Fellas real redneck science here, but anyone play around with modifying JHP to expand better? Specific calibre in mind is 38 special, as we know a lot of JHP dont do too well in them, and bullet like the speer GDHP getting hard to find. Had read about putting wax in JHP, does that make any difference? Also maybe adding cuts to the serrations or weakpoints. Dont take this post too seriouslly, obviousty WC and SWC and cast always work, but Im off work and looking for something to do Any old backyard ideas or anecdotes welcolmed.

I don’t think you are going to achieve something with a hacksaw and canning wax that the engineers at the bullet companies with computer modeling and research budgets have failed to provide. Doesn’t mean you can’t have fun messing around, but most modern bullets have well developed and tested jacket composition, including thickness, skives, and shapes. Hornady even has the gummy tipped thing covered.

Thats sort of the issue., engineers put most that research into tough 357 bullets, then load it into 38 as an afterthought for plinking. Hornadays gummy tips need another 300fps to work. With the remington golden sabre out of production they basically halved the market for low speed JHP.

Also predicting if shortages gain some permanency we may find we have to become more versatile like the old timers. Modifiying bullets, duplex loading, guard loads, case modifications, paper patching, etc. whatever is needed to feed your gun.

Thats another tangent though, I am just having fun with this idea mostly.

My best advice is 2400 powder that way you can push it fast enough to open.

Running 38's like a 38-44 or snub 357 is an option yep. The idea of this project though was subsonics with standard powder charges. This sort of thread gets more mileage on survival forums. 24hourcampfire doesnt have as many preppers or cranks

Well there are the old British Dumb Dumb rounds that were outlawed by the Geneva convention. Depends on the bullet..

Late 50s and early 60s, Denver police would file and X on their bullets to great effect. Apparently the idea worked as the practice was stopped after they were ordered to cease as that ammo was deemed too effective. (the demos ran the state even back in those days) The news media of the day ran many stories at the time about the practice with "lurid" of blood and gore to scare average citizens.

Try to do a deep star on the top of a lead swc, accurate enough at 12' to be interesting.

Surprised no one has said to load a HBWC backwards yet .

Hope springs eternal

Forster makes (or used to make) an attachment for their case trimmer which would drill a hollow point into pistol bullets. Back when dinosaurs walked the earth I tried one .44 and found that it was about impossible to drill the hole in the center of the bullet, even in a SWC. Decided the only way they would suit me would be to enlarge an already existing HP. I stuck it back in the drawer and haven't thought about using it in at least 40 years.

Looks like they still make them, although mine is a slightly different design:

https://www.forsterproducts.com/product/hollow-pointer-kits/

If you want or need a .38 Special load that expands reliably, just use the old FBI load, the +P 158 grain LSWCHP.

Or simply a double base WC.

This is why we still like the 45.

Read up on British soldiers making their own dum-dums.
I think that was pre Geneva Convention.

I've had good luck drilling the HPs deeper on slower-moving bullets to cause more disruption on impact. I haven't run any experiments for a while though.

I haven't heard that in a LONG time. You just dated yourself. Ok, maybe I just did too.

In the mid-60’s the hollow in Remington Golden bullet HP’s was filled with wax. At some point they stopped doing it. Which was better? I’ve never seen any mention of it or tests to determine the differences.

Probably the wax melts whilst traveling down the barrel no?

Used a small Dremel tool to make the power pocket bigger, the fill it with hydrolic oil & dust or 9 shot, and use oil foil to solder the nose shut.

It really blows chucks out of stuff like tree’s when you do it - but I was using it on a 44 mag..

I tried this in the 80’s with Speer HBWC’s and they looked wicked but shot horribly out of a 6” Trooper.

The recent Federal HST .38 that looks like a HBWC reminded me of those old loads.I tried a few in a .357 but accuracy wasn’t fantastic. They would probably open up quite well though.

6.5 grains of AA#5 will barely squeak them into the +P category. But I like them with 7 grains of AA#5 in Model 10s.

But 7 grains is more than the lawyered down load data calls for in .38 special with 158s. I do it anyway. K frames don't mind.

I use to do that, plus I would put a drop of mercury in the mouth and seal it with a little wax. You should see what it does to a gallon milk jug with water in ti.

Isn't that what the sheriff did in Jaws? Is your name Roy?

I’m no stranger to the concept, they do “fold” out quite far . I wouldn’t try to drill too deep into any meat with any reliability though with them

They were never meant to hunt four legged animals with.

Never suggested it . They suck

Thought the same thing

I reload these

1100 fps from a 2" snub. Better than any HP

also use them in my 32 acp and 380

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018748582?pid=784153