4 inch vs 6 inch .38 Special

[BrovoEchoSierra]

One 38 special load for me as well, regardless of the gun or barrel length.
3.5 of Bullseye, and a cast bullet, from what ever lead I can get my hands on. Cast from a Lyman 358- 477 mold.

Seems to work pretty well, and I have shot thousands of them over the last 40 years.
Point of Impact on my model 64 seems just about right for the factory, non adjustable sights.

Dad was a Lyman 148 grain, full wad cutter fan, and he loaded his with 2.8 grs of Bullseye.
He shot and cast, and loaded them by the 100's and probably shot upwards of 15 thousand in a Ruger old model, and a S&W 15 over the years.
He was frugal, and did not like a lot of recoil or muzzle blast. It was a good fit, for him.

 

[reddog81]

If you want one load for those guns you're limited to what will work in the model 52. This will work if you are OK limiting yourself to that one load. That load out of the model 27 will work but is kind of anemic. I don't find it hard to change out powders and adjust the seating stem for different bullets.

 

[mtgianni]

I am down to 15 38 caliber molds, so I am not the one to talk to.

 

[Drm50]

I just started loading for 52. I had loaded couple hundred DEWC for it with 4gr of P-5066 which I still have several pounds. I normally load the Lyman Button Nose WC for K38 with same 4gr of P-5066. Very accurate load for me. Was advised to load 3gr Bullseye / 148gr HBWC for 52. Seems to be good load. I don't think I'll bother to try one load fits all. Going to stick with BNWC in 14 & 27 and the store bought Hornberry HBWCs in 52. I cast my own bullets but HBWC is time consuming job.
Fixed sight gun would use the BNWC maybe tweak charge for point of aim?
DEWC I never liked, I don't know why. Maybe because they look like they could be coming or going.

 

[4barrel]

[QUOTE . Plan on shooting some BE & 700X loads next outing . Winners will be further sorted by actual 50yd groups .
.[/QUOTE]
boatbum101
Let us know how that works out. I have a couple of Clark heavy slides and have to go 3.1 with Bullseye and 700x to make the slides work correctly. I know that's a little much but the slides won't lock back on the last shot with 2.9. I have a '61 N.M. that likes 2.5 Be or 700x. All my wheel guns shoot these loads. I pick 3.1 Be or 700x for all around and loaded the same for auto-mag- and revolver 38 special. I do have 231 and hp38. --231 and Bullseye are like splitting hairs with 38 special.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

I try to keep it simple and only use onw load for .38 special regardless of barrel length.

158 grain SWC over 4.7 grains of Unique. Been using that load many years and satisfies me just fine,

 

[4barrel]

I just started loading for 52. I had loaded couple hundred DEWC for it with 4gr of P-5066 which I still have several pounds. I normally load the Lyman Button Nose WC for K38 with same 4gr of P-5066. Very accurate load for me. Was advised to load 3gr Bullseye / 148gr HBWC for 52. Seems to be good load. I don't think I'll bother to try one load fits all. Going to stick with BNWC in 14 & 27 and the store bought Hornberry HBWCs in 52. I cast my own bullets but HBWC is time consuming job.
Fixed sight gun would use the BNWC maybe tweak charge for point of aim?
DEWC I never liked, I don't know why. Maybe because they look like they could be coming or going.

BNWC is my favorite lead 38 bullet- you can turn it around and does good also.

 

[Drm50]

I have BNWC , 242gr that I shoot in 25-5s. Very accurate bullet. Also lowers oil pressure in a deer fast. Just got HBWC 214gr for 44sp/ mag.
Have loaded up with 5.0gr Unique but not shot yet.

 

[AJ]

If you want one load for those guns you're limited to what will work in the model 52. This will work if you are OK limiting yourself to that one load. That load out of the model 27 will work but is kind of anemic. I don't find it hard to change out powders and adjust the seating stem for different bullets.

Just punching paper is all I do nowadays with these guns. The snubs maybe used as carry pieces, especially the 60. If so, they will get something more potent to digest.

 

[WR Moore]

The best was a S&W Rep was giving demonstration of the S&W 37 MM Gas Gun to the local PD's. We had given permission for them to use a condemned building for the demo. The glass in the door had been replaced with 3/8's plywood. His gas rounds were just bouncing off.

I think it was a rep for Federal Laboratories who had pictures of a singlewide trailer that had been picked by some robbers to stage a stand. They refused to surrender. Then someone started shooting gas rounds at the place and they either sailed through both sides of the trailer or stuck in the first side like arrows in a covered wagon in a B grade western. This caused a surrender. "The size of the bullets yunz was shootin" was given as the reason for surrender.

 

[38SPL HV]

With your Mod 52, you'll need two loads…2.7 grs BE 148 gr HBWC for the 52 and 3.5 grs BE with 158 gr cast SWC for the others. Have fun

 

[TexasViking]

Your M52 definitely has the most stringent requirements, but wadcutters are always fun to shoot, so your one load for all basically amounts to bullseye competition type loads for your revolvers. If you ever read articles from or about the Late Great Jim Cirillo, maybe the most prolific gunfighter of the 20th Century, he simply loaded his 148 hr. HBWCs in reverse to create a lead hollow-point. I am not necessarily advocating that, because a good 158 gr. SWC-HP loaded to +P to duplicate the old FBI load that was actually carried in their 3" S&W 13s, and not .357 Magnum loads, Bullseye the powder can be used. But as far as pressure stability, there is no single handgun powder that has the pressure stability of Ramshot True Blue. You won't see many, or any others that can be used from the lowest to highest pressure handgun cartridges. The Lyman P & R III singles it out for .38 S&W loads where no load is above a very modest 12,800 CUP while Western Powder Co always included it in .454 Casull loads at up to 53,000 PSI. True Blue was developed by Clermont in Belgium originally for FNH and the 5.7 x 28mm. Few cartridges are as finicky about pressure stability.