S&W Head Stamp .38 special +P What kind of bullet?

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VaTom

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A friend of mine brought me her husband's Model 36 to clean, lube and for safe keeping. (They have grandkids in the house). and are not gun people. Her husband bought it new in 1977 when he worked night shift for railroad. Shot very little-literally kept in sock drawer. Box and all paperwork/tools included.

It was loaded with these (see pictures) S&W Head Stamp .38 Special +P. Likely bought at same time of revolver. I have never seen a bullet like this. Hollow point filled with lead. any S&W ammo experts please help identify. Thanks!
 

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Here's a picture of a 125 gr +P soft point (I have a partial box). As mentioned, those may be a 110 gr.? Hard to tell from your pic?

vgPjPzy.jpg
 
I have the reference sources but they're not easy to get to. I think S&W marketed a 158 gr. load (JHP, JSP, maybe both). Can anyone remember such? I don't recall S&W ammo as being very popular, but that may have been something geographical.
 
Outside of the Nyclad...I've not ever heard much good about S&W branded ammunition. Reviews of it criticized the brand's inconsistent performance. Federal bought the Nyclad from them which was highly sought after.
 
I've got a few of them.....90 gr SP. I have quite a few boxes/partials...and a friend just found me a box of 22s. Their shotshell line was extensive and good. I've never seen loaded 25s but have a couple boxes of S&W 25 brass.
 
rockquarry said:
I have the reference sources but they're not easy to get to. I think S&W marketed a 158 gr. load (JHP, JSP, maybe both). Can anyone remember such? I don't recall S&W ammo as being very popular, but that may have been something geographical.
Click to expand...
It may have been more popular with law enforcement supply companies than retailers. I have an old Sa-So (Sargent-Sowell) catalog from 1974 and it advertised S&W ammo, but a Southern Police Equipment (Richmond, VA) catalog from the same era advertised Remington ammo. The Sa-So catalog indicated ammo and firearms sales were only to law enforcement officers and agencies.
 
The Police Equipment Distributor in NC back in the 1970s had S&W ammunition. The ammunition was made by Fiocchi.

In partnership with Smith & Wesson, the Fiocchi family had a factory in Alton, Illinois, in the 1950s. Diverging company interests caused Fiocchi to sell its share to Smith & Wesson and withdraw from the American market.
 
rockquarry said:
I have the reference sources but they're not easy to get to. I think S&W marketed a 158 gr. load (JHP, JSP, maybe both). Can anyone remember such? I don't recall S&W ammo as being very popular, but that may have been something geographical.
Click to expand...
The small insert stuffed inside the revolver boxes in the '70's shows S&W offerings in .38 spl as:
LWC 148gr, LRN 158gr, LSWC+P 158gr, JSP+P 90gr-125gr and 158gr, JHP+P 110gr-125gr and 158gr.

Pretty good memory rockquarry :)
 
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