Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading New .38 Spl +P Load

Another great powder for +P .38 loads (and for .357 Magnum as well) is SR 4756. I believe it's discontinued, but there is still some out there. I load 6 grains with a SP magnum primer and use the 140 grain Hornady XTP. I prefer the old Speer 146 grain but it's long gone.

My Poly-Kote +P .38 Special 158 grain SWC load averages 1115 FPS from a 4" Combat Masterpiece.

It averages 1200 from a 6" Ruger Security-6.

It is a commercial load:



https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...l-p-158-grain-poly-coat-swc#Post17709461


If the Buffalo Bore company says they are getting similar numbers I would be inclined to believe them. The owner of BB knows what he is doing.

You know you don't have to buy SM gun exploder ammo.
LOL

What does the SM stand for, reference SM gun exploder ammo?

Put it backwards.
LOL

Are you saying MS, as in my ammo is "gun exploder" ammo?

Nah just goofing on the guys that give you crap about velocity/pressure.

This is great. Sounds more or less identical to the BB 38 sp 158 +P LSWCHP I've chronoed. That stuff all got 1100 fps from several different 3" steel framed S&W's I shot it in. Creeping right up on .357 mag with a fraction of the bang and flash.

I used to load a lot of 158 gr. cast .38 with 9.0 gr. 2400 and CCI 500. I didn't have a chrono back then but, it was mild. I load mostly 5.0 and 5.5 gr. Unique now with 158 gr swc.

Anyone that wouldn't hesitate to own a 9mm K-frame or larger revolver but doesn't think a 38 Special can't surpass it at less pressure don't apparently know how to go about things. I wouldn't load it to 357 levels, but theres a a ton of "room" people just don't equate with the 38 for some reason.

Staying away from old school Winchester cases or new Remington cases helps. And "Blazer" cases may look like Federal or Speer cases, but they aren't.

FWIW, Sierra VI edition lists a 1,200 fps. 158gr. JACKETED load fired from a 5.6 inch barrel with 2400 and two other powders at 1,150. 170 gr loads clock 1,100. These are 38 +P rated loads, meaning they are under 20,000PSI and CUP, a long ways and a lot of safety margin compared to a 9mm that's been chambered in the same/similar revolvers.

Throw in lead slugs and the speeds with the same powder charges get quicker.....

Personally I think the 173 Keith or a 180 dual crimp LBT at 1100-1150 does a whole lot of work with a lot of accuracy and its on the heels of a 357 without as much fuss and way beyond the 9mm with far less pressure than either.

5.5grs of Unique and a 173gr Keith is a wonderful combination.

What Hawk wrote is quite true.

The naysayers with this stuff "Based on my reloading manuals and online loads I gotta raise the BS flag on that" just makes me shake my head.

What they are saying is that they have zero personal experience. They are simply reading stuff online and guessing, but they feel qualified to question someone's honesty who has actually put in the work and developed the loads. In the case of custom manufacturers that tends to be some rather extensive research and development.

But hey if the armchair expert says based on his online research it can't be done, then that trumps the people who actually do it for a living.

The funny thing is that in the case of the +P .38 SWC Poly-Coat I referenced above, there was room to go faster, and attain more velocity, and in fact I did with some T&E loads. But due to the fact that there are some people who may put it in a gun that is not mechanically sound, I settled on the velocity window I did, in addition to the fact that it showed excellent accuracy. There is always a sweet spot, and that was it.

People forget (or don't know) that there are modern propellants (cannister powders) that are not available to the general public. When they are trying to guess and make assumptions about what a manufacturer is using, they are quite often/usually wrong.





Jacketed, hard cast, and poly-coated projectiles all will give different velocities when pushed with the same powder charge. That is a fact that is lost or simply unknown to a good many.

That is called a "Clue"..

I've been playing with VV n37 and n38 and 105 lately and have been pretty impressed with them. I found some of my favorite pistol powders Longshot, be-86, power pistol and titrgroup seemed to be interacting with my powder coating on my cast bullets. I went looking for good single base options and found VV powders.

The n105 makes some great almost full house magnum loads without going to the higher grain weight charges I uses to hit with pp300mp or h110 or magnum. I give up a little velocity but get many more loads per pound.

I've always been a fan of mid speed powders for efficiency with decent speed. I've used a lot of Longshot, power pistol, and in more recent years be-86. Hard to best Longshot in a 40 or 10mm but powdercoating sent me looking for other options.

I've got a bunch of speer swaged 158g 38 hpswc bullets I bought for half of about 5 years ago. I need to find a load for them and crank out a bunch. I'm wrapping up my 45 acp then I'll do some 45 colt and then switch to small primers and start on 38. I'd like to get about 850 from my lcr and 360pd both with 1&7/8" barrels. That may be pushing it but I've got some universal I need to use so i thought I'd start with about 5 grains. If that doesn't work I nay try vv n37 or 38 next.

When I find a load that shoots I'll crank out 1000 or so. I'll also use it in my 3", 4" and 6" 357s so I want it under 1000 fps in those guns too. I've heard these swagged Speers can lead bad if you run them too fast.

What's a good powder for 850 with the swagged 158 in a 2"ish gun that stays under 1000 in a 6"? I'm thinking faster burning powders will keep the difference at a minimum. I've also got lots of wsf I'm not using so I may try it too.

Bb

"... I found some of my favorite pistol powders Longshot, be-86, power pistol and titegroup seemed to be interacting with my powder coating on my cast bullets...".

Bb, interacting how?