1 7/8" Snub-nose and 110 gr .38 Special Hydra-Shok® JHP (non+P)

KyJim: if somebody clocked the Federal 110s at 850+ from a snub it'll be the first I've heard of it. Wouldn't terribly surprise me if the speeds vary by lot.
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I think they would be marginal. As I mentioned, I believe in being conservative on these things and would stick with the wadcutter myself. But I mostly carry a .45 if the clothing permits. :)
 
Seems to be contradicted by their 700fps out of a 2" barrel.
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remember revolver barrel measurements dont include cylinder length. their 2" barrel included the chamber effectively giving about a 1/2" barrel.
 
I still have some 110 +P+ Treasury loads (Federal LE +P+). That's pretty high pressure for loads I chrono'd at only 1060 fps from a 4" 586. The 110 gr. was never noted for very high velocity in a .38 no matter how you try to propel it.

That includes Hornady's 110 gr. Critical Defense @ 944 fps from a 3" M66.

The CorBon DPX is an exception, but it's all copper bullet has a length/caliber ratio about like a 125 gr. and it almost makes 1100 fps from my Det. Spl.

From the same Det. Spl., the Speer 135 gr. is 860 fps.

Both the Speer and the CorBon expand reliably after passing thru heavy clothing.

The generic 125 gr. JHP's? Well, not so much.:cool:
 
I still have some 110 +P+ Treasury loads (Federal LE +P+). That's pretty high pressure for loads I chrono'd at only 1060 fps from a 4" 586. The 110 gr. was never noted for very high velocity in a .38 no matter how you try to propel it.
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I have a box of Corbon 110 gr. .357 magnums. I don't have the box in front of me but it has a muzzle velocity in the 1500+ fps range which seems to be confirmed in real life Internet reports. When I carry my 3 inch Model 60, that's what I load. I figure that if I'm only getting 1300 fps out of a three inch barrel, it will put a load of hurt on a person. Of course, this is entirely different than .38 spl., even in the +p+ pressures.
 
Guys, lets not get hung up on the velocity part of the equation. Bullet design is important as well. I recall one of the big makers selling their .38 Spl JHP bullet, which folks loaded over hot .357 Mag charges. The bullets fragmented and failed to penetrate.
The maker made two different bullets, visually identical, one for .36 Spl velocities, one for .357 velocities. Internally, they were different (jacket thickness and exact composition, as I recall).

So, Federal may have designed their bullets to expand at lower velocities. Faster is not always better.
 
OP,
The 125 gr Nyclads are soft shooting and have a good rep for expanding. I bought a box for the wife when I thought she might have trouble with recoil from her 649.
FWIW
YMMV
 
I have a box of Corbon 110 gr. .357 magnums. I don't have the box in front of me but it has a muzzle velocity in the 1500+ fps range which seems to be confirmed in real life Internet reports. When I carry my 3 inch Model 60, that's what I load. I figure that if I'm only getting 1300 fps out of a three inch barrel, it will put a load of hurt on a person. Of course, this is entirely different than .38 spl., even in the +p+ pressures.
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John Jacobs wrote a great article called "Ammunition Evaluatiion and Selection: U.S. Border Patrol, 1970-2000".

I've tried to summarize without plagerizing his work or violating the board rules.

When he tested his new duty load, the .38 Spl 110 +P+, on a Jackrabbit he hit the jack behind the shoulder, with the bullet angling forward to destroy the heart and lungs and produce an instant, electrifying kill.

When he turned the jack over, he discovered that the bullet HAD NOT EXITED and penetrated only about 4". During a period of about 4 years that the INS issued the ammo, results were found to be erratic. Velocity from a 4" revolver averaged from 1050 to 1125 fps. When the ammo was issued in a short bbl. revolver, velocity was reduced to under 1000 fps and expansion became unreliable.

The round would not penetrate the brush found in the environment along the border or reliably penetrate car metals and windshield glass. When it did penetrate, there wasn't much energy left for incapacitation.

In another incident, an officers gun was taken away and he was shot in the bicep. Part of his shirt was pushed into the wound, but the bullet didn't penetrate enough to cause serious injury. This was just one of a number of shooting incidents that led to the demise of the Treasury load as the duty round of the INS/Border Patrol.

Eventually, the .357 110 JHP was adopted, but agents had the option to carry ammo like the 140 gr. Silver Tip, which certainly offered better penetration than the 110gr., and the ST became the preferred round--even over the 125gr. JHP.

Note that the Silver Tip was developed as a fast expanding round offering low penetration---but it still out penetrated the 110 gr. .357. And the 110 gr. at magnum velocities proved superior to the .38 +P+.

A lot went into the search for the right duty load within the INS. Eventually they looked at the 9mm +P+, the .45ACP, etc.

Eventually there was a transition to the .40 S&W after passing on the 9mm.:cool:
 
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