Check Out These Old Wadcutter Bullets

[Double-O-Dave]

I remember the Hydra-Shok bullets from the late 1980s. If I recall correctly, the center post was made out of some hardened metal (titanium?), and the manufacturer guaranteed expansion to at least .70 caliber. I used to load them in my Model 66-2 with a 2.5 inch long barrel. Once, I angered some body while driving, and he really wanted to get into a fight with me. He went back to his truck and returned with a baseball bat. I went under my front seat and came out with the Model 66.

To my great surprise, the sight of a loaded gun didn't seem to discourage him, and he kept walking towards me. To this day, I don't know why I did this, but I cocked the hammer on the piece and dropped the sights from his chest to his groin area. That got his attention, and he turned around and ran back to his truck and drove away. I had to wait until my hands quit shaking until I could safely lower the hammer on the piece, put it back into the pistol rug, and then drive away.

Later on, I figured that with the sun behind me, he probably couldn't see the bullets in the cylinder of my revolver, and probably thought I was bluffing him. After that incident, I went back to carrying 125gr. JHP +P .38 Specials in the Model 66.

Regards,

Dave

 

[bronco45]

Gaucho1, nailed it. The seminal beginning to Hydra Shock. The guy went on to produce SD ammo using that bullet and selling it with "post" in the nose! The selling point was how to turn a 38 Snubby into a "hard hitting" defense weapon. Police shootings tended to prove the manufacturers hypothesis so Federal bought the patent and refined it and brought out their Hydra Shock.