3D Police 38spl Ammo - What Did I Buy This Time???

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Josh Smith

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Hello All,

I was at the gunstore looking for 000 buck (they're out) when I ran across some 3D ammunition. This stuff is SJHP, and the box is not labeled as "+P". However, some of the caseheads are.

It was interesting, so I bought it. Now I just need to know what it is - is it remanufactured, or did 3D buy a bunch of brass from different sources? Except for the headstamps, they all look uniform - that is, they all have the same bullet and the same bright nickel case.

Does anyone know how old these are, and how hot? Is it safe for non- +P 38 revolvers? What the heck did I buy?

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Here is the top of the box... police cartidges? Maybe that explains the lack of headstamp consistency?

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The front of the box...

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Some headstamp samples. Notice one says "+P". That's confusing.

The back of the box says this:

3 - D POLICE CARTRIDGES are manufactured to rigid specifications, utilizing American-made, specially selected components, non-corrosive priming and modern smokeless powder. Bullets are specially designed for minimum leading and superior accuracy. Automatic production machinery is used exclusively throughout loading operation. Carbide dies and taper crimp provide maximum case life. These cartridges are adapted to all standard arms chambered for .38 special caliber and are guaranteed to perform satisfactorily.
Click to expand...

Any ideas, gents?

Thanks,

Josh <><
 
Looks like remanufactured standard pressure ammo to me. I searched and found a web posting of 3-D ammo by Hornady with address and phone number, but the Hornady site does not mention it. Only retail mention I could find was Natchez shooters supply had some 3-D remanufactured 9MM ammo, and it was a closeout, cheap. Looks like your company has gone T.U. just before the big price increases. They might have stayed in business charging the new prices for ammo! Probably not a problem to shoot it in any modern 38 special. I had seen their ammo at gunshows in the dim recesses of memory, but don't think I bought any. If the box doesn't say plus P it aint. Just a bunch of probably recycled once fired brass that you have there. Have fun with it.
 
Remans loaded with 158gr SJHP and labeled as police ammo? I don't doubt you but I've just never heard of such a thing...? :confused:

Thanks,

Josh <><
 
3D made re manufactured ammo using new primers ( of course) bullets and casings from where ever they could find them. No mystery other than the police markings and I bet that is from a contract with one of the police dept. for cheap practice ammo. It was very good reloaded ammo. However if you paid 12 dollars for them that seems high? These were standard loads not P or +P. Some of my own wadcutters have +p stamped on the shells but they're not. Or they used the term police loading just to show that they were standard police loads.
 
I've run into remanufactured standard pressure 38spl in +p cases before (e.g. Black Hills). The first time I'd come across these, I actually called Black Hills to confirm that there was no potential that they'd mixed a +p run in with their standard pressure loads.

The 'Police' designation may just be a marketing gimmick.
 
3D was a remanufacturer of ammo (aka commercial reloader) in the midwest. They often reloaded ammo for PD training units as well as civilian sales. The "Police Cartridges" is a sort of marketing gimmick as most of their loads were middle-range powered 158gr LSWC or a JHP of some kind.

As PDs shifted to semiautos they continued to market their remanufactured ammo as "police" cartridges (why pay for the printers to change artwork?) for some years.

My guess is that if you stuff those cartridges into a .357 (for the extra margin of safety) you'll find they're fairly light to moderate loads.
 
I bought a bunch of their ammo years ago and it was just fine. Certainly not match grade stuff and mine had all different headstamps too. Every one went bang and when I bought mine the price was a lot less. Should be safe in any modern gun in reasonably good condition. Enjoy. CB
 
Thanks gents.

I don't understand why it would be loaded with 158gr SJHP and labeled as "police cartridges" is all. I take it no good for defense then. Maybe a decent woods load?

Josh <><
 
Ammunition companies will slap "police" on anything. I don't think there are any police agencies so cheap as to use 3D so in this case it looks like it means nothing.

Winchester has a company policy of only selling their 9mm 127gr +P+ Ranger to cops, but it's readily available to anyone in reality.

Don't get so hung up on what is printed on the box. That stuff is all hype most of the time.

"ExtreemShok Anti-Terrorist Tiger-Face Explosion!". Yeah, sure.
 
3-D ammo was started by a small group who sold exclusively to their local PD, back when revolvers were king. They then went commercial, but carried their history on the box. 100% re-loads.

I have 3-D in .38 Special, .357 magnum, 9mm, and .45 ACP. The most expensive was the .357 Magnum, at $11.00/50. The .38 Special ran about $6.00/50 ten years ago.

