Way back in the 70's as a newly minted Idaho certified police officer in a small rural farming community we dealt with 3-D Co., Inc out of Doniphan, Nebraska for our 38 spl practice rounds. We would send them 1000 brass and they, for a price of course, would send us back 1000 loaded with 158 grn swaged lswc's. At one point I was fooling around with a RCBS rockchucker and ended up buying 2000 bullets from them. Fast forward to December 2012 and I just started reloading 38's with these bullets I have lugged around for all these decades! I have been reloading for several years but only for my 9mm's and 45acp's. So now I am taking my M27 and M66 revolvers out of mothballs and will set up my chrono to see how this works out. Using CCI 500 primers with oal of 1.448, I have loaded 12 rounds each of Unique at 4.0, 4.3, 4.6 and 5.0 grains on my Lee classic turret press. In researching load data I get all kinds of different opinions on the amount of this powder to use, but most who load with this type bullet and Unique like 5.0 grains. We will see how this works!
Dug out the old 3-D 38 special bullets...
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setxn
Member
I use 5.0 with cast 158 SWC in all loads except for an old heirloom M36 of my buddies that gets 4.5. Both are smile makers, they just work great.
ray45
Member
Sounds like you are right on target with your loads.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Your post brings back old memories. My department used 3-D too, but we used the 148 grain WC load. We never returned the brass, and most was thrown away. I still have buckets of the mixed head stamp 3-D brass. I like 5 grains of Unique with a cast 158 grain SWC in K, L, or N frames. In my old model 60 I use 4.3-4.5 grains of Unique with a swaged 158 SWC.
The thing I remembered about the 3-D ammo was that it leaded bad.
Regards
The thing I remembered about the 3-D ammo was that it leaded bad.
Regards
Larry from Bend
Member
Memories here, also. I used quite a bit of 38 Special 3D in the 70s --- shooting steel.
I still have some of their well-made, yellow and black boxes with plastic inserts that I keep reloads in.
I still have some of their well-made, yellow and black boxes with plastic inserts that I keep reloads in.
Geronimo Jim
Member
I also shot 3D's in the 1970's. However, for PPC competition I shot
swaged hollow base wadcutters through my Power Grand Master.
Fun days, I miss them. Still have my Power's though.
swaged hollow base wadcutters through my Power Grand Master.
Fun days, I miss them. Still have my Power's though.
John P., I am wondering about the leading problem, I cannot remember if we had much issue with it back then. What I need to do is reload more of each powder charge, enough to show me what each does to the barrel with these bullets, then pick the one with the least lead buildup.
I still have a "souvenir." Joe
I qualified with a 4 inch model 13, a 4 inch 686, a 2.5 inch 66, and a 2 inch 60. This was back in 1986 until early 1989, when I switched to the first 5906 I could get my hands on. I would have continued to carry the revolvers, but I got on SWAT, and we were required to carry a 59, 459, or one of the then new 5900 series. Our duty rounds were the Federal .357 magnum 125 gr. JHP load, a Remington 125 gr. plus P if one carried a .38 Special, and the Winchester 115 gr. Silver Tip in 9MM. We used a 60 round course, and those that liked to shoot were able to grab a box or two to plink with after the qualification course. I usually shot an extra box, so after the 110 rounds there was quite a bit of leading to clean. I forgot if we used the 148 DEWC or the HBWC, but they did lead. If the old 3D bullets you have are swaged, try Lee Alox on them if they lead at the higher charges of Unique. When I use the swaged Hornady bullets, I use the Alox with good results. My favorite load is still a cast (usually the economical 158 grain SWC-Bevel Base) over 5 grains of Unique.
Good luck and best regards
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DWalt
Member
I still have a few boxes of the 3-D ammunition somewhere.
Lyman cast bullet handbook shows a +P .38 Special load as 5.3 grains of Unique behind a 158 grain SWC. Their "standard" load is 5.0 grains of Unique.
Lyman cast bullet handbook shows a +P .38 Special load as 5.3 grains of Unique behind a 158 grain SWC. Their "standard" load is 5.0 grains of Unique.
I have settled on 5.0grs of Unique as the max +p load in my snub nose for best accuracy and recoil for this revolver.....a 5.55ft/lb recoil is plenty for me in this light 38.
in my 686 6" I have gone all the way up to 5.5grs in a 38 spl hull that puts out around 1015fps but it may over penetrate and in the 6" mag. 4.0grs of Reddot puts out 890fps and is a tac driver !!
I have never gone lower than 5.0grs in the mag for target loads since 3.4 and 4.2grs of Trail Boss worked right off the bat for me in the snub nose and 6" tube.
in my 686 6" I have gone all the way up to 5.5grs in a 38 spl hull that puts out around 1015fps but it may over penetrate and in the 6" mag. 4.0grs of Reddot puts out 890fps and is a tac driver !!
I have never gone lower than 5.0grs in the mag for target loads since 3.4 and 4.2grs of Trail Boss worked right off the bat for me in the snub nose and 6" tube.
Pharmer after looking at your picture I went down to my reloading area. I have one box of 3-D 38's. I took them out to try,worked good for me. I was given these by a friend who has passed on, he was a state officer,and thay did not use 38's any more. The box has about 18 rounds left and I just could not use up the last of his shells.
Smithboomer
Member
Here's another oldtimer who memory got jogged by your post. I loaded many rounds with 3-D .38 wadcutters back in the 1970's.
doc540
Member
I'd like to see a pic of the 3D bullets.
They look like any other LSWC bullet, although the case is marked 125grLSWC not 158. I used to pay around $70/thousand with brass exchange around 20 yrs ago. Joe
jmace57
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I guess this is going to be a blast from the past in a couple of ways. An old thread resuscitated...and I found these for sale about 2 weeks ago. Per the old request, here is a picture of the wadcutters.
By the way, these are still available. I just bought 7 boxes and think I will buy 7 more - they are cheap for these days. Apparently they found a pallet-full of these still in the original boxes. I don't know that I am allowed to post a vendor's location, so if anyone is interested, PM me and I'll send you the link.
By the way, these are still available. I just bought 7 boxes and think I will buy 7 more - they are cheap for these days. Apparently they found a pallet-full of these still in the original boxes. I don't know that I am allowed to post a vendor's location, so if anyone is interested, PM me and I'll send you the link.
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Ah... 3-D! I remember 3-D! Always was good ammo for me.
For loading 158 gr. lead bullets, Skeeter Skelton recommended 5.0 gr. w/ whatever .38 Special casing and whatever small pistol primer was on hand. I've been using it for over 30 years. It has worked well in all my revolvers.
For loading 158 gr. lead bullets, Skeeter Skelton recommended 5.0 gr. w/ whatever .38 Special casing and whatever small pistol primer was on hand. I've been using it for over 30 years. It has worked well in all my revolvers.
