want a mild load for 357 model 19 2.5

[daurizio]

i have been told that i should only reload 158 gr bullets for my 19 and the load should be a mild one.can any one explain why 158s and not 125s. is it pressure issues of something else.also can someone post a good load for plinking.thanks

 

[max]

If you do a search here you will find all sorts of posts about this matter. It boils down to the fact that 125 gr magnums are hard on the forcing cones of K frames (maybe).

I have a snub 19 and don't enjoy any magnums in it. It is my favorite 38 special.

 

[rwnielsen]

Recipes

i have been told that i should only reload 158 gr bullets for my 19 and the load should be a mild one.can any one explain why 158s and not 125s. is it pressure issues of something else.also can someone post a good load for plinking.thanks

Try here. There's a ton of info once you navigate through.

Basic Manual Download

 

[Vulcan Bob]

Hi there, I've found that 6.8gr of Unique under a cast 158 LSWC with a standard primer is a nice mild and accurate mid level load for the 357 Mag. The whole M-19 vs the 125gr load is a valid one. I am told that the short 125gr bullet does not "seal" the barrel/cylinder gap long enough. The weak spot on the 19's barrel is the flat cut on the bottom of the barrel. Now haveing said all that, a lot of M-19's have not split the forceing cone! A nice M-19 is getting harder to find these day's and why take a chance?

 

[Jellybean]

The problem is supposed to be only with "magnum" loads, so you could use 125s at lower .38 spl or spl +P levels.

As Bob stated the frame beneath the forcing cone is pretty thin, and so is the forcing cone itself, and they have been known to split with constant use of 125 gr. magnum loads. I've heard several different reasons and can't tell you which one it really is, the shorter bullet Bob mentioned was one, and higher velocity/harder impact of the lighter bullet was another.

Anyway, the K frame was intended to be the ideal law enforcement weapon when it was introduced, and in my opinion it was, and still is for the .357 cartridge. But normally law enforcement weapons aren't shot that much, and a common practice with magnums was to use lighter loads for practice and full magnum loads for carry.

 

[Wee Hooker]

any .38 special round will work for plinking. 158 gr .38 special rounds are about all I shoot out of my mod 19 snubbie. (3 gr of clays works for me.) If you want to load .38 spl recipes in 357 cases than you can just add 7% or so the the starting load.

 

[mike from st pete]

357MAG Loads

5.2gr of 231 Winchester Winchester Small Pistol Primer under a 158gr LSWC or FP. Mostly Spacecoast Bullets or Sutter's (sp) Hardcast. Mild round in my 686-4. As always run your own research to see what this load will do in your guns, Start lower and work up to what you want. I keep below 1000fps no chrono I rely on the published info.

 

[semperfi71]

daurizio,

I have three boxes of 158 grain cast bullets loaded to [hopefully] about 1100/1200 fps for three K-Frame magnums ready to shoot. I just need ot get ot the range with them.

For the same reasons you discuss. I did not use any H-110, W-296, or AA-9 as the ball magnum powders in full loads are supposed to also be a cause of throat erosion in the K-Frames. I used medium burning powders like Bluedot, 800X, Herco, AA-7, etc.

For practice rounds I load .357 cases with wadcutters and Bullseye. My above mentioned lead bullet loads [fi they work and don't lead badly] will be for serious carry in the woods.

 

[JLM]

Hey Semperfi71,
Can you tell me more about your use of Herco in .357? I have a bunch of that I'd like to use, but no data on where to start.
Thanks

 

[jrod]

I've had excellant accuracy out of my 2.5" 686 & 4" Ruger Service six with 5.6 grains of Win 231,CCI small pistol primers,Laser-Cast 158 grain SWC.Around 950 fps or so.

