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S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present All NON-PINNED Barrels, the L-Frames, and the New Era Revolvers


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Old 01-21-2011, 09:49 PM
kip kip is offline
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.38 special and .44 special rounds? .38 special and .44 special rounds? .38 special and .44 special rounds? .38 special and .44 special rounds? .38 special and .44 special rounds?  
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Default .38 special and .44 special rounds?

I have a S&W J frame .38 that I picked up as a coat pocket gun. Whats the best penetrator round? I ordered some speer gold dots for it but will consider a hard cast.

How about for 44 special 200 grains and under for a 2 inch?
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Old 01-21-2011, 10:23 PM
flycaster flycaster is offline
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Speer makes a 135 grain HP expressly for snubs. It's designed to mushroom at the lower velocities one gets from a short barrel.

Chuck
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Old 01-21-2011, 10:36 PM
Dave T Dave T is offline
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If a friend were to ask me to recommend ammo for carry in a 2" 38 Special I would say the standard pressure 150g wadcutter offered by Buffalo Bore. If recoil is a problem (older person, someone with arthritis or just weak upper body strength) I'd say just shoot target wadcutters. Easy to control and as accurate as anything.

Time and again you hear people say bullet placement is everything. Well, you can place wadcutters as well or better than any other 38 loading and you can easily practice with the load you carry.

YMMV,
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Old 06-19-2013, 12:56 AM
Jaymo Jaymo is offline
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^
This makes a lot of sense.
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Old 06-19-2013, 07:33 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kip View Post
Whats the best penetrator round?

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...t_detail&p=291
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Old 06-19-2013, 01:30 PM
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I would guess that the best "penetrator" factory round in 38 would be the Buffalo Bore 158 gr hardcast SWC +P at something like 1200 fps, equivalent to the old 38-44 "heavy duty" load. I handload a hardcast 148 gr WC or a 158 gr swaged (soft) Speer SWC-HP (both at 800-850 fps) for self-defense purposes in my 2" Chiefs.
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Old 06-19-2013, 02:19 PM
sac-gunslinger sac-gunslinger is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave T View Post
If a friend were to ask me to recommend ammo for carry in a 2" 38 Special I would say the standard pressure 150g wadcutter offered by Buffalo Bore. ,
I want to second Dave's recommendation. Buffalo's wadcutter load is a great performer. I bought enough of this ammo to do some serious practice with it and it performs very well. Recoil is "average" for a 38 standard pressure round, it shoots to point-of-aim for fixed sight revolvers. Bullet is hard cast so it will penetrate clothing nicely.

I keep a speedloader with each revolver. The wadcutter shape does not lend itself to reloading with a speedloader so I have the speedloader loaded with Buffalo's 158 grain SWCHP which achieves "FBI load" performance at standard pressure.
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Old 06-19-2013, 02:28 PM
sac-gunslinger sac-gunslinger is offline
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Kip, Buffalo Bore now offers a 200 grain 44 Special WADCUTTER load similar to its 38 Special wadcutter. This load has me wanting to buy a 44 just to try it.

BTW, I am not an emplyee of Buffalo nor do I have any financial interest in the firm. But I am an unabashed fanboy and have had the firm build some custom loads for me.

Must resist, must resist buying 44....38 is everything, 38 is ever.....
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Old 06-19-2013, 03:49 PM
Rpg Rpg is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave T View Post
If a friend were to ask me to recommend ammo for carry in a 2" 38 Special I would say the standard pressure 150g wadcutter offered by Buffalo Bore. If recoil is a problem (older person, someone with arthritis or just weak upper body strength) I'd say just shoot target wadcutters. Easy to control and as accurate as anything.

Time and again you hear people say bullet placement is everything. Well, you can place wadcutters as well or better than any other 38 loading and you can easily practice with the load you carry.

YMMV,
Dave
Dave is correct.

Target wadcutters will do everything you need. You're more likely to hit what you aim at with ammo you shoot. You're more likely to shoot ammo that's comfortable to shoot and ammo that's modestly priced.

Missing with 'gee whiz' ammo that penetrates the scenery isn't helpful.
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Old 06-19-2013, 03:57 PM
loc n load loc n load is offline
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Default 2" 38 loads

HAve carried a M-49 everyday since 73.....have carried and shot a lot of different loads. I second all of the motions from the previous posts :
A. The SWC lead load from Buff bore or equilavant
B. The Speer Gold Dot 130 fr JHP for short bl's
C. Wadcutters
In that order of preference.....I have the Speer loads in my 49 as I speak.....in cold weather I go back to the SWC's.

In the 44 spl I carry the Federal 200 gr SWC lead HP....which some folk's have said are discontinued, but I bought some last year from Sport'sman guide....b-4 the insanity started.....also run my own cast 200 gr. WC in the 3" 24.

Last edited by loc n load; 06-19-2013 at 04:02 PM.
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Old 06-19-2013, 04:48 PM
shouldazagged shouldazagged is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sac-gunslinger View Post
Must resist, must resist buying 44....38 is everything, 38 is ever.....
The phrase "**** outta luck" comes to mind...
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