Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 38 Special 2 inch

Sorry for my interruption but does anyone have any Chrono data for wadcutter loads from a 2 inch 38 Special revolver?
Been eyeing some J Frame revolvers and curious as to what wadcutter loads and maybe some 158 grain loads will give from the short guns.
Again sorry for the interruption. Any information will be appreciated.

Check with Mackay Sagebrush, he has chronoed wadcutter loads in a 2-inch recently.....

Google Lucky Gunner Ammo Tests, they have wadcutter data out of a 2" barrel. Winchester 148gr wadcutter, 713 fps from a 2" barrel. Winchester 158gr +P LSWHP, 750 fps form a 2" barrel.

My S&W 637 with a 1 7/8" barrel does 679 fps with CCI Blazer 148 grain wadcutters. It stays loaded with a 140 grain XTP over 13.0 grains of 4227 for 859 fps from the same gun.

I never chronoed them but I know that the Fiocchi 148 HBWC load out of a 2” I could watch the bullets go down range. They would rivet and bounce off a sheet of 3/8” conveyor belt we had over the bullet trap. I’m always a little skeptical when I see regular midrange wadcutter loads recommended as snubby self defense loads for this reason. Cast flat base wadcutters loaded to full power on the other hand I think would be a great SD load for a 2”.

Yep. Both Buffalo Bore and Underwood ammo market a 148 gr. hardcast flat face wadcutter that runs 850 fps from a 2" snubbie. That is controllable from an airweight snub barrel, is accurate and should penetrate very well. My old M38 Bodyguard and M642 both are stoked with the Underwood version of that load. I have my 3" round butt M64 loaned out to my mom and it is also loaded with the hardcast wadcutters at 850 fps.

I have Underwood wadcutters as reloads for the gun I carry. I actually think they're a bit hotter than they need to be. But regular target wadcutter ammo can be VERY S L O W. It doesn't take much power to punch a hole in a piece of paper.

I am told that many years ago, they used to make "service wadcutters" for cops to use to target practice with, so that their target ammo had the same level of recoil as their service ammo. They were loaded to something like 850fps, which was standard velocity (before everything was watered down). The cops would often "accidentally" leave these loads in their guns, as they were well known for being more effective than the standard round nose bullets.

Scroll down in the link and it will provide you the result from factory loads in a 2"

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/revolver-ballistics-test/

“gun sam” offers about the best utube coverage of revolvers and ammo.

38sp wadcutters are always in my s&w 642 airweight snubbie. i never worry about their muzzle energy. until someone develops reliable proximity fuses for handgun ammo, consistent hits with a softer round always trumps near misses with a stouter round.

I would not worry about that. Instead buy gun that makes this irrelevant. S&W makes excellent J-frame .357 with tritium combat sights, stainless steel frame, barrel and cylinder, combat rubber grips. ***The cylinder is cut for moon clips.*** You can shoot any .38 Special, .38 Special +P or .357 in that gun w/o concerns about heavy bullets coming out during recoil. This gun does not have any shortcomings usually associated with this type of firearm. The weight is around 20 oz with is not cumbersome, problem solved.

Not a "shortcoming" per se; but, .357 mag in a J-frame is rather asinine.

No. For example, S&W made magnum J-frame Model 60 with combat grips and 5" barrel. Very useful wilderness camping trail .357 gun. Not easy to find, because many were too stupid to see the value of that compact, handy gun. With 2" barrel the only advantage might be easier to move if one chooses to sell the gun.
The gun I mentioned previously has tritium combat sights and cylinder cut for moon clips which are major bonus. The short barrel does not help .357, but original post mentioned .38 Special target-type load. This particular gun can handle standard range 158gr lead round nose bullets which sell for < wadcutter type loads. The added weight of gun means that these standard range or cowboy bullets will not travel out of case under recoil.

They did a M60 pro.w adj sighta and 4" ( maybe longer ).
Cool rig.

I ran +p .38 jhp in a reg model 60 snubby and a 642.
And Ive shot the Scandium Js w Corbon .357 mags.

The latter are obnoxious.

And friggin 😎

I chronographed Remington .38 Special 158 gr. LRN factory ammo L38S5 23724 from a 1-7/8" model 36. The average of ten rounds was 691.1 fps, 17.4 S. D., and 56.9 extreme spread. During the same session the same ammo in a 4" model 66 went 753 fps, from a 4" model 10 762 fps, and from a 6" Colt Official Police MKIII 825 fps. Don't take the Colt as typical, because it always clocks faster than expected.

I've chrono'd a bunch of it, it's generally in the range of 650 fps...700 is cooking. The BB 148gr wadcutters as mentioned are in the 850-875 range.

The BB 158 gr +P LSWCHP loads are about 850 fps from a 2" barrel, I remember the Underwood clocking about the same, and the equivalent Remington 158 Lead +P load (when you can find it) I think was about 790 ish, as I remember. (All from 2"). The Remington +P 158 LSWCHP load really wasn't bad for factory ammo.

Basically anything is hotter than 38 spc target loads.