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J.P.

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Not quite the typical snub, but I'm packing a 3" GP100 today.
Sounds like you're in good company.;)
I'm seriously considering grabbin' an SP-101...maybe in .327? :anyone:

I have a SP101 with the 2.25" barrel. My first snub.
Very nice....probably won't be your last. :)

All 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.
LH M624
:bowdown:
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.:bigeye:
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.

Where do you find the Federal 158gr SWCHP +P?
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)

Yeah, I need some of those too.
Only I want some in a NON +P load. My Airweights don't like the hot stuff. :respect:
GED, Federal is again making the 125gr .38sp Nyclad load.
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.:anyone:
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 :D)
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.:anyone:

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.
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.
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.;)
 

NikatKimber

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Sounds like you're in good company.;)
I'm seriously considering grabbin' an SP-101...maybe in .327? :anyone:

Very nice....probably won't be your last. :)

I had an SP101 2.25" spurless. Great gun, just too heavy for backup, and not enough gun for primary.

JP, have you handled the LCR yet? I held one at *gasp* Dong's, and was actually impressed. The trigger is much more controllable than the 642 of my wife's. And I think the grip design will help with recoil. I'd like to see one of those in a six shot .327 mag.

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....

snip...snip

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)

I'd like to do some wetpack testing too, but don't know what I'm doing. If you get around to trying it, let me know, I'll see if I can help.

My current *light* load is almost recoil free in my wife's security six or my GP. Last time I had a chrono it was only pushing about 600fps out of my wife's 642. It's 158 SWC over Bullseye.

I'm wanting to work up to full power loads to replicate SD rounds for practice, since I can't afford to run hundreds of SD rounds.
 

ldp4570

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When I first started as an LEO we still had revolvers issued to some of the deputies, and continued to issue if for some reason a new deputy couldn't meet standards with our 4506's. They were SW 686's loaded with the old 110gr +P+HP loads made by Winchester. Our quals were every 3 months, and at least one would be nightfire. I have never seen as big of a flash as what those +P+ would make, by the way the flash was even visable during dayfire too. Getting a chance to look and handle some of those 686's the +P+ rounds had really battered those revolvers. The flame cutting was worse than shooting one with full house .357 125gr JHP. Most had pretty bad endshake, and several had timing issues. None of these were more than 6yrs old. My own 686 was over 15yrs old by this time, and had been fed nothing but 125grJHP, and showed no where the amount of use/abuse that these guns had.

Thats the reason I refuse to shoot a revolver in something like IDPA. Our department was fortunate in that having such a wealthy county we had money to spend on officer training. In the five+ years I was there I had completed level three firearms, SWAT/SERT, advanced officer survival, first responder, officer concealed carry, combat spanish, plus all of our regular inhouse training and certification. We had one of the largest training facilities in the southeast down at Forsyth Georgia. All you had to do was apply for a class. The county paid for the course, and you were on the clock during the class.

Just like in the military, I always kept good notes and kept all class material so I could pass on what I was taught, and so I could use to keep me up to standards.
 

ldp4570

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Sounds like you're in good company.;)
I'm seriously considering grabbin' an SP-101...maybe in .327? :anyone:


Very nice....probably won't be your last. :)


LH M624
:bowdown:
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.:bigeye:
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)


GED, Federal is again making the 125gr .38sp Nyclad load.
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.:anyone:
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 :D)
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.:anyone:


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.
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.;)


Ammunition, explosives, powders, other energetic materials as long as these items are kept dry and not exposed to extreams will have basicly an unlimited shelf life. Now there are some types of materials that have to be kept wet because of their reaction to static electricity, such as primer compounds. If you were to see an ammunition depot, you would see magazine storage, warehouse storage, and open storage. The different types of storage is not so much for the protection of the ammunition as it is to protect everyone from the ammunition. Even with the outdoor storage, the items are burmed on three sides with the open side being away from roads, buildings, inhabited areas.

So most ammunition that would be stored inside a home would be considered to be in semi-proper storage, and would probably last very, very long.
 

Shadowrider

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......Thats the reason I refuse to shoot a revolver in something like IDPA.....

Another board member told me that when using a revolver for competition and firing serious qty's of rounds that you can do a lot to prolong gun life by using VihtaVuori powders in your loads. He said they burn a lot cooler and it makes a big difference in the battering of the gun.
 

ldp4570

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Another board member told me that when using a revolver for competition and firing serious qty's of rounds that you can do a lot to prolong gun life by using VihtaVuori powders in your loads. He said they burn a lot cooler and it makes a big difference in the battering of the gun.


That may be true, but my thinking on it is that IDPA has gotten away from what it was intended to be, which is a way to improve your combative firearms skill. I understand they don't want someone out there shooting powderpuff loads, but to have the standard loaded or +P loaded .38 classed as under powered is just silliness on their part. Watching and participating in some of the competitions when I was still in Georgia, I noticed that it was gearing itself right back to the old IPSC style of competition. I dropped out of that and started making the drive back to Ft. Benning once a month to start back competeing in the Combat pistol matches there. Their matches were geared more towards actual combat, and CQB in an urban environment. Plus they had both day and night matches. I started shooting in these in 1994 when I returned from my last tour in Germany. These matches, and training were put on by USAMU. They still have these matches, and if one is during my trips back to Georgia to visit family I always make the run down there to shoot. You do have to be active or retired to shoot in these, and you are shooting against some of the best from USAMU there, but they are a blast!!!!!
 

Shadowrider

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That may be true, but my thinking on it is that IDPA has gotten away from what it was intended to be, which is a way to improve your combative firearms skill. I understand they don't want someone out there shooting powderpuff loads, but to have the standard loaded or +P loaded .38 classed as under powered is just silliness on their part. Watching and participating in some of the competitions when I was still in Georgia, I noticed that it was gearing itself right back to the old IPSC style of competition. I dropped out of that and started making the drive back to Ft. Benning once a month to start back competeing in the Combat pistol matches there. Their matches were geared more towards actual combat, and CQB in an urban environment. Plus they had both day and night matches. I started shooting in these in 1994 when I returned from my last tour in Germany. These matches, and training were put on by USAMU. They still have these matches, and if one is during my trips back to Georgia to visit family I always make the run down there to shoot. You do have to be active or retired to shoot in these, and you are shooting against some of the best from USAMU there, but they are a blast!!!!!

Oh well I see your point then. I didn't realize the power factors were that high. As you can tell I haven't shot any IDPA yet, and darn little else for that matter....
 

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