38 Special and 60 year old S&W

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I've been reading a few threads and getting the idea I may need some big hints. I want to get some ammo for my wife's new range toy. Primarily she will use it at the range. I want to avoid shooting inappropriate ammo out of the old gun. The gun is a 1957 vintage S&W. I believe it's a K38 Target Masterpiece. So please tell me the main things to consider with .38 Special. And is the oldness of the piece an issue? I don't intend to buy P load ammo.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&W

7
I'll have to visit a larger store than my local Academy. They only had 158gr .38 Special in a hollow point and 130gr FMJ .38 Special. Both standard pressure as far as I could tell. How much difference is there between a 130gr and a 158gr? Is the 158gr a more natural weight for a .38 Special? I was tempted to buy some of the 158gr HP just to have and test. Would an indoor range object to HP?
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&W

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Simmer down wrote:Pressure should be the same. The point of aim could be different using 158 and 130. HP aren't no big deal or nothing.
Thanks. I'll not worry about if it's HP or not then if the price is right.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&W

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TheViking wrote:.38 standard pressure loads have been the same since the late 1800s.
Not really, they were nerfed in 1972, when +P was brought out. For reference, take a look at the CiP pressure for a 38, then the SAAMI spec. There is no +P in the CIP specs, they never changed it. So a pre-72 38 Special was proofed for a higher pressure than +P and should have no problems with any modern loading. But if I had a gun that nice, it would probably get a steady diet of mouse fart loads.
When only cops have guns, it's called a police state.
I carry due to toxic masculinity.......just other people's.

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&W

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Antiquus wrote:
TheViking wrote:.38 standard pressure loads have been the same since the late 1800s.
Not really, they were nerfed in 1972, when +P was brought out. For reference, take a look at the CiP pressure for a 38, then the SAAMI spec. There is no +P in the CIP specs, they never changed it. So a pre-72 38 Special was proofed for a higher pressure than +P and should have no problems with any modern loading. But if I had a gun that nice, it would probably get a steady diet of mouse fart loads.
Mouse farts might be hard to find from factory loads. I'm going to try to go to a Cabela's Saturday and see what selection they have. I'm not going to go anywhere near +P ammo. Any particular brand you think I should consider? When I get a reloading setup going I'll work on the mouse farts. :whistle:
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&W

12
Picked up ammo for the wife's baby! Got most of it from Cabela's. Some priced okay others a bit more than I'd normally want to buy. I didn't buy any over $22 per box ammo. Most of these I could find cheaper online by a dollar or two. Here's the list, please comment:

Aguila .38 Special 130gr FMJ
American Eagle .38 Special 130gr FMJ
Armscor .38 Special 158gr FMJ
Herter's .38 Special 158gr FMJ
PPU .38 Special 158gr LRN (the cheapest and only non full metal jacket)

Also got her some snap caps for function check and practice. I guess I better finish cleaning and put it back together.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&

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sikacz wrote:What are the negative on using the lead nosed round like the PPU over the FMJ? Any positives?
Lead nose are used a lot in lever actions as to not cause a potential for accidental primer ignition when stacking rounds in tubular magazines.

As for a recommendation, Winchester White Box 38sp. is affordable, pleasant shooting target ammo. No more recoil than a 9mm.
LGC Texas - Vice President

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&

16
atxgunguy wrote:
sikacz wrote:What are the negative on using the lead nosed round like the PPU over the FMJ? Any positives?
Lead nose are used a lot in lever actions as to not cause a potential for accidental primer ignition when stacking rounds in tubular magazines.

As for a recommendation, Winchester White Box 38sp. is affordable, pleasant shooting target ammo. No more recoil than a 9mm.
I'll see if I can find a box. Is it 130gr?
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&W

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According to an elderly box in my closet, purchased years ago when I still bought ammo, yes - 130gr FMJ. Probably the LRN 158gr will shoot closest to point of aim if it was a new gun. However it was made before the Nerf so I wonder where the point of aim is. Give us your impressions about that.
When only cops have guns, it's called a police state.
I carry due to toxic masculinity.......just other people's.

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&W

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Antiquus wrote:According to an elderly box in my closet, purchased years ago when I still bought ammo, yes - 130gr FMJ. Probably the LRN 158gr will shoot closest to point of aim if it was a new gun. However it was made before the Nerf so I wonder where the point of aim is. Give us your impressions about that.
Adjustable sights IIRC :)
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Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&

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sikacz wrote:
atxgunguy wrote:
sikacz wrote:What are the negative on using the lead nosed round like the PPU over the FMJ? Any positives?
Lead nose are used a lot in lever actions as to not cause a potential for accidental primer ignition when stacking rounds in tubular magazines.

As for a recommendation, Winchester White Box 38sp. is affordable, pleasant shooting target ammo. No more recoil than a 9mm.
I'll see if I can find a box. Is it 130gr?
Yep. 130gr.

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/winches ... ammunition
LGC Texas - Vice President

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&

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atxgunguy wrote:
sikacz wrote:
atxgunguy wrote:
sikacz wrote:What are the negative on using the lead nosed round like the PPU over the FMJ? Any positives?
Lead nose are used a lot in lever actions as to not cause a potential for accidental primer ignition when stacking rounds in tubular magazines.

As for a recommendation, Winchester White Box 38sp. is affordable, pleasant shooting target ammo. No more recoil than a 9mm.
I'll see if I can find a box. Is it 130gr?
Yep. 130gr.

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/winches ... ammunition
Good. That's a fair price. I'll pick a box or two the next time I'm at the Academy.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&W

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Wadcutters are great on paper and do real damage for .38 in most handgun self-defense scenario distances. And I love shooting non-jacketed lead bullets out of revolvers. Softer lead is certainly nicer on your lands.
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&W

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I have excellent results from the Freedom Munitions 158 Gr. copper-plated hollow points. Mind you these are range ammo and not particularly designed for expansion. I like them because they are cheap and clean-shooting.

For self-defense I like the Buffalo Bore 158gr. LSWCHP; +P performance in a standard pressure load.
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Re: 38 Special and 60 year old S&W

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TheViking wrote:
Antiquus wrote:According to an elderly box in my closet, purchased years ago when I still bought ammo, yes - 130gr FMJ. Probably the LRN 158gr will shoot closest to point of aim if it was a new gun. However it was made before the Nerf so I wonder where the point of aim is. Give us your impressions about that.
Adjustable sights IIRC :)
I'd still be interested where on the site adjustment something shoots, and whether some load lands outside the adjustment range.
When only cops have guns, it's called a police state.
I carry due to toxic masculinity.......just other people's.

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