Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .38 Special High Speed

We've been having this same discussion over on the Cast Boolit Forums and there seems to be mixed reactions as to how much a .38 Special can/should be pushed. GunGeek did an excellent post over there on velocities and pressures.

But of course just like the situation with the .38 Super being able to be used in the 1903 Colt Automatic, the Big3 ammo manufacturers always err on the side of caution (liability) when it comes to ammo pressure. In this case there would probably be a major question as to the J-frame Smiths (especially the stadard alminum AirWeight) being able to handle the loads. There are WAY more Js out there than 1903 Colts to worry about and you know that this ammo is going to end up in an old J one of these days. And think of the number of imports, Charter Arms and a lot more small frame .38s. There has to be a pretty good concern as the smaller high performance ammo companies like Buffalo Bore and CorBon think nothing of jacking up a .38 Super to its full potential where as their 158 .38 Special loads barely make +P+ let alone .38-44 velocities... This is going to be a handloading proposition forever...

I didn't have a lot of appreciation for the round either until a few years ago when I purchased my first Heavy Duty...it's a 1952 4"...





Back when I started shooting handguns in 1970 I used a Lyman/Thompson 358156 in a Model 19 for 95% of my shooting. Since getting this gun I've picked up a MP mold that casts both HPs and solids as well as a non-gas checked version that just throws solids....so I have come full circle...

Only load for now is 6.0 grains of UNIQUE which is supposed to be about 1000 fps from a 4". I've shot the load is a Model 67 and a 649 and it does fine... Eventually I'll work up something heavier with 2400 or AAC-9 as there are loads over on Load Data.com that run into the 1200s with those powders..

As to factory Hi-Speed .38s becoming available commercially...don't hold your breath...

Bob

ps..in looking at the Underwood ammo, they do have a 158 going 1160 fps...but don't specify the barrel length. Buffalo Bore is just as hot so apparently some of the high performance makers are making that ammo available...