What SD rnds in your .38 spl snub-nosed revolver?

[jad0110]

It really boils down to personal preference, like most things, including price, availability, ease of shooting it, accuracy....

Right you are. I am willing to carry any of the three (and other I haven't tested ... maybe another day). I'll post my very informal results here and/or in the 642 club.

 

[cocojo]

My favorite snub round isn't listed. Federal Nyclad 125 non +P round "The Chief Speical Load". I know it's discontinued but it would have been nice to added it to see the response.

 

[Byron]

My carry load is a reload.It is an Alberts 145 grain hydra shock produced in the 80's. In apperance it looks like a wadcutter.The bullet was designed to be loaded with the hollow portion pointing out.The hydra shock post is in the middle. It was designed to operate at standard velocities from a 2" barrel. Federal dropped this bullet when they took over the hydra shocks. Recoil is moderate and tests in water and soaked catalogs was very good. Byron

 

[Gary A]

Speer 135 Gold Dots +P in the steel frame. Currently in an older-style Airweight is plain old 158 Lead SWCs soon to be replaced with discontinued Federal 125 Std Nyclads now that warm weather is upon us.

 

[James A. Dewey]

I just bought a '68 Colt Agent, defdinetly needs bigger grips, experimenting with handloads, definitly not to use +p need poi at short range for snakes common here in NM this is my pocket gun .

 

[Soybomb]

roblem is it consistently manages only about 10" of penetration in ballistics gell http://www.brassfetcher.com/Speer ... Barrel.html. While that isn't bad (10" is my bare minimum), there are deeper penetrating rounds out there that meet or exceed the FBI's recommended 12" minimum. I have seen it posted quite a bit lately that the human skin is more elastic/resistant to bullet impact than other tissues. The rule of thumb I've seen is that just to penetrate the skin is equal to 2" of penetration in ballistics gell. If that's true, then the Speers have 8" to spare.

The brass fetcher reference is good, but I'd also point out that sometimes his block isn't fully within spec, he doesn't always get multiple shots, etc.

As far as process goes, I trust DocGKR to get more accurate results from his gel tests. He reports
.38 Sp Speer 135 gr +P JHP Gold Dot (53921), ave vel=856f/s
BG: pen=13.1”, RD=0.56”, RW=134.5gr
4 layer denim: pen=13.6”, RD=0.53”, RW=134.1gr
auto windshield: pen=9.4”, RD=0.51”, RW=129.6gr

I'd also point out that out of the 2" barrel guns the 158gr lswchp usually fails to expand through fabric. Lighter jhps that do expand usually underpenetrate. A soft shooting round like a 148gr wadcutter might be worth trying as well. They'll have sufficient pentation, be controllable and not bad to practice with in light weight guns. The sharp shoulder of the wadcutter will help with stopping your attacker too.

 

[brentfoto]

http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14504
contains the following post by 'Chuck' for the Speer:


.38sp 135gr Gold Dot +P from S&W 642
heavy clothing; pen 11" ex .552 820fps
heavy clothing; pen 12.25" ex .555 845fps
auto glass; pen 6.75" ex .72

 

[Lucky Strike]

Wow....very informative thread...i'll be picking up a box of the top 3 vote getters and seeing which works best for me outta my soon to be new 642

 

[Old Grump]

158 gr LRN or 158 gr SW. +p is absolutely wasted in a snubbie unless you really enjoy muzzle flash and noise. At the ranges you are going to be using a snubbie the booger man really will not be able to tell the difference.

 

[Sylvan-Forge]

148 gr. wadcutters

.

 

[chriske]

In 4" : 158 LSWC & 5.3 gr W-231
In 2" : 125 JSP or JHP & 5.6 gr VihtaVuori N320

 

[skoro]

Depends on the revolver

I have an old S&W Model 37 alloy revolver that's in perfect shape, but I won't fire +P ammo from it. So it normally carries the Federal 110gr low recoil hollow points. Sometimes I load it with Buffalo Bore 150gr hardcast, though.

My Model 642 gets either Buffalo Bore 158gr hollow points, 135gr Gold Dots, or Remington Golden Sabers.

I never feel undergunned.

 

[chupacabrah]

Other:
148 gr Hornady XTP NON+P

I didn't really do any research...it was priced about the same as other competitive stuff and I was looking for non+p which is not carried locally.

 

[crebralfix]

Federal FMJ FLAT points

No plus pee ammo

 

[weisse52]

148 grain wadcutters. Low recoil, good pentration. Accurate. Cheap to practice with.

 

[Deleted member 66305]

My S&W 640 is loaded with Buffalo Bore 158-gr. LSWCHP +P. I keep a couple speed strips of Reminton 125-gr. Golden Saber for reloading, as i don't want soft lead scribbling all over my pockets.

 

[Gunner4h1r3]

I use mainly 135 grain Speer Gold-Dot+P rounds in my 638, although I will also use 110 grain Cor-Bon +P, Winchester 125 grain +P, and Cor-Bon Pow'R Ball ammo.

Speer's are good and they are accurate in my snub out to a good disance for a 2" barrel.

 

[fxstchewy]

Blackhills ammo. Chewy

 

[earlthegoat2]

hornady 158 gr XTP

 

[Big Mike]

SP-101, from the box, Speer Gold Dot, "Personal Protection", 38 SPL+P 125 gr. GDHP.

 

[Elvishead]

In grandma's gun, .357, I keep Fed 110 low recoil, and the last shot a .357 MagSafe.

My Model S&W 37 158 gr. Magtech Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) "Non-+Ps"

In my main carry it GDHP 135g +P.

 

[P5 Guy]

Vote #118

158+p SWCHP made by Federal.

 

[SeanSw]

Voted 150gr hardcast wadcutter because that is what *I* would carry if given the choice. Expansion means nothing if penetration is not met. I think the hardcast wadcutter fills the bill best dealing with the short barrel velocities and various encounters one may have while armed with a snubbie. One benefit of a revolver is the ability to chamber wide flat noses bullets. I consider this a plus and would arm myself accordingly.

 

[ugaarguy]

158 gr LRN or 158 gr SW. +p is absolutely wasted in a snubbie unless you really enjoy muzzle flash and noise. At the ranges you are going to be using a snubbie the booger man really will not be able to tell the difference.

Really? The info here http://www.brassfetcher.com/38special2inchbarrel.html doesn't agree with that (thanks to THR member JE223 for sharing all his testing with us via www.brassfetcher.com).

 

[Dr. Snubnose]

Don't carry a .38 snubnose as much as I prefer the .357 mag. but when I do...Nyclads 125 grain the Federal's 158 grain Nyclads as well....or some special Magsafe rounds(+p+ made for me by the late Joe Zambone (original inventor and owner of magsafe ammo)...Doc