Best self defense ammo. for J-frame .38

[photoman]

The only problem I've had with the new run of Nyclad is they are dirty in my short barrel J frames. Lots of unburned powder under the ejector so be aware of that. Otherwise, very good ammo.

 

[Big Kahuna 19547]

125gr Nyclads non +P

I love these rounds, and carry them in all my J frames

 

[shawn mccarver]

I saw an article that said that the best self defense ammo for a .38 is only available to law enforcement. Does anyone know if this is a fact? If so, what in your opinion would be the best ammo to use? I would imagine a +P load but I have read that they are actually too much for a J-frame. Any help would be appreciated.

Not correct. The best 38 loads are available to non-law enforcement citizens. The two best, in my opinion, are the so-called FBI Load, Winchester's 38 Plus P, 158 grain lead hollow point, and the Speer 38 short barrel gold dot load. They are both Plus P, but they are fine in any J frame in moderation. Your budget will run out and your hand will hurt long before your gun is out of time.

 

[bobelk99]

Many depts. mine included, use the Speer Gold Dot 135 +p designed for snubs. It is not LEO only.

Like the quote says.

It is true J frames were not designed with +P in mind. But that does not mean they won't handle them. I wouldn't want to shoot 2K rounds through one, but enough to familiarize yourself with their function and to be sure you and your gun can handle them is not going to 'ruin the gun'.

Anyone who feels or knows I am wrong, please correct me.

 

[Greenbeanie67]

Like the quote says.

It is true J frames were not designed with +P in mind. But that does not mean they won't handle them. I wouldn't want to shoot 2K rounds through one, but enough to familiarize yourself with their function and to be sure you and your gun can handle them is not going to 'ruin the gun'.

Anyone who feels or knows I am wrong, please correct me.

I'd vote with you. I carry Speer 135g GD in mine. No problems at all. But this is a carry gun not a range gun.
That being said the newer J Frames have 38 Spl +P stamped on the barrel.

 

[Catbird33]

...I also really like the Win. PDX-1 130gr. +P which was accurate and surprisingly light recoiling (compared to the Gold Dots) for a heavy 130gr. round...

Whenever I'm in Walmart, I frequently stop by the Sporting Goods Dept. and look over their ammo supply. A couple of days ago, I observed that they had a few boxes of this Winchester Bonded PDX1 130 grain .38 SPL ammo.

In spite of the fact that I haven't done any research, I bought 1 box of 20 and plan to see if there's any "street" performance data available online.

Till then, I suppose I'll continue to carry my Remington 158 grain SWCHP +Ps.

 

[Anothergrumpyoldman]

I chronographed 2 loads in my 442 last week.
The Federal Nyclads averaged 850fps for 10 shots.
The Federal Premium Personal Defense 110gr. Hydrashock low recoil load averaged 890fps for 10 shots.
The hydrashocks had less felt recoil than the Nyclads.
Either would work. I have a deteriorating joint in my right thumb, so I am using the Hydrashocks.

 

[H&K 4 LIFE]

Whenever I'm in Walmart, I frequently stop by the Sporting Goods Dept. and look over their ammo supply. A couple of days ago, I observed that they had a few boxes of this Winchester Bonded PDX1 130 grain .38 SPL ammo...

My local Walmart has just recently gotten the PDX-1 in .38, although they have been selling it in .40S&W and .45ACP for sometime now, this is the first I have seen of the .38 at Walmart.

It is really nice shooting stuff out of the J-frame, you should try a few rounds. It is my secondary load, I use it for reloads in speed strips. I feel the recoil is actually alot like the standard pressure Rem. UMC FMJ I use for practice.

The PDX-1 is an evolution of the Ranger T series bullets which have always been decent in performance. The PDX-1 in .40S&W is also the new standard load for the FBI's duty pistols.

 

[Catbird33]

...The PDX-1 is an evolution of the Ranger T series bullets which have always been decent in performance. The PDX-1 in .40S&W is also the new standard load for the FBI's duty pistols.

My 9mm carry ammo of choice has been the Winchester Ranger "T" series 127 grain +P+ for a few years. IMHO, it ranks as one of the top performers available. Since the bullet configurations of the PDX-1 and the Ranger T look so similar, I was hoping for better than average SD performance from my short barreled J-frames. The fact (as you brought out) that the recoil is very manageable, is a real PLUS.

 

[Skeeziks]

I saw an article that said that the best self defense ammo for a .38 is only available to law enforcement. Does anyone know if this is a fact? If so, what in your opinion would be the best ammo to use? I would imagine a +P load but I have read that they are actually too much for a J-frame. Any help would be appreciated.

If your J-frame is a snub and +P rated, than I Highly recommend the Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel load (+P 135-gr. JHP.)
If your J-frame is not +P rated, you could probably still load up with them, but I'm not about to tell anyone that it's perfectly safe. If something were to happen than it would be on Me.
I'll tell ya what I use in my mod. 49 (which is not +P rated.)
~ Buffalo Bore's Standard Pressure Short Barrel Low flash Heavy .38 Sp.
It's loaded with the Speer Gold Dot 125-gr. JHP. 921 fps. (235 ft. lbs.) - and that's out of a 2" barrel!
Out of a 4" bbl. it's doing 1078 fps. (322 ft. lbs.)
Speers' own loading with this same 125-gr. GD bullet is only doing 945 fps. out of the same 4" bbl. With B.B. you get "+P" performance without the higher pressure.

But don't forget what I said about the Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel Load (135-gr.)...if your Smith is a +P snubbie, than go with that (can't recommend them highly enough!)

 

[Jimmymac46]

Go to www.ammunitiontogo.com they sell the Federal 125gr non +P Nyclads HP's in 50rd boxes and the Speer 135gr short barrel +P HP's.
Their prices are great.

Thanks for the website info for the Nyclads.