Anyone have any idea how Blazer® JHP .38 Special +P 125-Grain performs in a snubby? Will it expand and would you use it for self defense? I know there are better options, but would these be a good reserve stock behind my 135 Gold Dots?

Expand? Maybe. In general, the 125gr .38s are better in longer barrels.
Would I use it in self defense? Not my first choice for personal defense carry in a stubby, but sure. If the need arises, whatever ammo and gun I have will have to do.

If somebody attacked me on the way home from an IDPA match, they might get shot with 158gr Berry TC from a model 66, just because I wore it home. One shooter stopped a carjacking on the way to a match by just drawing his loaded CDP and pointing it out the window. They left in about 10 milliseconds, and were picked up within 10 minutes.

__________________
Science plus Art

Depends on who's bullet it is............ plus

1. Velocity
2. Copper jacket thickness
3. Lead softness
4. distance
5. what is in its way

Wet newspaper and water jugs can give you an idea......

That's my problem, nowhere to test.

What he said. This is a VERY sensible post. Who was it who said the first rule of a gunfight is having a gun? IMO, the 2nd rule is having it loaded. I'm pretty jaded by this time. I see all "business" loads as 50%: the BG goes down or he doesn't. That being said, I am married (horrors!) to the W-W 158gr +P LHP in my .38 snubs.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

I had a couple boxes of Blazer 125 gr 38 spl +P JHPs a few years ago,
may be a few rounds of it left somewhere in the stash. I chronographed
in out of one of my J frames and found that velocity was equal to other
more expensive ammo of the same type. I had no misfires with it so I
would have no reservations in using it in a carry piece. Realize that
expansion is iffy with any JHP +P 38 spl ammo out of a J frame
snubby no matter what the claims for it. As already mentioned the
first rule is to have a gun. That's far more important than having the
latest and greatest high tech ammo.

Since the Blazer line is a budget ammunition I expect the bullet used in this load is a Speer Unicore hollowpoint. Having used that particular bullet in 357 Magnum Hand Loads I can report I won't be loading with that particular bullet again. Because the one box I loaded up using this bullet fragmented so badly at a 50 foot indoor range that I was being pelted about every 5 rounds fired. Note, it's typical with a 357 Magnum to get hit by an occasional fragment at this range but that usually a 1 in 300 rounds fired sort of thing, with the Unicore's the amount of debris coming back was disturbing.

Blazer isn't so "budget" anymore, or am I behind the times (as usual, and proudly!)? My LGS had Blazer's 158gr LRN service-style ammo for $22.00 a box. I know that's cheaper per-round than the 20-round "boutique" boxes at the same price, but it's still a lot to pay, IMHO.

Recently, I mentioned to a younger shooter about the too-numerous smokestacks I had with a popular .40 SA. He asked what ammo I was using. I replied, "Factory ammo."

Oh, for the days when we simply bought "ammunition!"

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

I ended up buying 2 - 50 round boxes. Couldn't pass up the deal. $17.98/box free shipping on 2. Wish I hadn't just loaded up earlier this week. Thanks for all the replies.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103 Where have you been able to find W-W 158gr +P LHP ??
I've been looking online and can't find it. I've been carrying Gold Dot 135 Gr plus p short barrel but would love to have some 50 round boxes of WWB as well....Thanks.

I'd think they'd be good for practicing. The +P is aluminum cased ammo. In general, their aluminum cased rounds are pretty mild, revolver cartridges especially. And with the oddball exception of .44 Special, the bullets used are pretty basic.

As was said, it's certainly better than an unloaded gun, but I personally would not be buying it expecting to use it defensively.

Edknn,

The "new" JHP used in the Blazer is NOT a good choice for SD/HD usage, especially in a snub.

Speer is using a JHP that is meant not to expand like the Gold Dot. It's for range practice and has the same power level as the firm's 125gr Gold Dot (945 fps from a 4-inch barrel and likely 800-850 fps from a 2 inch barrel)

My recommendation is to Google ".38 Special Remington 125gr Golden Saber for sale". The 125gr Golden Saber is relatively inexpensive, performs well from a snub (880 fps) and expands well (around .60 caliber or more). It actually outperforms the vaunted 135gr Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel. It's what I carry in my .38 Specials. From a 4-inch K-Frame it's doing a tad bit over 1000 fps. I can't recommend them enough.

Most of the other 125gr bullets, while good do their best in a 4-inch barrel. Expansion is a sometimes thing in a 2-inch snub.

Just my $.02 worth of paltry advice...

Rated at Velocity 945 ft/sec Energy 248 ft-lbs Test Barrel 4V....Is this considered a mild load?

I actually have some 125+P Golden Sabers to go with my Gold Dots. Those 2 will be my carry ammo. Just bought the Blazer for a cheap SHTF stash. Looks like they are not much better than FMJ's. Are they now called Ultimate Defense? Haven't seen Golden's in a long time.

Good to hear this. I was in a store that was closing out Rem GS and some other 38sp brands. Told them I would buy it all, but the price was a bit high.
They offered the GS for $7 a box, AE 38sp FMJ (50 rounds) for $8 a box if I bought it all. I did. Turned out is was an error. Store owner put the wrong things on the clearance list. But I kept it all at that price. He'll do a better job cross-checking next time.

You stole them.I got mine 1 1/2 years ago for $12.99/box of 25+ shipping...I have seen a couple sites trying to get $25.99 and up for old stock Golden's since they changed the name. Supposedly, the Ultimate Defense is the same Golden Saber but only 20/ box under the new name.

What he said! This is how I buy ammo, both from private sellers at shows and LGSs. For some reason, folks dump .38 Spl at great prices... for me. Picked up 5 boxes of LRN and 14 boxes of LHP +P, all at $10 per as the LGS was unloading inventory. That's why the ammo crunch did not hit me hard.

Apologies to Will Rogers, I never met a box of ammo I didn't like.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

P.s. BTW, this has turned into a fun thread!

I was checking the Handloads website and they had an excerpt of the Sanow/Marshall report (although a bit dated) of what has worked on the street.

I hope this link works for all of you. Look at the data for the 125gr Golden Saber +P in a 4-inch barrel. On average it expanded to .68 and went 12.4 inches = power dump into target. For the 10 shootings, 8 were one-shot stops (80%).

Not too bad for Felon Repellent. What's better is that the Golden Saber is the most accurate load in all of my S&Ws. Not sure what Remington did, but it's a GREAT round. It's as close as one can come to .38 Special Nirvana.

38 Special +P Stopping Power