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Old 10-01-2012, 03:44 PM
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David LaPell David LaPell is offline
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This might be beating a dead horse but Elmer isn't the only one who used or still uses these .38-44 loads. Phil Sharpe did a lot of work with these guns and loads as did many handgun hunters of the day. I think it's a pretty good testament of how popular the .38-44 loads were when the .357 Magnum came out in 1935 and Smith & Wesson did not stop making the Heavy Duty or the Outdoorsman (Models 20 and 23 respectively) until 1966, more than thirty years later and eleven after the .44 Magnum showed up. Brian Pearce did an excellent article on the .38-44 back in the October 2006 Handloader and his loads were the same hot loads of 2400 in a pre-war Outdoorsman. It was even mentioned some of the tests that were done in the 1930's that the Outdoorsman and the Registered Magnum were the same gun except for the checkering on the barrel and top strap, the recessed cylinders and the finish. They were identical in their heat treating and strength. You have to also remember, the .357 loads in those days were pushing 1,500 fps plus from a 8 3/8 inch barrel Registered Magnum. The factory loads today for the .357 are about what those .38-44 handloads are. Sure Elmer might have blown up a few guns, but Elmer and Phil Sharpe with this load got it right and they fired something like 40,000 that were even hotter through ONE gun to prove it.
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