Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .38 Special

That 68 has certainly done right by you, Bob. Sights can certainly make the difference, eh? Did you do anything with the rear sight blade?



This S&W Model 41 blade provided a deeper notch, showing more front sight in lower peripheral vision to confirm lateral alignment while focus was concentrated on the top of the front sight.

I tried K Frame Pachmayr Presentation grips a number of times. But, just couldn’t successfully adapt my double action trigger technique to the longer reach. I needed the exposed backstrap.

Steve

Wow I did a Triple-Take when I saw that pic! LOL... My eyes were thinking "this just doesn't compute!!!"

That's def unique!

Yep! The reason I ask is because for some reason there was some rumor that persisted for the longest time that there was a cake shop next-door and the signs just kind of ran together. I worked at the West Sacramento shop.

It’s a lot easier to put a python barrel on a Ruger then it is a Smith and Wesson because you don’t have to cut a new crane lock.

Funny to see this thread, but lately I've gone into 38/357 almost exclusively anymore - for CCW and plinking/shooting. I carry my 3" 686+ from morning til bedtime, to me the 38 Spl is just an all-time classic and is such a joy to shoot, easy to reload for, etc. Ammo is reasonably priced and easy to find (lately not so easy, but you know what i mean).

On my 642s I have hand filed the sights more narrow. It takes a steady hand If you don’t have access to a mill. I get them down to .10”. Makes a huge difference. The sights on my 60s & 36s are better as well 60-7 and 36-7.

What's your favorite snake medicine for that revolver...

It seems a revolver is my only sure cycler for rat shot

Funny, but I first got addicted to the 38 Special from my wife. She picked up a mid 1960s Colt Trooper in 38 Special at a gun show and had to have it. She is scary accurate with it. I don't want to make her mad!.

My daughter fell in love with it too and we found one for her also. Turns out the serial numbers on the two are only about 850 apart. She is almost as good with it as my wife.

Long story short, we now have several revolvers, all in 38/357. Other than 22s, they are the only handguns we own and will probably remain that way. We are hooked.

GunGeek, maybe you built it? This one has a double action smoother than anything I have seen. When I bought it, was told it was built for PPC competition. Bought it sometime in the 80's.

Same as my general use 38 load. 150-170gr SWC cast out of wheel weights over 5gr of Unique, CCI 500 primer in whatever mixed brass I grab out of the bucket.

TheKid, what molds are your favorites?

Hey, speaking of .38 Specials...

About an hour ago I picked up a 1965 vintage S&W Model 15-2 from my FFL guy. Excellent condition, I'd call it 98-99% on the metal with only minor wear on the recoil shield and hardly any turn line on the cylinder. TT and TH, .004" b/c gap with uniform chamber throats that will just allow a .357 jacketed bullet through. Seller said it lived most of its life in a safe and I believe it.

However, that safe queen status is definitely going to change for this one, starting tomorrow morning.

Current favorite for easy button usage is the RCBS 38-150KT. Mine drops bullets at .3585 out of clip on wheel weights with some 50/50 solder added which I size to .357 and lube with RCBS Green. They fit the throats in my 38/44 Outdoorsman, which is the 38 I shoot the most. I also have a 358429 single cavity and a 358156 that I chucked up in the lathe and converted to throw hollow points.
The RCBS shoots the best in the most revolvers and is easiest to cast with.

Different fix, same result:



When I couldn’t get a satisfactory sight picture with the too-wide, eighth-inch, stock front sight on my Model 640, I installed an old Model 60 barrel with its 1/10” front sight, then lowered that sight till 129gr Hydra-Shoks were all in the black at 25 yards. Very satisfying. Now, twenty years later, the light must be just so before I can adequately see those sights.

Excellent pick-up, Jim! Enjoy.

(I have a pristine 15-4).

is there anything you can to do now to help see the sights better?

With age comes wisdom, and deteriorating eyesight. That 640 is still very shootable in good light, has a most excellent trigger, and looks just too cool to change barrels again. Its lightweight 642 stable mate, on the hand, had its eighth-inch front sight milled to accept an XS Sights Standard Dot Tritium front, which is very easy to see and not at all light dependent:


Please ignore the flyer. 135gr +P GDHP Short Barrel ammo is just too ‘spensive to shoot up trying for a better looking 15 yard target.

That XS front sight covers the entire black bullseye at 15 yards, and makes sighting easy: Just center that front sight on the paper, covering the black, and use your best double action trigger technique.

Idaho, have you found out if that Masterpiece shoots as good as it looks?

Yes, and so far so good. Initially tried seven loads yesterday morning, 10 shot groups at 25 yards rested over sandbags, and the best one was 1 1/4" with a few others hovering either side of 2". The most accurate one was also the fastest - 5.5 grains of True Blue. Haven't chronographed it out of this revolver yet but interpolating its performance based on this same load in the 3" M60 and a 6" M14 it should be going about 900 fps.

Three bullets tried were the Hornady 148 HBWC, a Missouri Bullet Company 148 DEWC and my own cast Accurate 358160A, a powder coated 160 grain WFN. It gave me a bit of smug satisfaction that the three loads using my own cast bullets were the three most accurate ones.

The bullets were all .358" diameter and the chamber throats measure .357, so tomorrow I'm going to try two 15 shot groups with the best performing load; one group with the .358 bullets again and one with them sized to .357.