Old Hydrashok .38 Special ammo

[David LaPell]

I've had a few of these before and I was given some more last week. About 20 125 grain Hydrashok JHP's. These are Hydrashoks before Federal took them over. Notice that the new Hydrashoks are jacketed up to the top of the cavity and these not quite as much. The bullet in the middle is what I was told was a Hydrashok Skorpion. They look like a wadcutter but the bullet does have a jacket stuffed way into that shell. I have tested them before in wet newsprint and the 125 grain hollowpoint expanded out to .62 from a 3 1/2 inch barrel. What I think I am going to do though is to pull the bullets and load them in some .357 brass going a little faster.

 

[Nevada Ed]

A little more speed might be the way to go..............

I just saw a youtube on the Federal low recoil 110 out of a 38 Ruger snub nose at 886 fps........
and a Hornady 110gr CD FTX at 833 fps out of the same revolver.

Both had very poor bullet expansion and the FTX actually went all the way through the two gel blocks, not to be found.

Two different test with the "New" 90gr FTX bullet for the snub nose 38 out of a 1 7/8" barrel, by two different people...............
(company states 1200fps snub at 927 fps )
Both FAILED ....... to expand at all.

Good luck with the improved loads.

 

[CTG_COLLECTOR]

Yes, the WC profile Hydra-Shok is the all-lead (no jacket) 146gr Skorpion round.

Just curious as to why you'd want to pull down and reload the 125gr bullets. For ****s & giggles or for SD use?

Hydra-Shok headstamped ammo is not rare but they are collectable.

 

[David LaPell]

Yes, the WC profile Hydra-Shok is the all-lead (no jacket) 146gr Skorpion round.

Just curious as to why you'd want to pull down and reload the 125gr bullets. For ****s & giggles or for SD use?

Hydra-Shok headstamped ammo is not rare but they are collectable.

I was thinking for self defense loads. I was given all the ammo so I have no money into it as far as collecting it, especially since there was no box. I will keep the Skorpion wadcutters the way they are.

 

[BE Mike]

A little more speed might be the way to go..............

I just saw a youtube on the Federal low recoil 110 out of a 38 Ruger snub nose at 886 fps........
and a Hornady 110gr CD FTX at 833 fps out of the same revolver.

Both had very poor bullet expansion and the FTX actually went all the way through the two gel blocks, not to be found.

Two different test with the "New" 90gr FTX bullet for the snub nose 38 out of a 1 7/8" barrel, by two different people...............
(company states 1200fps snub at 927 fps )
Both FAILED ....... to expand at all.

Good luck with the improved loads.

Many years ago, the U.S. Border Patrol issued 110 gr. "Controlled Expansion" ammo in .38 SPL. After a couple of real world shooting incidents where the ammo failed to perform, they adopted the 125 gr. JHP in .357 Rem. Mag. The later round has plenty of real data to recommend it.

 

[Keith44]

I have never seen the Hydra-shock wad cutter. Can these be found as reloading component bullets?

 

[Keith44]

a quick google search seems to indicate that the full wad cutters are lost to history.

 

[dpast32]

I just found a box of .38 Special 146 grain Hydra-Shok ammo while repacking one of my ammo cans. They too are pre-FCC production, & are in a red & blue box of 50 rds. If anyone is interested, I'll go dig them out to relate all the mfgr's data on the box. IIRC, back in late 1970's & early 1980's, these, Hydra-Shok loads appear very similar to another somewhat popular s/d load from the disco era, the reverse seated, 146 gr. HBWC. I had someone load up a run of 500 rds for me many moons ago. Although they did appear promising in some areas, their accuracy was abysmal, & just about that time I got on my Dept, which prompted me to carry only Dept approved ammo in my s/d weapons. Let me know if anyone's interested in the box data of the 146 gr. Hydra-Shok's.

Best, dpast32

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The 146 grain WC Hydrashok bullet were on the handloading market in the early 80's. I loaded a box of 50 38 S&W rounds with the projectile at normal C.O.A.L. and they shot great and expanded well.I still have the rest of the box, but they are not for sale. I also have a factory pack of 20 all lead 45ACP Hydrashok in a labeled "Ammo Wallet". I still use the Federal 230 grain 45 ACP, as my SD round of choice. In the late 80's that was the Columbus, Ohio PD duty ammo. It worked well on bad guys then and still would if the FBI hadn't said it didn't work good enough! I've gone to other ammo in my 38 Specials, but I still use those 38 S&W's I made in my top-break revolvers, my 1896 Lemon Squeezer sure likes them! The factory Scorpions worked well as a SD round in S&W model 52's; a Columbus PD SWAT officer carried that combo for hostage rescue situations back then. Ivan

 

[Frank46]

I use hydra shocks old style for my P239 in 40 cal and the flying ash tray in my 45's. Frank

 

[ZBill]

These are the old Hydroshoks I have - 129 +P; 147 +P+; and 158 357 Magnum. The Winchester box is holding 110 +P+ loaded to Treasury Dept. regulations according to back of box.