.38 special ammo

[NeoCortex]

Hey,
Does anyone have a prefrence on .38 Special +P ammo for a J-frame S&W?

Thanks

 

[invictus]

If it's just for target practice/plinking, I'd get the aluminum-cased CCI/Blaser , .38 SPL +P rounds. They should be well under $10/box of 50, from Sports Authority.
For self-defense, I'g go with Remington Golden Sabre, or Federal Hydra- Shocks. Winchester makes some decent soft-nosed and hollowpoint rounds too.

 

[gaijin6423]

You can't beat the CCI/Blaser rounds for plinking or targets. For personal defense/carry, I've been using some MagTech First Defense in my S&W 642 lately, and I've used their Guardian Gold rounds before. I got a few odd looks the last time I took the Airweight to the range and loaded it up with MagTech rounds, and some guy mentioned how he, "Heard a friend say that a cousin had feeding issues," with MagTech rounds. Not too many feeding issues with revolvers, but whatever.

I'm a big fan of Hornady's TAP rounds (I keep my XD .45 loaded with them when I'm using it), but, alas, they don't make them in .38 Special.

 

[A4sForever]

Hey,
Does anyone have a prefrence on .38 Special +P ammo for a J-frame S&W?

Thanks

Long story short: +P 158 grain LSWCHP in a 2" barrel.

It averages @ 821 fps, @ 16.1" penetration, and expands to @ .44" (again, all average numbers based on the tables).

Check out this article in Handguns Magazine on self defense loads in a 2" .38 Special published in 2003. Nothing's changed:

POCKET FULL OF DYNAMITE

 

[Fly Navy]

A4s, you're a man after my own heart. I was going to reply with the same exact thing, the old FBI load. Tried and PROVEN.

 

[NeoCortex]

looks to me from that chart that the Winchester 130 +P had better stats on the Gel test.

 

[Lawman]

looks to me from that chart that the Winchester 130 +P had better stats on the Gel test.

"Your honor this is what the FBI loaded in their handguns for decades specifically to stop criminals. For that same reason its loaded in my handgun."

-Excerpt from whatever civil trial Im in after shooting an intruder in my house.

 

[A4sForever]

"Your honor this is what the FBI loaded in their handguns for decades specifically to stop criminals. For that same reason its loaded in my handgun."...

And that's one of your BEST defenses in a court of "law" against the civil suit bottom feeders, a.k.a. predatory lawyers.

Believe it.

Points to LawDog for pointing that out .... I should have said it.