.38 Special Load Question

3

38splfan

New member
I once again prostrate myself at the foot of the fount of all revolver knowledge :D

I am interested in the availability of reasonable NON-P+ self defense loads. Does such a creature exist?
I ask because I am considering purchasing an older S&W Model 10, and am not sure it would be wise to use +P ammunition. It's primary use would be target/plinking, but also may pull nightstand duty.

I know that you are the group to ask, and will anxiously await the replies that will prove my unabashed ignorance :D
 
Find a couple of boxes of Federal Nyclad. Great load and dead soft lead bullet. I have seen it at gun shows occasionally. I believe it's discontinued.
 
Keep the +P on the nightstand

I would think if it is a late enough model to be marked Model 10, it would withstand plus P loads for defensive purposes-I cannot see it malfunctioning unless it already has a problem. I keep the +P 158 grain LHP in my J frame that sets around loaded all the time. The recoil is not all that much and lead loads are not as hard on the gun as jacketed. Not like a magnum load at all. You could practice with standard pressure 158's and then keep it loaded with the +P for trouble. Even fire a few to see how it handles. Otherwise the nyclads are nice like they say. Plastic over lead bullets. Very nice to the gun-low friction in the bore.
I believe they designed the .38 guns to fire 158 bullets, and set up the rifling and fixed sights to be optimum with that original loading. The light bullets will shoot low.Don't worry you would be safe shooting +P in an emergency by all means. Just maybe not the +P+, which is more like a .357!
 
Whinchester silvertips

One of the better rounds, if not that a semi wadcutter in a heavy bullet of 158 grans will do the trick. SOFT lead
 
Thanks guys.

Both the Winchester and Federal loads are around, just takes some looking. The Winchester is not so bad, but the Federal is slightly harder to track down.
i dunno about the Nyclad, must be time for a visit to the Old Western Scrounger. :)
Thanks for the help. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays. God Bless.
 
Wadcutters?

I have heard from time to time, that full wadcutters are pretty good - I think they are 148 gr. Anyone want to confirm/deny their SD effectiveness?
 
wadcutters

The shape of the wadcutter being blunt and soft can be a plus , but the velocites are too low in a wadcutter to be reliable and effective. The energy levels are not there.
 
Full wadcutters are not as effective for self defense as semi-wadcutters or even as round nosed lead bullets. LSWCHPs are more effective still. Part of the problem is the shape of the WC bullet, the other is that the WCs reason for being is bullseye target work and it is loaded lighter to help in accuracy, it is not designed for self defense.

tipoc
 
I have heard from Evan Marshall that the 110 gr. DPX Cor Bon standard pressure gives good results w/o the +P rating. I use them in a 1962 Colt Det. Stepcail.

HiCap
 
The Corbon 110 DPX reportedly meets the penetration criteria established by the FBI and expands by more than 1.5 times.

Another promising round, though it's +p, is the 135 GDHP from Speer. It was developed by request of the NYPD for a reliable, adequate round for snubbies. Like the DPX, it also registers satisfactory performance under the FBI testing protocol.
 
+p

I would ask the dealer if the model 10 you want can stand the +p
Because I had a S&W m10 that that would and it had the heavy barral
 
The consensus in the S&W crowd seems to be that any .38 Spl K-frame new enough to have a model number stamped on the frame is OK for +P, as is any older .38 Spl K-frame starting with serial number 316648.
 
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