Handloads for the Airweight Snub

If the OP comes back........

Am Select is right between Red Dot and Green Dot and a little closer to GD.

It should work well with lead and jacket bullets.

Good loading.
 
I just bought the Hornady Handbook. I had one and gave it, a set of scales and Lee press to a freind to get him started. I missed it, so I bought the latest edition. It has American Select in it. If you need info, ask.


David

See the lounge for a Snubby match.
 
My single favorite snubby load is 3.0 grains of VVn320 and the bayou 138 wadcutter. Load is very clean, mild and accurate in every .38 I have fired it in.

Coated bullets have completed changed my perspective on reloading and shooting indoors. You hands dont get dirty, the press does not get gummed up with bullet lube, smoke almost non-existent compared to traditional lubed cast bullets and the gun is much cleaner after a range session.

90% of my practice is with steel framed guns. However I do shoot and practice with my 638.
 
The "winner" is not the guy who can absorb the most recoil-

I believe it may have been Wyatt Earp who first said, "It isn't the guy who's the fastest draw that wins, it's the one who lands the shot first", or something like that..

A 2" revolver is not the thing to use in a shoot-out unless it is in close quarters. Then, it is the first one who places a disabling hit that will walk away. You can get the absolute best training if you can shoot accurately and not be distracted by the pains of recoil. Save the recoil for the heavy-disabling rounds carried in the weapon when it is in your belt.

Attached is a target that was shot at 50 yards with a custom PPC S&W K-38. Notice there are 6 bullet holes. It was shot with a 'powder-puff' (as it is called here) load of 2.7gr BE, fed-100 primers and 3-D 148 grain HBWC's. The target is only displayed to exhibit the 'powder-puff' load is accurate and beneficial to honing your handgun abilities, at least within a 50 yard range.

50yd_zps81ecfacb.jpg


I shoot the same in a #442 to practice with it. A hammerless revolver does require a little extra practice pulling it through when firing as it is double action only. For 'carry' it is stoked with +P+ rounds. I would not think of shooting them in the #442 regularly, but a steady diet of the 'powder-puff' ammunition is easy on it.

Leave the heavy ammunition for the real-deal and you are going to have better luck if it ever comes down to using the pistol effectively or dieing. In a do-or-die firefight I guarantee you, you will not experience any of the macho-recoil! ;)
 
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I wish!

David R said:
Was that target shot with a snubby?
Click to expand...
No; That was with a billet-barreled competition revolver from a weak-hand barricade position at 50 yards. The target was shown only to exhibit that the "powder puff" (as referred to in this thread) were accurate and effective practice ammunition at least up to 50 yards.
 
I might add, That 2.7gr Bullseye load was the same used in the regional PPC matches.. ;)
 
FAILURE TO FIRES

In 10 months of steel challenge & bowling pin matches, I constantly see the same people, good shots with tons more experience than me having these problems, with a variety of guns. They also are the same ones that are constantly trying to lower trigger pull wt's and changing springs etc. A ft fire can cost you a match or your life in a s/d situation, SO IMO, learn to use the heavier trigger pull wt and have more reliability. Re. seating primers, they should be below flush & the base of the primer flattened, NOT STILL ROUNDED, bringing the cup closer to the anvil. Primers get improved, way more often than some articles on primers that may have been written 30 years ago, so cci's being hard and federals soft, MAY BE a bit of myth today. ALL should work if the gun/firing pin is correct, the primers are seated correctly, and the gun NOT ALTERED/PLAYED WITH TOO MUCH. MY 2 cents.
 
alwslate said:
First of all I don't really understand the mentality behind shooting
thousands of rounds through the lightweight J frames.
Click to expand...


Oh, I dunno, maybe accuracy and proficiency? I've found several loads that are comfortable, pleasant to shoot, and accurate outta my J-Frames. Just cause they say +p on the barrel, don't mean that's what one needs to send downrange all the time. For many, a snub nosed gun is the hardest to become accurate with, and thus it takes more practice. If one is not going to practice with their snubby because it is uncomfortable to shoot, they should probably practice throwing it.
 
