It's been a few years since I shot revolvers, but I just bought a S&W 27-2 and I went in search of the loads I remember -- classics, you might call them. I wanted JHPs from Rem, Win, and Fed. Guess what? Some of those don't exist -- at all. Federal is out of stock everywhere I looked, and I looked hard. Not just the Classic brand, but almost everything. There is no Federal Classic 125 gr JHP anywhere. Is ammo being hoarded, or are these loads being retired? Master Cartridge is gone. Can't find Winchester 125 gr JHP, and I found only one online source for Win 158 JHP. Remington, thank God, is everywhere. Is the revolver dying or what? Cor Bon and Speer are ubiquitous, but I want the ammo of my youth. ; )

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Is the revolver dying or what?

On the contrary, the revolver is quite alive and well. Try midway

It must be disappearing from somewhere if it keeps appearing in my gun safe.

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Originally posted by rozenbem:
It must be disappearing from somewhere if it keeps appearing in my gun safe.

OK, so that's one for hoarding... ; )

I did try Midway, and I'm not saying it doesn't exist, I'm just saying the classic loads I remember are vanishing. Golden Saber will probably replace the nice Remington JHP, Hydra-Shok will replace the Federal 'hi-shok' JHP, and who knows what Winchester is doing. Maybe the autos are finally taking over. Maybe I'm a relic.

I miss the old CCI Lawman, yellow plastic box, 125 gr JHP 'penta point.' : (

Get a loader and roll your own. There are lots of good bullets, and 296 will carry the mail.

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Originally posted by OKFC05:
Get a loader and roll your own. There are lots of good bullets, and 296 will carry the mail.

It's damn near to the point where that is the only way I can afford to practice much.

What's the simplest setup -- cheapest, not necessarily the easiest? I seem to remember Skeeter talking about loading 1 at a time on a miniature unit of some kind. Was it a Lee loader...?

Seriously, soemone point me toward a basic setup. Press, die, power, brass, primer, bullet, right...? That's it?

Lee single stage 25 bucks, another 25-30 bucks for a set of dies. Hornady 158gr swaged bullets at 23 bucks for 300, 15 bucks for 1# of bullseye good for 2000 rounds of mousefart 38's and approx 25 bucks for a box of 1000 primers (add 20 bucks for hazmat transport)

If you have saved your brass, its about $0.20 per bullet once your equip is paid off.

Don't forget a good scale 60 bucks, a powder trickler, bullet puller for the mistakes, loading tray for the single stage.


Telling the wife you got into reloading to save money....priceless!

A Lee classic 4-hole turret with the Lee premium 4-die set including carbide size die and factory crimp die will load quality ammunition.

For straight-walled pistol cases, you don't need trimmers and other considerations used for rifle loading. Powder measure, simple scale, any major brand brass and primers. Brass lasts a long time.

Midway USA, among others, has it all. Best to buy powder and primers locally to avoid hazmat shipping charges.
http://www.midwayusa.com/ebrowse.exe/browse?TabID=1&Cat...tegorystring=9315***

What OKF said, Lee has a turret press starter kit. It got me started and has kept me going.

I carry Remington 125 gr. .357s in three of my guns and doubt any load developed in the last thirty years will suit my needs better.

If the .357 is disappearing, I just found 10 of them in my safe.

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Originally posted by brokenprism:
…There is no Federal Classic 125 gr JHP anywhere. Is ammo being hoarded, or are these loads being retired…

Wish you hadn’t have said that. I looked at my normal supplier and they’re all out. NOT GOOD!

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Originally posted by OKFC05:
A Lee classic 4-hole turret with the Lee premium 4-die set including carbide size die and factory crimp die will load quality ammunition.

+1. I have a 20+ year old 3-hole that still kicks out quality loads. Would love a 4-hole but it’s hard to ‘replace’ such an old reliable piece of equipment. Their factory crimp dies are worth it!!

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Originally posted by OKFC05:
For straight-walled pistol cases, you don't need trimmers and other considerations used for rifle loading.

I don’t trim most of my pistol cases, but there are differences between the makers of the brass so it your looking for match accuracy (or consistent magnum loads) between headstamps, it does help.

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Originally posted by OKFC05:
…Brass lasts a long time.

Don’t over expand! Just whatever is needed to seat the bullet without shaving. I used to use my nickel cases for magnum loads but was losing too many to cracking (more brittle). I now use the nickel for my light loads now and the brass for the magnums and have discarded less casings.

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Originally posted by OKFC05:
Best to buy powder and primers locally to avoid hazmat shipping charges.

And in quantity. Hundreds will get you over time, thousands is much easier on wallet. I think I go to the shows more for the powder/primer restock than looking for firearms.

Well, .357 alive and well here in Dixie. Factory ammo getting expensive but available. No trouble on the best K frame load ever, Winchester 145 gr. Silvertip. I'd say .357 and .38 special will be here long after I'm dead and gone. Enjoy!!

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