Boy was I asleep at the switch on this one! It's gone and I never noticed! I learned about its demise very recently on this forum. Have a couple boxes gathering dust and it was never at the top of my list as a favorite, but whenever an important round like this is pulled from the market by its manufacturer, I become nostalgic and remember its good points, and want some more. This is- was- the most accurate defense round I've ever used in a Model 19 snub.

Anyone have any theories on what did it in? It was given its birth by the FBI for its penetration qualities and when that agency dropped the 38 completely, I guess there was no civilian market to support it. It had more than acceptable ballistics but it really shined in the accuracy department. Didn't realize it was such an endangered species.

Anyone else feel this pain, for this or any other now-gone round?

Mike

I do not miss it at all with the Winchester FBI Load (158 grain LHP +P) still available, along with Speer GDSB and the Buffalo Bore "Outdoorsman" (158 Gr SWC at 1,150 fps), I think my "serious" 38 Special needs are pretty well covered.

I don't know if production of that aam ohas ceased or not but it is still listed on the Federal LE site. Then again maybe it is and they haven't updated their site.
Law Enforcement - Federal Premium LE, Speer LE, BLACKHAWK!, Eagle - Handgun Details

Any clue as to how fast this is going from a 2" and 4" barrel? Not what Federal says but over a real chrono from a real gun...

And what I don't quite understand is the +P+ rating...if they list it at only 950 fps from a vented 4" test barrel why are plain old +P 158 SWC-HPs going 950...

Bob

Every Federal LE agency that shot the stuff went away from it in the late 90's and early 2000's when they all went to .40 S&W. I imagine the market slowed down considerably after that. I agree it's still listed on that website you gave, though. You don't see it in stores, at least around here.

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I recall that ballisticly, it was the equivalent of the 9mm 147 grain Hydra Shok, which wasn't the most impressive 9mm load out there. It was an accurate round, however. I know of one Fed organization that still authorizes it for .38s, but don't think it's too popular. It was rated at 950 fps, but put it probably 850 out of a two-inch J. Recoil-wise, it doesn't feel any hotter than a 158 Swchp +P.

I remember when they did the tests on this load. The 38 Special load passed the tests and the 9mm with identical weight bullet at a slightly higher velocity did not. I thought they could just make the 38 bullet slightly smaller and load it in the 9mm.

There is no SAAMI rating for a .38 Special +P+ so that might be one reason for it being gone. Like said above, they were nothing special especially when the FBI Load is still available.

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It will be interesting to see if a new load comes out now that the FBI is going back to 9mm/147s that have redesigned bullets. There is no reason that a 147 .38 Special +P can not be made to equal the velocity of the 9mm 147s with exactly the same bullet just bumped up to .357 diameter.

I wonder what the velocity of the new 9mm/147s will be from a 2" and 4" revolver....like a 940 and 547...

Bob