deep breath... this is long...
Years ago now, in this forum, we got in to a discussion when a guy starting new for the first time laid out the usual gang of popular cartridges and he asked which would be the best to start at -- also saying that he tends to shoot more 9mm than anything. (maybe because factory 9mm is the cheapest?) He said he had heard .38 Special is the best way to go and he wanted to hear if we agreed and why.
Now I had pondered this question for quite some time over the years after starting my own handloading career with it in 1988. To me, it seemed like the reasons we ever-flowing and it was high time I organized them in to a post and listing them.
Here is the bulk of that post from ~5 years ago, slightly edited
.38 Special beats every other caliber out there when it comes to the question, "which is the best for the brand new reloader to start with?"
It's been my opinion for a long time that there exists NO CALIBER in the world that is better suited to learning how to reload than the .38 Special. The following is why I think so:
For all these reasons (and maybe some I forgot?) I really believe the .38 Special is far and away the single best caliber to learn on as a new reloader. I can't imagine any other with all these "features" that make it ideal as one to learn on.
Any round you can compare it to will fall short somewhere else.
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Now, that was my argument 5 years ago and I don't see a lot that has changed. In your specific situation, you won't be loading for a .357 Magnum -- however a modern, post 1957-built Smith & Wesson K-frame is spec'd for and happily digests even +P .38 Special, and there is nothing whatsoever (in any way!) weak about the cylinder steel in a Model 10 or any K-frame Smith & Wesson. You have very nearly the perfect platform for handloaded .38 Special in a S&W Model 10. I have a handful of K-frame .38's and they are my favorite revolver for certain.
Why I am glad you asked!
Years ago now, in this forum, we got in to a discussion when a guy starting new for the first time laid out the usual gang of popular cartridges and he asked which would be the best to start at -- also saying that he tends to shoot more 9mm than anything. (maybe because factory 9mm is the cheapest?) He said he had heard .38 Special is the best way to go and he wanted to hear if we agreed and why.
Now I had pondered this question for quite some time over the years after starting my own handloading career with it in 1988. To me, it seemed like the reasons we ever-flowing and it was high time I organized them in to a post and listing them.
Here is the bulk of that post from ~5 years ago, slightly edited
.38 Special beats every other caliber out there when it comes to the question, "which is the best for the brand new reloader to start with?"
It's been my opinion for a long time that there exists NO CALIBER in the world that is better suited to learning how to reload than the .38 Special. The following is why I think so:
- It's a rimmed case for use in revolvers, so you will never have to consider making sure the round will feed or be compatible with a feed ramp, as you load them by hand and not mechanically as in semi-auto cartridges. Still a fine idea to chamber check some of your loaded rounds, and even this is easier than any semi-auto as you needn't feed them from a magazine and have a cocked, loaded, pointed handgun to do this (or the need to disassemble a pistol to get the barrel out) With a revolver, simply open the cylinder.
- To further that thought, bullet setback isn't a possibility as the rounds aren't being violently shucked in to the chamber by the self-loading nature of a pistol.
- You don't have to consider the dimensions of the magazine when setting COAL, and many/most bullets made for this caliber show you a decent bullet seating point with a crimp groove or cannelure, taking a lot of guesswork out of the picture.
- Since Glock and HK don't make .38 Specials, so there's not much chance of non-standard polygonal rifling which isn't typically compatible with cast or swaged lead bullets.
- The .38 Spl round isn't a short, tiny little SOB so it's not often fumbled when handling. And the larger space means there is a less radical pressure shift when your internal space is altered by the shape of a bullet or the depth to which it was seated, which can be a pretty big deal in a small case/high pressure round like 9mm or .40 S&W, both of which are EXTREMELY sensitive to COAL/internal space variances.
- This round runs at a pretty anemic pressure (17k to 20k PSI) so it's not a high-horsepower round like some of the more modern rounds. Brass lasts a long time and is quite plentiful.
- Brass doesn't get beat up by a racking pistol and it doesn't get chucked off in to the tall grass where you can't find it. From the cylinder to a brass bag, the handloader's dream!
- Most often we are handloading the mild .38 Spl round in .357 Mag revolvers which are built to withstand nearly twice the pressure with EVERY shot, which gives you a ridiculous margin of safety. .357 Mag runs at around 33-34k PSI, more than 50% higher than the top pressures of .38 Spl +P. Not that you should be goofing around with MAX or over MAX loads... but if you happen to make some big error, you have a much bigger defense against trouble, damage to the gun and personal injury.
- Unless you are building .357-hot .38 Special rounds, you aren't likely to see bullets in the other cylinders jumping under recoil, so a light roll crimp is more than enough. Less working of the case mouth and less trial and error in working with crimps -- yet you get to learn the nuances of a roll crimp.
- Given how long the .38 Spl has been with us, load data is enormous and bullet selection is as good as any caliber in the history of the world. Options galore! Finding component brass is easy... since shooters have been emptying the stuff for a hundred-plus years. Component bullets are easy to find... nothing goofy, non-standard or hard to find here.
- .38 Spl has a long and established history of Bullseye competition accuracy, especially with wadcutter loads. Great for a beginning handloader to work with a round that shows great accuracy the first time he rolls his own loads.
For all these reasons (and maybe some I forgot?) I really believe the .38 Special is far and away the single best caliber to learn on as a new reloader. I can't imagine any other with all these "features" that make it ideal as one to learn on.
Any round you can compare it to will fall short somewhere else.
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Now, that was my argument 5 years ago and I don't see a lot that has changed. In your specific situation, you won't be loading for a .357 Magnum -- however a modern, post 1957-built Smith & Wesson K-frame is spec'd for and happily digests even +P .38 Special, and there is nothing whatsoever (in any way!) weak about the cylinder steel in a Model 10 or any K-frame Smith & Wesson. You have very nearly the perfect platform for handloaded .38 Special in a S&W Model 10. I have a handful of K-frame .38's and they are my favorite revolver for certain.
And while my COAL acceptable range cnotinues to sit around 0.005", I can happily demonstrate that my handloads in my guns will outshoot factory big-name manufactured base line range fodder. WWB, Blazer Brass and American Eagle simply won't keep up with what I can do in my own handguns as does my ammo.