen transactions in the past few years and been happy with each. Make sure to give the seller bad feedback if he won't fix it for you. My rule is that I like lots of clear photos, good written descriptions and, in some cases, prompt and courteous responses to my e-mailed questions. To each his or her own, but I've been happy so far. That said, I've got a Yugo Mauser on the way that I haven't received yet, but I feel good about it.