.38 special short barrel ammo?

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kymasabe

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I'm trying to find an ammo I once had a box of but can't remember what it was. I think the slang name for it was "ashtray" or something like that, because the hollow point was a huge gaping hole. I'm pretty sure was designed for short barreled .38's, I think it might have been made by Federal (or possibly Hornady), but I have no idea what grain round it was or if it's still made. By the way, was NOT +P.
Does it sound familiar to anyone ?
 
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You may be thinking of the flying ashtray made by Speer. Also called a "meat bucket", they had a huge hollow point. A 200gr .451 caliber bullet that I don't think was specifically made for any particular barrel length. They were just trying to get a hollow point that would actually expand. Back in the day, if a 1911 would feed them it would feed anything.

I carried them for a while but then moved on to truncated cones, a Col. Cooper favorite back in the stone age.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ftGrCN_89Q
 
I have read that 148 gr .38 wadcutters work well in short barrel guns, so that's what I have in my 642 and others.
 
Check out the Federal HST personal defense. They are wadcutters with a huge hollowpoint.
Good reviews for a .38 speical, but they are +P. 130 grain JHP loded flush with the case.
 
The Ashtray

If you reload, use a 148gr cast lead hollow base wad cutter and invert the bullet so that the hollow base is now at the exposed portion of the cartridge.

This is an old school "knock-down" load used way back prior to current advancements in bullet design.
 
Try Federal 110gr Hydra Shok.
It's not plus p, has a large hollow point. Works well in light weight snub guns.
 
Buffalo Bore 38+p 158 gr SWC-HP

There’s no better carry ammo for a snubby unless you’re recoil sensitive
 
kymasabe said:
Sorry, it's going in a Charter Arms, I don't use +P in a Charter as it tends to rattle them to pieces.
Click to expand...


Buffalo Bore makes a non +p version of the same. I’ve tested them side by side and the +p version has about 100 fps more. But the non +p version is excellent and I shot it lots in my charter before I sold it. You shouldn’t have any trouble.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Finding any ammo right now is going to be a challange !
Become buddies with all the gunshop owners within 100 miles of you ... haunt Estate Sales ...old dude who was a shooter leaves ammo ...family will sell it .
Hard ammo times out there ... Good Luck !

My New Motto: Buy whatever you can find at a reasonable price .
Any ammo is better than no ammo !
Gary
 
You wouldn't be thinking of the old Federal Ny-Clads would you? IIRC, they had a pretty large HP cavity and the standard pressure version was favored by many who carried snubbies (particularly airweights) because they were loaded moderately and thus had mild recoil, but due to their very soft nylon-coated lead construction will still expand reasonably well at low velocities.

The Ny-Clads have, sadly, been discontinued (though Federal did bring them back briefly a few years back). If you want a decent modern standard pressure .38 Spl, you might look at Hornady's 110 gr Critical Defense as it's FTX bullet seems to expand reliably without needing high velocity to do it.
 
I think the slang name for it was "ashtray" or something like that, because the hollow point was a huge gaping hole. I'm pretty sure was designed for short barreled
Click to expand...
I recall a 200gr CCI 45 acp JHP being called "the flying ash tray"
My 2" .38spl revolvers are loaded with either 148gr LWC or 158 gr LSWC because I believe penetration is more important than expansion for these short barreled low pressure cartridges.
 
Here in my country we cannot use any kind of expanding bullets in handguns. But I see people falling down instantly in almost any shootout and with solid bullets. Even with 9 mm NATO rounds!
 
Proper shot placement is more important than any ammo selection.

I don't carry a snubby; but if I did, I'd carry Speer's 135g Gold Dot Short Barrel ammo. There would be no other choice for me. I chronographed this ammo at 955 f/s through a 3" bbl. I suspect that would put it in the high 800's through a 2" bbl. Considering Speer claims that this bullet will expand at 750 f/s in ballistics gel, that should be more than enough velocity. And at 135 grains, they have some weight to them (I like heavy bullets for defense).

Yes, it's a +P loading. But it will not "rattle to pieces" your Charter Arms gun; unless you fed it a steady diet. Keep in mind that +P means only about 17% more pressure than non+P. I promise, you're gun will stay together long enough to get in some practice with them, and stop a bad guy.

If you can find them ;)
 
For a short barreled gun the Brit's had it down perfect!
They used a police round that used a 200 grain bullet moving at about 700fps.
As soon as that 200 grain bullet hit the target it would tip and turn creating a massive
wound channel. Worked long before high velocity expanding bullets.
 
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