Looking for a cleaner 38 special load

I recently switched to CFE Pistol for 9mm on a recommendation of a long time user. It's supposed to very good for .38sp. as well. I have been very happy with it in 9mm. It's very clean burning.
 
This spring was my first time reloading pistol . Loaded couple thousand rounds of .38 spl. with 4.5 gr. of Unique and 158 gr. cast bullets of a few different makes. Everything goes bang, light recoil, just fun plinking ammo. Dirty? Not any worse than most I have shot. Why Unique? I had several pounds inventoried.
 
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As others mentioned, newer style coated bullet. Am preferring a faster powder (hp-38) loaded on upper end for cleaner burning. Almost any powder downloaded seems to create more fouling.

As an aside in my range box is a sealed container (pill box) with moist piece of rag that i use to wipe off most of burned carbon from cylinder and other affected places while pistol is still hot. The moisture quickly evaporates. This has saved considerable effort at after range cleaning.
 
WST burns cleaner than Bullseye or 231 in light loads. Clays too as I recall is clean in the 38. I never really cared except when shooting IDPA and got some 231 dirt under the extractor and it was too tight to shoot double action, slowed me down.
 
Anything specifically cleaner you are you after? Less smoke, unburnt powder, residue on the cylinder, leading/ buildup in the bore, less fouling on your brass...

For example, I tumble my cast bullets in liquid alox. It creates more "goo" on everything. And there is the extra smoke of the lube burn off. However, clean-up is much quicker. For example, I have dedicated cast bullet guns, once the bore becomes "seasoned", a few passes with a dry brush are all that the bore requires- much like a .22lr.
 
I also feel CFE Pistol is a "clean" burning powder. But I have found that nearly all powders will be a bit "dirtier" with light loads, near starting loads, but clean up with heavier loads... (ALK8499 didn't seem directed at the OP. just a true statement about "type" of question. A pretty basic question)...

Wanna see what dirty is really like? Fill a case with black powder and shoot that in your 38 Special. :D
 
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Odd, never really found bullseye & coated bullets dirty.

A 400+ round range session with a 686 shooting 38spl's. 158gr coated fn hp & 3.3gr of bullseye.
IHfovUR.jpg


Never cleaned anything, a couple weeks later I took the same revolver/bullseye 38spl load out and ran another 200+ rounds thru that 686.
im4jQKD.jpg


No leading and 1 wet patch of hoope's #9 cleans everything.

I'd be taking a hard look at your crimp, more pointedly the lack thereof. The short start pressure of a load is extremely important. Good neck tension and crimp makes for a better/more consistent short start pressure. The end result is a better cleaner burn and increased accuracy.

What my typical reloads look like. +/- 3/1000th's neck tension and a good crimp.
h3YS3YJ.jpg


Typical 158gr fn hp's seated long (a good solid crimp crimped in bottom crimp groove) in 38spl cases using 3.3gr of bullseye or 3.5gr of international clays.
AL4WBux.jpg
 
Thanks for the recommendations thus far. I realize the vast majority of 38 special reloaders are firmly in the cast lead camp with Bullseye being the go to powder, and they perform extremely well for me as well too. I also realize all ammo is dirty to some degree. I can't be the only one wondering the pros of finding a cleaner 38 special reload. Maybe the trade offs aren't worth it. Figured with all the wisedom on this forum it couldn't hurt to ask...

Plated bullets are the happy middle ground between the higher cost of jacketed bullets and avoiding the "dirt" and smoke that comes with cast bullet lube.

I'll argue that most of the dirt shooters complain about with cast bullets is due to the lube not the powders.

The dirt from the powder is also load dependent. For example Unique is often called "flaming dirt" but it's an exceptionally versatile powder. It's also not dirty at all with near max loads. The complaints come from light loads.

It's also relative. I don't mind unburned flake powders as they won't effect function of a pistol or revolver. However, unburned or partially burned particles of colloidal ball powders like H110/Win 296 commonly used in magnum revolver loads will produce unburnt or partially burned grains large enough and hard enough that if they get under the ejector star will prevent it from going all the way back into the cylinder and in turn will prevent the cylinder from going back into the frame.

In a self defense load where a reload might be needed that is a total non starter for me and it's the only "dirt" issue I find to be a concern.

In that regard, I don't think anyone was trying to insult you. Most of us just find the whole dirty powder issue to be irrelevant (with a few exceptions like the H110/Win 296 issue above).

Most of us are not doing stupid stuff like 2000 or 5000 round torture tests to see how long a firearm will function without being cleaned. Those folks hang out over on AR15 dot com.

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Again, faster burning fine grained or flake powders like Bullseye and Unique may be sooty, and cast bullet loads can be very sooty, but it's just not an issue even over the course of a few hundred rounds during a day long course, particularly in a revolver. Clean up at night between days is just a wipe down with some solvent and usually just dry brushing or a wet patch or two through the barrel and cylinders before lightly recoiling. It's literally a 5 minute process.

It's the large course grained colloidal ball powders that can be most problematic and create actual reliability issues.
 
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Vihtavuori Powders

If I was reloading for a clean load I would
use one of the Vihtavuori powders.

V.V N310 and V.V. N320 appear very acceptable
for target reloads and cleanliness.

The Finish made Vihtavuori powders are
high quality. I have found them reasonably
priced and on sale every once in awhile.
I started hoarding these powders now.

Also the average reloader should be using
a crimp, whether light or medium. I always
use the Lee Factory Crimp Dies. I have found
that they contributed to accuracy, cleaner burn,
and holding the bullet a little tighter
in place, doesn't take much.

This has been my experience. The best to
You and your Endeavors.
 
Appreciate all the suggestions and the alternative powder recommendations. Great advice on trying plated bullets and experimenting with increasing the crimp slightly too. Thanks Gentlemen!
 
Lead + wax or Lube

pushed by ANY powder;
will be dirty , no matter the amount of powder used.

copper or "Poly" bullet, will help out some,
but any "Fire" will produse some type of "Soot".

However there is the "Air" gun.
 
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