Down here, due to the stupidity of the law, being caught with .357 ammo is a ticket to jail and the confiscation of your toys. However, .38 Special is just fine if you've got the permits to go with it. There are a lot of our members with the standard Outdoorsman and Heavy Duty issue revolvers -- and some more that are "home made" out of VERBOTTEN model numbers that can fool everyone but the hardened S&W aficianados.

The Elmer load is the standard "hot" loading. In all the revolvers I've seen it fired in, it provides "one-thumb extraction". In other words, holding the revolver in your left hand (as the right hand reaches for your next speedloader) with the baby finger and the index finger wrapped over the top of the frame and the two middle fingers inserted into the cylinder-square and gripped on top of the open cylinder, a simple push from your thumb on the extractor rod will clear the empties.

No need to hit the rod smartly or employ your other hand to clear the piece, they just push out. That's good enough. Velocities are around 1,340 to 1,360 fps with our 358429 bullets (which weigh 166 grains out of the two different 4-cavity moulds we have here using #2 alloy) out of 6.5 inch Outdoorsman revolvers. Out of my 1956 era Heavy Duty, they run around 1,280 to 1,290 fps. Out of a "homemade" and rather tightly gapped 8 3/8 inch Model 23 we have around here they run 1,400 to 1,420. These same velocities register out of another friend's 8-inch ".38 Special Target Python".

I would not like to give the impression we shoot these loads all the time, that would be untrue. They are the maximum loads we use. However, most of our shooting is with the Lee 158 grain (which weighs 162 with our mix) tumble lube SWC bullets over 3.5 grains of Bullseye. When we play with heavier stuff, it's usually the 358429 bullets over 7.5 grains of Unique or 12.5 grains of 2400.

Again: all out of .38 Special cases. Using the longer case would be suicidal, as the Police and Army have traffic stops all over the place. As long as you have what you are permitted to have (as indicated on your transport permits), you are fine but whoe to the person who is stopped with something they are not supposed to have. Since the .357 is VERBOTTEN, there is no way you could have it, so we would not use it.

We load the 358429 only in heavier loadings, NEVER using it for regular .38 Special. That way we ourselves have a form of visual indicator that said loading should not be inserted into the wife's Model 36. Casting and reloading are not big-time hobbies here in Mexico as the regulations make it difficult. Still, within our group -- which is a fairly decent sized group in which everyone does cast and reload their own -- there is a clear understanding that the Keith bullet is used for Keith loads (or reasonable facsimiles) and nothing else. Primers are colored RED using a magic marker on all loads that are above .38 Special regular power levels as an additional safety step to prevent accidental loading of such rounds into light .38 revolvers.

We try to be very careful with these loadings to avoid any possible mix-up. These loads are more than powerful enough considering that the Mexican Army would love to leave us with nothing worthy of serious use.

I tend to pamper my Heavy Duty. But it certainly WILL take the Elmer loading of a 356429 over 13.5 grains of 2400 and still offer "one thumb extraction".


The Outdoorsman revolvers are extremely popular in our group, and the guys use them "loaded up" sometimes with the Elmer load or a slight reduction thereof. This one here unfortunately a reblue which caught the hammer and trigger as well...


Here's an interesting one. A roundbutt 19 that became an 8 3/8th inch K-38. I saw some of the Keith loads chronoed out of this one, and they came out close to 1,400 fps, but a little under if I remember correctly. 1,380 or something like that. The owner of this one doesn't generally shoot it with loads that hot, but they certainly did work when we tried it and didn't split his forcing cone either. Yes, one-thumb extraction again.


Mexico has lots of problems, there's no doubt about it. Reloading and shooting down here make every week of one's life into something out of a "Sons of Anarchy" episode just getting components and equipment. But, we have a 365 day shooting season -- it's always summer, just some days are hotter than others -- and the Elmer load lets us shoot our guns with something that does better than stock non +P .38 Special. We appreciate that.