 

[Missionary]

Greetings
I have used 5-6 grains Unique with a 158 swc as a starter load for everyone that wanted to shoot a revolver. After one hundred rounds of either it is an easy step up one more grain and another 100 rounds. I have not lost a new shooter yet...
And as a plinker I have not yet had many cans, hedge apples or clay pigeons escape the onslought.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

i have been told that i should only reload 158 gr bullets for my 19 and the load should be a mild one.can any one explain why 158s and not 125s. is it pressure issues of something else.also can someone post a good load for plinking.thanks

As said above, the forcing cone on the M19 was taking a beating when 125gr bullets were pushed faster than the revolver was designed to handle. Stick with 158gr bullets or when reloading keep your 125gr bullets down to 1200/1300 fps and you will be fine.

When loading lighter to middle heavy .357 Magnum ammo I use HS-6 especially when loading lead bullets. It's a very accurate powder that works very well for that application.

 

[semperfi71]

Herco Data At JLM's Request.

And I post it here because other might be interested as well.

158 grain lead bullet loads;

9th Speer; 4.4 grs-836 fps, 4.8 grs-905 fps
45th Lyman; 7.0 grs-1025 fps, 11.6 grs-1388 fps
46th Lyman; 6.3 grs-963 fps, 7.9 grs-1203 fps
49th Lyman; NOTE: 155 lead; 5.0 grs-785 fps, 7.5 grs-1151 fps
160 lead; 6.3 grs-967 fps, 7.9 grs-1203 fps
1992 Hercules; 7.9 grs-1365 fps

158 grain jacketed bullet loads;

1st Sierra; 7.2 grs-1000 fps, 9.5 grs, 1150 fps
2nd Sierra; same as 1st
5th Sierra; 7.8 grs-1050 fps, 9.5 grs-1150 fps
2nd Hornady; 6.5 grs-800 fps, 9.5 grs-1100 fps
9th Speer; 8.5 grs-1134 fps, 9.0 grs-1193 fps
10th Speer; 8.3 grs-1068 fps, 8.8 grs-1170 fps
1992 Hercules; 8.2 grs-1305 fps

 

[sjmjax]

I'll also suggest about 6.0 grains of Unique with a cast 158 grain LSWC.

This has become my favorite generic .357 load. Not too wimpy and not abusive to gun or shooter. Has been quite accurate in wide range of both S&W and Colt .357's.

Interesting to me is that these same bullets loaded to much milder .38 special levels leaded badly in almost all my guns. Loaded to this pressure level, they have been virtually free from leading.

 

[semperfi71]

sjmjax,

If your bullets are of a somewhat hard lead it may take a faster velocity to cause them to "bump-up" or obdurate and seal the bore, therefore not allowing the gases to travel past the bullet and cause leading via melting the sides of the bullet.

This is one theory to leading or not leading. Your load may be that. Your load provides enough pressure to obdurate the bullets. Your lesser loads do not.

Supposedly Cowoby Action Shooters have found this to be the case. Originally they were shooting traditional hard cast commercial bullets and getting leading with their loads of 650 to 750 fps. By loading softer lead they were not.

So according to this theory the reverse is true. Harder lead bullets require more velocity to cause the necessary obduration to seal the base against gas blow-by.

 

[Crabtree]

I have used 5-6 grains Unique with a 158 swc as a starter load for everyone that wanted to shoot a revolver.

I'll also suggest about 6.0 grains of Unique with a cast 158 grain LSWC.

I have been using 5 grains unique with a missouri bullet 158 lswc in a .38 special case and am impressed with the accuracy. Very little to no smoke at all from a 4" model 19. And leading is not that bad. I guess this has become my favorite load.

I had planned to try 6 grains unique with the 158 lswc in the .357 case based on "light" .357 loads I had read on the interweb...I'm glad to read that exact load suggested here as well.

My question is.... do you guys have a max load (or do not exceed load) for unique with the 158 lswc in either .357 or .38? There is so much variance on the web and in the manuals. I'd like to hear from someone who has actually worked up to it. Thanks.