A SNUB NOSE DAY

At bowling pin or steel challenge now and again is a hoot, No excuses, & keeps us kinda up to date. I don't think I'd wanna fire 1,000 a month thru it, even though my stainless 640 no dash is a tank & could likely handle the lighter loads no problem.
 
buck460XVR said:
Oh, I dunno, maybe accuracy and proficiency? I've found several loads that are comfortable, pleasant to shoot, and accurate outta my J-Frames. Just cause they say +p on the barrel, don't mean that's what one needs to send downrange all the time. For many, a snub nosed gun is the hardest to become accurate with, and thus it takes more practice. If one is not going to practice with their snubby because it is uncomfortable to shoot, they should probably practice throwing it.
Click to expand...

My reservations about shooting large amounts of ammo
through the lightweight J frames has nothing to do with
shooter comfort. I don't shoot a lot of ammo through my
alloy J frames because I don't want to wear them out. I
have plenty of steel frame guns which are far more durable
than the lightweights. Accuracy from self defense guns is
grossly overated. The few times I have drawn my carry gun,
the threat was at arms length. This is typical for civilians.
Most practice people engage in has little revelance for
real life scenarios anyway.
 
I use American Select in my .38 spl with lead bullets and also .45 acp with 200 LSWC and 230gr FMJ.

I follow the data in the Alliant 2004 manual. In .38 spl, the maximum load for 125 gr. lead bullet is 4.7gr American Select. The maximum load for .38 spl 158gr LSWC is 4.3gr American Select. It burns very clean and makes little smoke.

Although I haven't chronoed them, the 4.3 gr 158 gr lead SWC American Select load seemed quite hearty in both my SW 638 and Ruger LCR.

PM me if you want a copy of the 2004 Alliant Manual. IMHO, that is the last Alliant Manual worth having.



I also used 3.1 gr American Select under a 148gr double-ended lead wadcutter in my SW 638. It yielded an average of 766 fps with an extreme spread of 46.14 and a SD of 19.65 for five shots. That's a nice practice load.
 
Well, recently I went out to the range with my new 642 no lock. If you recall I started the thread shooting a 442 that shot high with my 158 gr handloads. There was nothing wrong with the 442 and the lock did not really bother me, I just ran into a good deal on the 642 and the being a no lock was just a plus for me. So I tried the same loads that shot high in my 442, and it turns out that their right on with my 642, interesting. I don't know if Smith and Wesson made any changes recently on the airweights, but the production rate for the too are no more than eight months apart.

I have also notice that shooting these j frames really don't cause any pain in my hand anymore, even shooting +p loads aren't that bad. It seems my hands have become conditioned to the guns recoil. I also got luck today and bought two bottles of trail boss. If anyone has any recommendations for this powder, I would be happy to hear some. Im going to start with 2.7 grains under a 158 gr swchp bullet and see how that works out for me.
 
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David R said:
Some are magtech primers and some are Winchester. Your gun should fire CCI without a hitch. Clean and lube the gun. If needed replace the hammer spring. Misfires are unacceptable.

My BG 38 misfired because too much endshake. I traded it for the 637 which has never missed a beat.

For the primers, its whatever is available.

David
Click to expand...



So it turns out, something is wrong with the gun. I finally got frustrated enough Nd sent back to S&W for repair. They wouldn't say what was wrong with it but they are sending out a new gun.

Oh well...
 
I've been using the 2.7 Gr. B E load for many years. My old pre war M&P loved this load. Now I'm with a new 638 that I use a little stouter load of 3.0 gr. B E. I'm using CCI primers with good results. My old M&P disappeared with one of my daughters ex husbands long ago.
 
When shooting that many rounds in a J frame if you use a glove your hand will thank you.

Why are you telling us what the OAL is? With revolver bullets you should always crimp into the factory supplied crimp groove. I don't think I have ever checked the OAL on revolver ammo.

With any fixed sight revolver, if your ammo is shooting 4" high aim the revolver 4" lower. That's how it works with fixed sights. (unless you want to sight in the revolver for that one ammo)

I use W231 for my .38 Special ammo. It seems to be less "snappy" than ammo made with the faster Bullseye.
 
I shoot 158 gr SWC or RNFP cast bullets with 3.5 gr BE in my 642. Was using 3.6 gr BE but decided to drop back to conserve powder. No noticeable difference in recoil or target scores. FWIW.
 
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