One would think that with all the boutique 38 Spl +P ammo out there using 158 gr SWC, the major Ammo guys, Rem/Win/Fed, would again offer their respective 38 Spl +P 158 gr SWC loadings.

Granted, their velocity isn't as great as BB, but what the heck, they would still be a great all round 38 Spl +P load at almost half the price for 50 qty.

I agree- I bought a bunch of boxes of the Remington (50 per box, as opposed to the BB's 20) for around $16.99 plus tax the last time Target Sports USA had it...practice and self defense ammo all in one. It seems like it would be a worthwhile endeavor for them.

One would think that after many decades of shooting data, primarily from LEO's/LEA's, people would understand that solid, non-expanding non-hollow point bullets SUCK as SD ammo.

I wouldn't have said it quite that way, and I'm not even sure that I believe it, but most people do. If ANYONE wants to sell .38 Spl 158gr +P ammo, it had better be hollow-point.

Yes;
and one would think that Federal would get back on track and...................

Slap that red paint job of theirs on a soft lead , 125gr HP to replace the
long gone but perfect, Blue Nyclad that they stopped making....................
that worked as a non+P loading for the light weight J frames.

I can understand that outlook. I still have about half of a dozen boxes of that stuff, to feed the same number of fixed-sight J-frame revolvers sighted for that load. FWIW, 110gr W-W STHP shoots to the same place, as does Glaser.

Meanwhile, I have gotten a few small single-POV revolvers whose world view is based on 158gr, which I now believe to be a better bullet for most purposes I am likely to encounter.

I used to believe that; not any more.