Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading .38/44 load data?

Sort of, anyway.

I picked up a Lyman 358429 mold. Seated conventionally in .357 brass, the bullets protrude slightly from the cylinder on both my S&W 60 and Ruger GP-100s. I don't care for roll crimping over the shoulder. Seems to me loading them in .38 Special brass as .38/44 outdoorsman ammo and shooting them in a .357 should work .. but data? I'm most particularly interested in 2400. Does anyone have data?

Tom

Its toned down from Elmer's loads, but 10.5 with modern 2400 in +P 38 cases works well in guns that will handle it, which is any 357.

Std. primer.

Thanks ...

If you just want a standout +P load with that bullet, 5.5 grs. of Longshot in 38 cases is what I generally use in 357s and K/N/L frame 38's.

Less bark than 2400, but ample power and fairly flat shooting.

Keith's heavy .38 load was the 358429 over 13.5 grains of 2400 and reportedly produced either 42 kpsi or 35 kpsi - the latter being .357 SAAMI pressure. That was the older Hercules 2400, Alliant 2400 is a bit faster so maybe consider 12.5 to 13.0 as top end. I got this info from the links below.

A thread on this: https://singleactions.proboards.com/thread/33379/38-44-hd-non-magnum

That thread has links to two John Taffin articles:
http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt38spcl.htm

https://americanhandgunner.com/gear/38-special/

An excerpt: "I came heir to a whole batch of Winchester-Western .38 Special cases, stumbled onto Keith's .38 Special load, and I was in business. The standard Keith .38 Special load has been around for nearly sixty years now and is still one of the best for those .357 Magnum revolvers that do well with cast bullets. The load is put together with Keith's #358429 over 13.5 grains of Hercules #2400 in .38 Special brass with standard primers.

This is a Heavy Duty Plus P Plus Plus load and only for use in .357 Magnum revolvers and heavy frame .38 Special revolvers such as the Colt Single Action and Heavy Duty Smith & Wesson. It does 1314 feet per second in the four-inch Model 19 and over 1400 feet per second in the Model 27 with eight and three-eighths inch barrel. My Model 27 had to be specially designed for the Keith .38 Special load. It shoots it that good!"

You might want to wear a Stetson and smoke a big cigar when shooting those...


Fwiw, I've used 10.0 grains of 2400 with any of several 158 grain SWC bullets in three or four S&W Model 15 .38 Specials, one a five screw Combat Masterpiece from the 1950's. It's been an accurate load in all of them and produces about 1000 fps from a 4" barrel.

I appreciate the info so far. I don't want to discourage others from sharing by replying too much, there's a time to shut up and listen. 'specially if you asked a question.

General thing I'm looking for is a more than .38 +P but not .357 level. Something that will hurt whatever I shoot with it but won't shake my J frame .357 too much. I have some older loads not quite shot up yet that I would absolutely not want getting in the little S&W 5-shooter. "Rocks 'n' dynamite" loads for an old Blackhawk I had that was accurate with such .. and nothing less.

Alliant lists Power Pistol at 6.0gr under a 158 giving about 1040fps. I’ve been using this load for the last month due to running low of Unique. It’s a very accurate load out of my Outdoorsman. I haven’t chronoed it.

Someday I’m going to run across somewhere that has 2400 and Unique on the shelf and I’ll stock back up but I’m having to branch out into some new territory for now.

I've been using a lot of Power Pistol the last few years as well. 5.9 grains with the 170 Keith in 38 brass goes 1060 from a 6" barrel with good accuracy.

Try 11gr 2400 with the Keith bullet. You will like it and it would be hard on a regular .38spl but probably won't blow it up if you should happen to get one mixed up. I fired a 13gr charge under a 160gr by mistake once in a combat masterpiece. I was awake after that.........

I load the 358429 over 12.0 grains 2400 in
Starline +p .38 cases. I get 1235 fps out of my 5 inch 627.