m0ntels
Member
Like everyone else and their momma, I have a 642 Smith and Wesson. It's rated for 38+P of course. From anything I've ever read, +P just means hotter than SAAMI, but no defined upper limit. After talking with a few people about loading 38 Specials with 2400, I decided to try a few 158s. I got out an old loadbook and it listed 2400 for 38 Special from 9.0 - 11.0 grains. The book WAS new enough in that it had 357 loads in it and it had up to 15.0gr of 2400 for a 357 case IIRC.
At what point does a hot 38 Special become a 357 Magnum in a short case? Velocity of the 38 was listed just under 1200fps in a pressure test gun. The 11.0 gainers went off like a cannon, but were pretty accurate, and fell right out of the cylinder after firing. I did work my way up to that point btw, I aint too crazy! I dont have a chrony to determine how fast these guys were really going. I dont plan on using these as an every day practice load. I just want to know where the limits of safe +P loads are. I know it's an aluminum frame, but at the same time, it says +P right on the barrel.
As far as why I wanted 2400 38 Special loads, some people have said a slow powder will still work the same in a short barrel as it will in a long one. They nay-sayers all said things like extreme muzzle blast and unburned powder, but with non-mag primers, I had hardly a speck of unburned powder and at least from the rear I didnt see any muzzle flash. I love 2400 in 357 Mag, so I wanted to see it in 38, just because I could...
Randy
At what point does a hot 38 Special become a 357 Magnum in a short case? Velocity of the 38 was listed just under 1200fps in a pressure test gun. The 11.0 gainers went off like a cannon, but were pretty accurate, and fell right out of the cylinder after firing. I did work my way up to that point btw, I aint too crazy! I dont have a chrony to determine how fast these guys were really going. I dont plan on using these as an every day practice load. I just want to know where the limits of safe +P loads are. I know it's an aluminum frame, but at the same time, it says +P right on the barrel.
As far as why I wanted 2400 38 Special loads, some people have said a slow powder will still work the same in a short barrel as it will in a long one. They nay-sayers all said things like extreme muzzle blast and unburned powder, but with non-mag primers, I had hardly a speck of unburned powder and at least from the rear I didnt see any muzzle flash. I love 2400 in 357 Mag, so I wanted to see it in 38, just because I could...
Randy