Does anyone have any ballistic info on these old rounds. Any info on year of manufacture. These were the green box with the black legged tray.

They are the 158 Lead bullets with "Kleanbore" priming. The reason i ask is I got a box from the local gun shop, they were tucked away on one of his racks. I was purchasing a beautiful Model 10 Snub and needed some ammo, this was all he had in 38.

Any way I shot some of it when I got home, they had very good accuracy and having never shot a 38 before did not really know what toexpect as far as recoil muzzle flash etc...

Then I reloaded some 38's with 158 grain Speer SJHP and 11.5 grains of IMR 4227, well the difference in recoil between the reloads and that Remington ammo was quite noticeable. I am wondering what the FPS was for these rounds, i suspect they would be considered +P+++ in this day an age.

Thanks for the info,

Ric

Does anyone have any ballistic info on these old rounds. Any info on year of manufacture. These were the green box with the black legged tray.

They are the 158 Lead bullets with "Kleanbore" priming. The reason i ask is I got a box from the local gun shop, they were tucked away on one of his racks. I was purchasing a beautiful Model 10 Snub and needed some ammo, this was all he had in 38.

Any way I shot some of it when I got home, they had very good accuracy and having never shot a 38 before did not really know what toexpect as far as recoil muzzle flash etc...

Then I reloaded some 38's with 158 grain Speer SJHP and 11.5 grains of IMR 4227, well the difference in recoil between the reloads and that Remington ammo was quite noticeable. I am wondering what the FPS was for these rounds, i suspect they would be considered +P+++ in this day an age.

Thanks for the info,

Ric

I don't know anything specific about the loads in question, but I do know that some of the old spec .38 specials (IE: the .38/44 loads) are quite hot. Equivilent to some .357 magnum loads even.

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Formerly know as Lucky Derby

What does the box say other than, "Kleanbore"?

Does it mention High Velocity or .38/44?

If so, those loads won't blow up your gun, but will accelerate wear, considerably. They are meant for guns built on .44 and .45 frames.

Examples include the S&W Heavy Duty and Outdoorsman and the Colt New Service.

T-Star

No 38/44 states specifically 38 Special Police Service

If it has the index code of 5138, it should be a standard velocity load (700-800 fps).
Ed

That is the correct code. So what would account for the increased recoil and muzzle blast. Are the new recommended loads so lawyer reduced that I have some room to go on this work up?

Are you saying that the old ammo had more recoil, muzzle flash?
My 1967 Lyman manual has a max recommended charge under a 158 gr. cast (no round nose lead listed) of 9.5 of IMR4227.

Ed

Yep those old rounds, which were factory compared to the ones i reloaded kicked pretty good. And muzzle flash was clearly visible, these shells showed no signs of pressure issues either.

Maybe you bought somebodies re-loads ie ammo that they reloaded many years ago and put in an old box.

Troy

That used to be the LAPD service load, way back when. Velocity is, I believe, somewhere just north of 900 fps. Not really hot, but warmer than the standard RNL stuff. Coupled with a 6" K38 in a spit-shined clamshell, it was the classic west-coast revolver set-up.
Bob

I just found a brochure from the 50s for that ammo and it lists code 5138 as having a velocity of 870 fps with energy of 266, out of a 6" barrel. OIF2 was closest to the hole with his recollection.
Ed

Check the primers. If they are slightly rounded, they are probably factory. Remington and Winchester both sold bullets for reloading, so they aren't a good indicator of factory loads.

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John 3:16
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