.38 Special FBI Load

Z

zippyfusenet

New member
Where can I buy some 'FBI load' .38 special ammunition?

I'm a new shooter, an old guy from a non-gun background. I'm very ignorant, so I ask questions.

I shoot a .357 revolver. I've heard of a type of .38 special ammunition developed for the FBI that combines (if I remember this right) a hollow point 158 grain bullet with a +P charge. I've looked for this around town, but all the .38 +P that I find (Remington, Federal, Winchester) uses a much lighter hollow point bullet, 115 grain or 125 grain at most.

Is there somewhere I can buy .38 special ammunition made to 'FBI load' spec?

Is there some reason a lighter bullet makes a better civilian self-defense round?
 
You just need to make friends with an old FBI guy/gal. "Hey, Earl, I need some more of those .38's" The newer, hotshot agents don't seem to know the FBI ever used revolvers...:rolleyes:
 
Zippy, you could take up loading your own ammo. I did a few uears ago, and I can load anything I want, whenever I want. The SWC-Hollow Point bullets are availavle from many sources.

Loading your own is ecpecially satisfying in .38spl/.357mag.

.
 
Winchester, Federal, and Remington all make 158 gr LSWCHP+P. Might try Keisler's or one of the police supply dealers.
 
My prefered version is the Federal Nyclad 158gr +p lswchp.

I was bummed when it was pulled, but evidently, it's back on the market.
 
GunsnRovers said, "My prefered version is the Federal Nyclad 158gr +p lswchp.

I was bummed when it was pulled, but evidently, it's back on the market."

That's great news if true!. I just checked the Federal Cartridge website and no Nyclads are listed. Hopefully they just have not updated their site. I wish they would bring it back.
 
I don't know if Federal brought it back, but a few distributors bought out the entire stock of what was left and is putting it on the market.

The new Speer load supposedly works, but I fail to see why they would bother to make a jacketed bullet work in the short barreled .38 spl when there never was any problem with the SWCHP or the Nyclad loads failing. The SWCHP and the Nyclad were fairly cheap also.
 
"I thought the feds used 9 mil?"

The "FBI Load" goes back to the 70s when it was developed and 1st started carried by them.
 
Thanks for all the links and advice.

My revolver is a snubby, a .357 S&W Model 60. My wife, who shoots it with me, is a small woman with arthritis in her wrists. We bought this piece because we figured a J-frame S&W is the biggest revolver she can handle. I can shoot magnum loads, but she must have low-recoil ammunition.

Right now we're loaded with Winchester 38 SPL. +P 125 GR. JHP, which is what's available at my Walmart. It's low recoil and easy to shoot, so no complaints on that score.

I've read that the 'FBI load', the 38 SPL. +P 158 GR. HP combination, is proven a highly effective man-stopper. I was surprised that I couldn't find this round at Walmart or Dick's. I'll look further now, and can order off the internet if I need to.

There's a lot of 38 SPL +P HP ammunition in the stores, but all the rounds have lighter bullets. It makes me wonder - a lighter HP bullet seems to be more popular for civilian self-defense use, than the 158 GR HP bullet. What's the reason?
 
The lighter bullets are more popular because almost all the ballistic tests are done with 4 inch (or longer) barrels. Longer barrel equals increased velocity and greater reliability in expanding while still penetrating. Lighter weight bullets traditionally have not expanded as well from snubbies.

The idea behind the .38 spl +p lswchp, especially in the snubbies, is that the heavier bullet will penetrate to an adequate depth and the semi-wadcutter nose helps create some tearing and crushing of tissue even without expanding. The lead nose is fairly soft and may expand somewhat at lower velocities. If the bullet expands properly, then even more damage is done.
 
The three-inch Model 13 (or 65 or 10/64) is made for the FBI load (well, actually, it was the other way around--the FBI load was made for the three-inch K-frame).
 
the heavier 158 gn slug has more recoil than the 125gn IMO.
If she has arthritis, and recoil is a problem, this should be considered
Look at the Remington Gold Sabres or PMC Starfires in 125 gn. Both show
good expansion in testing with snub nosed revolvers. I use the PMC.
 
Zippy, if your wife can handle the new Speer 135 grain Gold Dot round, the one designed specifically for the .38 snubby, I would strongly recommend it. It is what I carry in my own .38. The 158 grain slugs in any loading generally tend to recoil harder than the lighter ones, which may be an important factor to you because of the arthritic condition you mentioned. You might also take a look at Corbon's new 110 grain, +P, DPX load. This uses an all-copper Barnes X-Bullet and the ;ab testing done on them looks very good indeed in terms of effectiveness. I've found from my own testing of them that they are very light in recoil, mostly because of the lighter bullet.
 
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