Does anyone have any experience with Magtech's semi-jacketed hollow point rounds?

I looking for carry/SD ammo for my Model 37 (1972 vintage).

The Magtech part number is 38E and it's a standard pressure 158 grain load.

I like the fact that it's low cost so could practice with it a lot more than with Buffalo Bore or other fancy SD rounds.

Also the gun was designed to shoot 158 grain loads to point of aim.

The gun is a 2" as seen below.

magtech is a good Mfg. any of their loads are very good . For practice the cheaper the better

Some standard pressure 38 Special ammunition I use and recommend...
• Hornady® 38 Special 158 gr XTP®
• Federal® Premium 38 Special Nyclad®
• Magtech Ammunition you mentioned
• https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...duct_list&c=23
• http://www.winchester.com/Products/h...s/W38SPLD.aspx

__________________
David
CW3 USA (Ret) 1968-1990

Magtech=good ammo at attractive prices.

I have shot Magtech with no problem. Wish I could find more locally.

__________________
Riding, Shooting, and Truth

+1
Shoots great, low price and quality brass for those that do reload.

The "Speed King" Jerry M. shoots this ammo by the truck load
to hold all his S&W shooting records. He can't afford bad ammo.

I also whish that more of it would be on the shelf in my area.

Good shooting.

For some reason this ammo is easy to come by around here.

A local big box sporting good store with a big firearms section has it and I bought some. Yesterday I saw it at Walmart for a slightly better price.

BTW, I like that Winchester "train and defend" concept. I'll probably try some of that in 38 sp also if I ever see it in a local store.

Works fine for me but is by far the dirtiest ammo I have ever used. Turns my stainless guns black. But since I clean my guns after every use anyway, its worth the three or four bucks a box savings.

A snub nose .38 is relatively marginal as a self defense platform due mostly to velocity loss of the shorter barrel compared to 4" and longer. While these 158gr JHP's will likely shoot fine out of your handgun and be perfectly good practice ammo you will not be using anything that would be a top self defense round. I doubt you will see any expansion of a 158gr JHP that would be traveling 700 fps or less out of a 2" barrel.

Now there's no reason not to buy a good self defense round for the short barrel like Speer 130gr short barrel, Buffalo bore or Remington Golden Sabers to carry for those times when they may be needed. The "practice with what you carry" is nonsense other than a few rounds to try them out since you don't have feed issues with a revolver. Anyone who shoots very much, professionals and police use less expensive target ammo or hand loads even if someone else is paying for the ammo like taxpayers or sponsors.

I'd just use their JFP for practice, and honestly it will perform about as well as the sjhp as they are both going to be non expanding at their velocities from the 2" snub. My revolvers shoot both loads well, though, and they make clean holes in paper. The Nyclad or std pressure buffalo bore would be worth the effort for defense ammo.

Over the last two years I have loaded a lot of ammo in a all
steel J frame and for a 442 to develop target and SD loads.

The 21 oz. M49 sucks up the recoil pretty well but the 16 oz.
442 kicks like a mule in the little lady's hands.

The FBI 158gr is just too much for her, which leaves the 125
and 110 for SD loadings for low pressure/recoil loads.
The 110 JHP did not shoot well in either snub nose..........
The 125gr SJHP old style Winchester and Remington had pretty good
accuracy but plugged up on the denim test.

I finally saw a test on the net with two loads that will work in
the light 442...............under the recoil/pressure of the +P
Speer 135gr Gold Dot.

If you get a chance try to find a box of the Remington 125gr GS
or the Winchester 130gr T&D. This would be the ammo that I
would want the lady of the house to use for minimal recoil/pressure
in the 16 oz. S&W snub nose or any non +P revolver.