Police loads in 357 Magnum?

[aterry33]

I was chatting with some old school cops recently and they mentioned that the original loads were 158GR LSWC, and eventually this switched to 125GR JHP and 158GR JHP for the most part. Is this consistent with what everyone else has heard? I am curious as to how many departments used 158GR JHP as my understanding is that most switched to the 125GR loads eventually.

 

[kennyb]

for a long time we carried 158gr.lead round nose in a 4" taper barrel model 10 we could carry 357 mag.revolvers...i carried a colt trooper 4"quite a bit...but...38cal.lead round nose was it...hollow points strictly forbidden and inspections were several times a week....you will find endless variations as there was not or is not at this time a natiowide standard that all adhere to

 

[Sebago Son]

The last .357 Magnum load authorized by the US Border Patrol was the Remington-Peters 110 Grain Low Flash JHP.

 

[Muley Gil]

For years and years, the ONLY .357 Magnum load available was a swaged lead 158 grain semi wadcutter. Winchester-Western had the same bullet, but it had a copper wash on the outside.

These loads leaded terribly! Shoot a box through a revolver and it was hard to see the lands and grooves in your barrel. Savvy handgunners loaded the .357 with hardcast SWCs.

When jacketed bullets became popular, the .357 came into its own.

Most large police departments did NOT allow the use of .357 Magnum loadings and/or hollowpoint ammo. The .38 special plus P was developed to get more power from the standard .38 round without using the dreaded MAGNUM name.

 

[colt_saa]

Right up until the time we transitioned to the 9MM, the issued ammunition was a 357 Magnum, 158 grain Remington JSP.

 

[aterry33]

Right up until the time we transitioned to the 9MM, the issued ammunition was a 357 Magnum, 158 grain Remington JSP.

That's interesting. Was there any discussion of over-penetration with that load?

 

[colt_saa]

That's interesting. Was there any discussion of over-penetration with that load?

Penetration is what we wanted. The role of the Highway Patrol is different than the average City Officer.

We often face adversaries on the other sides of windshields or car doors.

 

[KEN L]

When I first started back in the early 70's, there was no "standard" load. My department did not issue or supply duty ammo. That was up to the individual officer. Most carried a .357, but some preferred some type of .38 special. Only Colt or S&W revolvers were approved. Rugers were not considered worthy at the time. I carried 158 gr Remington hollow points, what I felt would do the best job. I later went to the Winchester 145 gr Silver Tip. I read a lot of good reviews and was pleased with the controllability and power. When the department mandated/issued .38 special +P in all guns, it was the 125 gr. That was early 80's. By the mid 80's we were transitioning to 9mm autos. My recommendation and authorized duty round was the 147 gr Hydra Shok. Still a viable contender, even by today's standards.

 

[310Pilot]

My Dad was in the Maricopa County Sheriff's Mounted Posse during the 1960's and early 1970's, and each deputy (regular or posse) had to furnish his own weapon. The requirements were: Colt or S&W revolver, 3 1/2" to 5" barrel, .38 Special minimum caliber, any higher caliber recommended, subject to qualifying with the specific weapon. The most popular were .357 magnums, with a few .41 and .44 magnums also carried. Most carried full magnum ammunition, but every deputy was required to carry six .38 Spl rounds in addition to ammunition for his own weapon, in case a fellow officer (most probably armed with a .357 or .38) ran out of ammo in an extended gun fight! Dad carried a 4" Python (1st year of the 4" Python manufacture) loaded with 158 grain jacketed soft points (used both Winchester and Remington). He also had at least one box of 158 grain armor piercing .357 magnum (Winchester, IIRC) that was issued for road block duty. I may still have that box of ammo around, I'll have to look for it. Kind of neat, a conical end projectile, FMJ.
The 125 grain HP loads didn't come out until the early or mid-1970s, and became the whiz-bang load generally preferred by LE (for those that could carry magnums); however, the .357 had a long and succesful LE career with the heavier 158 grain SJSP loads - pretty much a guaranteed stopper!