They ran afoul of the EPA and it's lead laws. They are out of business.:)
 
We used to shoot 3D stuff for training & qualification several years ago before my department switched to autos. Never had a problem with it that I recall.
I would not use it today for defensive purposes, although it'll probably be fine. Just why use ammo of uncertain age and power levels when you can use current ammunition with known properties? You also don't know how it's been stored, and that can make a large difference in old ammo. It should work for practice, and it'll be safe in a standard .38 Special revolver as far as pressures go. The determiner is what's on the box, not the headstamp, on those reloads.
Denis
 
The range I used to work at sold 3-D remanufactured ammo.

They apparently have sold a LOT of revolver and semi-auto ammo to police agencies for training purposes over the years.

Generally I found it to be very good ammo. It was always my first choice if I needed some range ammo.
 
3-D ammunition

Many ears ago, I had access to 3-D remanufactured ammunition at a decent price and I bought several hundred rounds of .38 special. The ammunition I had was loaded with a 158gr LSW, was as consistent in accuracy as occurs with mixed brass, and 100% reliable. I remember an insert or label with the company address and phone number, stating they manufactured ammunition from all new components also. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot 3-D again, but I have reservations about what I had being good for SD, and it sounds like you may have remanufactured ammunition, too. I'd shoot the stuff at targets and stick with major brands or good (self) reloaded ammunition for SD.

twb
 
Extreme Shock, whose ads look like rejected game boxes, markets their ammo as "anti-terrorist" ammunition. :rolleyes:

You can print whatever you want on a box.
 
So it is an old box of ammo, made to be sold for 6$ retail, and it sat around for years and he paid over 12$? A gun dealer would not gyp a customer like that would they?:p
 
Funny. :) Kinda makes me want to print up an ammo abox just for giggles. :D

LIKE

Extreme Power, deep penetration, explosive expansion, advanced bad guy finding, seemingly thermo nuclear, POLICE! AMMUNITION!

Would you buy it?
 
3-D Ammunition

I have quite a bit of practice and experience with 3-D loads, both .38spl and 9mm. The rounds are as accurate as I can shoot. But this ammo is definitely practice ammo. I use .38spl wad cutters in a .357 Model 28. For competition and target shooting, the round proved itself to be low pressure (have also used them in a S&W chief's special) providing minimum recoil. The wad cutter round is, surprisingly, a good self-defense round as the flat face of the round causes instant dissipation of its power and low risk of over penetration. However one must remember that 3-D is basically practice ammo. When I am done practicing, I load service rounds, not 3-D rounds into the pistols.

Don't pay attention to the head stamps on the .38 rounds because 3-D uses recycled shells and loading a standard pressure round into a +P+ casing is perfectly safe.

I also still have some 3-D 9mm SWC rounds. They feed perfectly into a Glock but not some other 9mms because the SWC design is different from ball ammo. Again, 100% of all rounds fired as advertised.

As an aside, the president and founder of 3-D recently died and probably his company with him. But his company produced reliable ammunition. I am sad to see the demise of 3-D because they were a reliable source of quality ammo for shooting enthusiasts. You might want to consider Olin as a possible alternative.


je__1
 
I know this is a very old post, but helping my mother clean out my fathers old gun stuff I found a few boxes of these.

I googled them and found this post. Based on the age and when my father quit shooting, I'd guess these are from the 50s or 60s. He has a bunch of these and some old Western Winchester wadcutters that are level with the brass.

These worth anything other than to shoot at the range?

I found some old Sako .380 too with a price tag from a Gibson's, $2.19. Not having much luck finding info about those, but I'll create a new post later.

Thanks
 

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I don't think they were 3D, but I remember buying 38 wadcutters (those are the ones with the flat end, flush with the cartridge case mouth) in a little cube box just like that, when I first started shooting. They were reloads, just loose dumped into the box, 50 to a box. Mixed brand cases. I think they were 2-3 bucks a box. It was pretty common I think to buy reloaded ammo then. I know it never occurred to me to question it. Some local guy would load them and sell them through gun stores, at gun shows and such, I suppose. I don't recall the brand that I bought.

Should you use it? I don't know. I don't think I would, although I can't give you a reason why, other than I/you don't know how they've been stored over the years. I had some of my own reloads from the middle 80's that I fired recently, and they worked just fine, but I knew them. I knew how they'd been stored, I knew what powder I used, and how much powder and so on.

Now, do you mean do they have any "collector value?" Again probably not. There might be some interest in individual headstamps on the cases, but that's doubtful, and it wouldn't be worth it to try to sort them out, and then find the one guy who just had to have that particular case. There might be more interest in the box actually, but again, you have to find the one guy who just can't live without it.
 
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