"Lead build up" is a factor only if you never clean your guns, or if you use dead-soft bullets and try to drive them at magnum velocities. Swedged lead bullets must be quite soft for the manufacturing process. If you purchase cast lead bullets, they are usually an alloy that can easily be driven to over 900 fps without problems. Yes, there is more fouling in the bore than with jacketed bullets, but it gives way to solvent, bronze brushes and/or tight-fitting patches. Then, there's the Lewis Lead Remover, marketed now by Outer's.
One of the primo .38 Special loads for snubbies is the "FBI Load," a 158 gr. non-jacketed lead SWC HP +P. It always seems to expand pretty well, even from the two-inch guns. Most people don't feed their little pocket revolvers a steady diet of this ammo, not enough for leading to be a problem.
If you want to hand load, Hornady sells a 180 gr. truncated cone bullet with thick jacket and minimal lead exposed at the front end. It is for metallic silhouette target shooting and not for expansion. I don't know if they were ever factory loaded, and if so, probably only in the .357 magnum cases.
If you don't want to clean barrels, the Remington 158 JHP and Federal Nyclad .38 Special loads are good. Pretty fair velocity, and no lead touches the bore. The 158 almost never expands in soft tissue, but you give that up with the FMJ anyway. Mr. Erwin's suggestion about the Federal Nyclad is a good one. I understand that the 125 Nyclad does expand, and is a good load in its own right.
One other source I know for heavier, jacketed, .38 bullets would be to acquire some of the British .380/2Z (.38 S&W, NOT special) loads, with a 174 FMJRN bullet, pull the bullets and load 'em yourself. They have thick jackets, which tend to yield higher pressures, so I wouldn't want to try for a load giving much over 750 or 800 fps. FN, Belgium, also sold a lot of these a few years back.
Best,
RR
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