A GOOD CASE FOR NOT DUPLICATING BUFFALO BORE'S 38 SPL. "FBI LOAD"

[glenwolde]

Buffalo Bore routinely markets ammo with +P labels on them that are not recognized by SAAMI or any SAAMI member. .380 Auto+P doesn’t exist in the standards that all American gunmakers use and all American ammo makers use either, but Beefalo Bore makes it.

Some may think I’m splitting hairs. I’ll disagree with vigor. I have fantastic respect for SAAMI. I believe that anyone who steps back and pauses to see the value in a respected industry standard might agree.

If I recall, SAMMI is more of a follower than a leader when it comes to +P standards. Manufacturers started using it before there was a standard and after-the-fact SAMMI established standards.

There's no +P+ standard for anything either but I've got a box of Federal .38 Special so marked. I think most manufacturers have done the same as Buffalo Bore at some time, loaded and marked ammunition +P prior to the standards.

But I do agree that SAMMI is a great thing.

 

[chief38]

Buffalo Bore routinely markets ammo with +P labels on them that are not recognized by SAAMI or any SAAMI member. .380 Auto+P doesn’t exist in the standards that all American gunmakers use and all American ammo makers use either, but Beefalo Bore makes it.

Some may think I’m splitting hairs. I’ll disagree with vigor. I have fantastic respect for SAAMI. I believe that anyone who steps back and pauses to see the value in a respected industry standard might agree.

All I can report is that I have been using Buffalo Bore ammunition in my 2" Chief's Special M60-7, 3" M65 and 6" M586 for about 15 years. I do not shoot them often, but on occasion. They are usually my go-to self defense and woods load when carrying a wheel gun. I have not had any issues what so ever with any of the guns and they are as tight today as they are designed to be. Again, I am not shooting large quantities - just enough for familiarity with the recoil and characteristics of the loads in the specific Revolvers. As with ANY gun and ANY ammunition, the more powerful the ammo, the lighter the gun and the more you shoot the faster a gun will wear - just an obvious truism. So I would suggest anyone using BB ammo (or ANY hot loaded ammo) keep them to a minimum in all but the heavy frame guns, similar to a Model 19 and shooting minimum amounts of Magnum ammo.

NOTE: Buffalo Bore ammunition was NOT designed for plinking, target shooting or competition and I would suggest users stick to its intended purposes.

 

[Old Corp]

Guess I'm guilty of some form of BB load duplicating.
I've used hardcast 158 gr LSWC and some LSWC-HP's in .38 Spl. cases with some quite warm charges of 2400 and Unique.

The intention was to duplicate the old '38-44' loads of old. I especially became interested in this upon acquiring a .38-44 Heavy Duty 4", c.1954, to see what using that old load was like.

Still load and shoot them, usually in the HD or one of my .357's. They shoot great. Did try them in an '80's vintage M10 heavy barrel, and recoil was quite stout - but still accurate. Probably would not ever put them in any older .38's or any J frame - just no need.

The J frames usually see Speer 'short barrel' Gold Dot JHP's or the commercial 158 gr LSWC-HP for carry.

 

[ruggyh]

Strict tolerance? Any time you use a different lot # of canister powder you should retest; canister Powder can and does vary by as much as 5%.

People make a fuss about "non-canister grade" powders, but in reality these are powders that do not meet the strict tolerances of powders sold retail to the public.

I had a friend who worked for Federal who told me that powder arrived in great quantities at a time, and when a new lot arrived, they would develop a unique charge for a given caliber. Nothing new to hand loaders, except tolerances were looser, and they had pressure testing equipment. Never once did they "blend" any powder.

BB does not load in quantities anywhere near what Federal does, but I'm sure they carefully develop new load data for each new lot of powder they receive.

 

[LostintheOzone]

There is no advantage (accuracy, velocity, etc.) in using a jacketed bullet in any handgun cartridge over a cast bullet IF the cast bullet is of the proper size and alloy mix for the intended load.However, few are willing to go to the trouble (not nearly as much as some think) nowadays to make the best cast bullet for the load and for their gun(s).

I enjoy experimenting more than most, but a fanatical and tormenting need to duplicate Buffalo Bore loads and to a similar extent "FBI loads" escapes me.

Why not simply use paper published load data and be satisfied with the results? You can still find some pretty warm +P data. This is especially applicable when dealing with older steel and alloy J-frame .38s and Colt snub nose guns. Most of these are probably stretched pretty close to design limits with hot ammo. No, you may not destroy a gun by shooting it with heavy loads, at least not right away, but they will take their toll. Abused by shooting much of this ammo will wear these guns out prematurely.

Consider a different revolver in a more powerful chambering if the all consuming need for power won't dissipate.

Very few shooters reload, even fewer cast. Evidenced by all of the complaining here about ammo manufacturers not producing enough ammo and conspiracy theories to drive up the cost.

I'm finding bullets here and there from commercial casters so no need for me to cast.

As far as BB goes, they have a good product and good marketing. More power to them.

Don't blow yourself up.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Proof Loads

An overload, even a significant overload, will not blow up a gun. Repeatedly shooting very high pressure loads will wear a gun much more rapidly than normal loads, but will not blow up a gun unless grossly over the line.

The fact that guns don't blow up or exhibit extra very soon with loads like this is a testament to the quality, strength and durability of firearms today as much as anything else.

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Most people tend to forget that manufacturers test their guns with proof loads before they depart the factory to the consumer's hands.

SAAMI proof loads for the 38 Special (+P) can range from 130% to 145% over it's 20K psi max.

That's between 26K to 29K psi proof loads. (Actually 27K to 29.5K, per SAAMI's chart.)

And they're designed to withstand it.

Agreed, while a steady diet of higher than standard pressure loads is going to loosen it up, & ultimately shorten it's usefulness if continued, it won't blow it up.

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