Where can I buy .38+P FMJ or LRN

D

Doug.38PR

Moderator
I just came from a gun store and tried to buy a box of .38+P in either FMJ or LRN. All he had was +P in hollow point of one form or another. He said that they don't make .38+P in anything but hollow point since it is a defense round.

I don't believe this to be true. I remember buying a few boxes of UMC's in FNFMJ (Flat Nosed Full Metal Jacket) and the dealer accidently sold me some .38+P's along with it. I looked at the .38+Ps and they looked the same as the FMJ ones however at the time I was told it was unsafe to shoot them in my type of gun so I returned them to the store.

I've been to Cheaper than Dirt, Midway and several other online dealers and cannot find FMJ or LRN +P ammo. PLEASE HELP.


Thank you,

Doug
 
Hey Doug,

I've bought .38+p in a semi-wadcutter from Georgia Arms at a gun show recently. Not sure if it's on their website, but they're sure making it.

Google search should bring up the website...

EW
 
Georgia Arms has a .38 spl +P 158 gr LSWC listed on their website. Ok, so it isn't FMJ or LRN, but LSWC should do as well, no?

AmmoMan has Federal .38 +P 125 gr JSP's listed. Ok, so it is still a nominally expanding bullet, but it isn't a hollow point. They've also got .38 +P 158 gr LSWC's listed, too.

Midway is listing CCI Blazer .38 +P 158 gr TMJ's. They are also listing Speer Lawman .38 +P 158 gr TMJ's. And they had listed some Magtech JSP's, too.

You should be able to find something to your liking in the above, specifically with the Midway listings of the TMJ's -- which are, after all, the same thing as FMJ's.
 
I know Winchester/USA makes a 130gr .38 special but it's not a +P until you get the JHP. About the same for Federal ammo.

If you're after a lead bullet, Winchester makes a +P LSWC round but I think it's still a hollowpoint.

Are you looking for FMJ/RNL to comply with local hollow point restrictions?
 
No

Are you looking for FMJ/RNL to comply with local hollow point restrictions?
Click to expand...

I want to be able to take advantage of the penetrating power of the +P energy by using a FMJ or LRN if I desire at some point (If I carry the gun hunting or something)
 
Hmm -- if it's for hunting, and you want the penetration, and it sounds like you are restricted to .38 +P, it sounds like the LSWC would be the way to go. I'd rate it's hunting potential as better than the FMJ's or the LRN's. The JSP's might not be bad, but I'd not really count on them expanding, and in that case the SWC would get the nod. Check out the ones at Georgia Arms, they are listed at $7.00/50 on their website, and that's pretty cheap. I've been pleased with their ammo so far.
 
CCI markets a .38 spl +P in a 158 grain TMJFN (Total Metal Jacket Flat Nose) part number 3519 in their Blazer line. These are copper plated lead bullets from Speer loaded in aluminum cases. You may/may not be able to find them at one of the larger sporting goods stores Gander Mountain/Sportsmen's Warehouse. Some firearms stores also have them.
 
Speer has the same loading available in its "Lawman" line. Intended as training ammo for those who carry 158gr +P LSWC-HP's, no doubt...
 
Clemson:

"For what it's worth, a non-jacketed lead Plus P round would likely lead up a barrel in short order."

Unless it was gas checked. Best I recall, the GA +P LSWC was supposed to get around 900fps, and as I recall that is about the upper end of what you can push a non-GC lead bullet and still not worry too much about leading. BTW -- I have no idea if the GA round is gas checked or not.
 
Well since CCI/Speer is pretty much the same company.... And the only real difference between the Lawman/Blazer is the case. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the two were loaded on the same line. All in all, unless I was really going to be reloading alot, buying a couple cheap boxes (or several for that matter) of Blazer is the way I'd go. In fact, its what I did a couple days ago, as the balistics on the Speer loaded Gold Dot round and the Blazer 125 gr JHP (same bullet as far as I can tell loaded into different cases) are identical but the prices weren't. I got 20 boxes of 50 rounds of the Blazer (product number 3514) for basically $6 a box (for contrast the Speer Gold dot was $16 for a box of 20). That works out to be if I'm doing my math right around $0.12 a round, which is pretty darn close to what I could reload it for (not counting time).
 
Tamara,

Eh, sorry, I shouldn't post so close to the end of a graveyard shift. I read your post the wrong way, sorry man.
 
The Win. stuff

I think the Winchester white box 130 grain RNFMJ stuff is equivalent to what military police used to carry in their revs. I don't know what the load velocity is, but I recall it had a sharper recoil than some standard vel. stuff I have fired. I have fired enough 158 +p stuff to form an opinion that it does not seem to lead my guns any worse than standard load vel. lead. I have had some dead soft lead factory target wadcutters that were worse. Gotta scrub it but not a disaster or anything.
 
I have some of the Speer +P 158 grain jacketed flatnose Tamara speaks of, but I have not acutally fired any of them. I think they are supposed to clock about 800-850 fps depending on the barrel.
 
magtech 38spl

I've shot the magtech 158 gn 38 spl flat nose fmj. it has a pretty good punch out of my taurus 605 357 snub. I've got some 158gn jsp 38 spl coming today, they look like pretty good rounds, and have a posted velocity of around 800fps. I ordered them from midway. If the fmjs are any indication, I think these will do the job. I don't think they will expand that much, but they should fly straight and have enough energy to penetrate fairly well. I've had bad luck with hollow points tumbling in snubs. Don't trust em right now. Haven't tried the speers yet, but maybe another time. (money). I figure if these work out why bother. :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top