Sounds like you're in good company.Not quite the typical snub, but I'm packing a 3" GP100 today.
I'm seriously considering grabbin' an SP-101...maybe in .327?
Very nice....probably won't be your last.I have a SP101 with the 2.25" barrel. My first snub.
LH M624All of my snub's are .38spl except my Lew Horton 624. In my .38spl snubs I carry the old faithful 158gr SWCHP+P made by Federal, and I use Ga. Arms same loading for practice. In my 624 I use Winchester 200gr SilverTips, plus Ga.Arms 200gr GoldDot loading as well. The Golddot they make is somewhat warmer than the Silvertip.
Two of the N-frame snubs I mentioned earlier were Hortons (657/629)
When not reloading I just use WWB or whatever old .38sp I can get my hands on.
I've got several loads worked up and doc'd but I did so when I was shooting revolver division in IDPA and my notes are packed away right now....I'm gonna' have to dig them up....
*You guys might find it of interest but when shooting Stock Service Revolver division in IDPA rather than download and make powderpuff power floor competition loads, you have to actually load UP to +P+ loads in .38 special.
None of the factory stuff is powerful enough to make power factor which IIRC is 125,000? (someone correct me if I'm wrong)
Now, there may be a couple of brands of 158gr+P that meet power factor... Fiocci perhaps? I never found any locally so I didn't bother to research it further but maybe Jerry Biggs, Buzzdraw, or someone else can tell us which ones (factory ammo) meet the specifications.
So while all the gamers are downloading, us wheelgun guys are having to load up-uP-UP just to stay legal.
I found it tougher to do than I thought it'd be and it seems to be more critical to match your components to stay safely over the floor and still be accurate.
But with help from the guys I just mentioned above and from the Galactic Wheelgun Master Guru: Curt Nichols, I was able to pull together some nice loads.
Anyway, that was just a side note I thought I'd share with you guys who didn't know....while I was working the loads up I did also come up with some nice soft shootin' plinking rounds and like I say...when I can get to storage I'll try to grab me recipes and share them.
For self defense I've been using the Federal Nyclad 158gr+P LSWCHP for a long, long time.
They've not been easy to find but before prices went all dickwhacky I ordered some online and I also found a small retailer with a secret stash locally to keep me in supply.....I've now depleted those however. :cry:
I look for them at gunshows and I always try to hit the little gun/pawn shops to find deals on them whenever I get a chance.
That said, I've been thinking of switching over to another more modern load for the .38, but I'd like to do some wetpack testing first if possible.
One of the rounds I've been interested in is the new Hornady Critical Defense w/ their polymer tipped FTX bullet.....looks to be a great expander.
Pop into every little hole-in-the-wall pawn/gun shop you find...try the gun shows...and maybe ammoman after the panic slows down (if ever)Where do you find the Federal 158gr SWCHP +P?
GED, Federal is again making the 125gr .38sp Nyclad load.Yeah, I need some of those too.
Only I want some in a NON +P load. My Airweights don't like the hot stuff.
I did some wetpack testing with them and I really didn't care for the results compared to the 158gr+p version.
Nyclad expansion isn't anything to write home about particularly in the area of consistancy but in my experiences the standard pressure 125gr version was the worst of the three Nyclad loads I tested both in terms of expansion and penetration.
I opted for the 158gr+p version because they at least have the penetration advantage going for them in a relatively low powered caliber.
(well, let's face it...and because they're blue and cool )
Personally, I think you'd probably be better off looking at the standard pressure 125gr Hornady FTX...or maybe even the Gold Dot short barrel version.
I've nowhere near the level of experience you do with those things but I shot about 100rd of .45acp that was purchased after WWII and left in a dresser drawer for almost 50 years...it all worked just fine.As to the rule of changing out your carry ammo often, well I have another outlook on this. I've worked military Ordnance for over 20yrs. I've handled it all from special weapons down to .22lr. I've seen artillery powder that was loaded at the end of WWII that upon testing was still considered serviceable for wartime service. I've seen and used smallarms ammo that was made in the same time period. Now most if not all of this ammo is made by the lowest bidder and it works, so as to the quality of our modern loaded ammunition by the major manufacturers I see it as no better nor worse than what we had on active duty. Plus storing ammunition in proper containers helps out alot. All of mine is stored in MilSpec cans with good seals.
Several mags worth of the ammo (it was RemingtonIIRC) were loaded in Colt GI mags which had also been stashed for about as long and they all worked flawlessly in the Colt Government as well...
I'm not sure that being stored in an Ethan-Allen bedroom dresser is considered "proper storage" but it goes to show that ammo is generally pretty tolerant of father time as long as it's handled/stored in halfway reasonable conditions.