38 special defensive loads

Stefan A

Stefan A

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Oct 21, 2020
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Southern York County, Pa.
I'd like to reload some defensive rounds for my 2" 38 special Colt Cobra. Should I be looking at hollow points in a +p? What kind of velocity will I need for expansion?

Thanks
 
A 2 inch 38spl I would probably load fmj ammo and call it good.
To get good expansion on my 38spl I loaded them hot, like low end of 357mag to get 1,050fps out of a 3 inch barrel.
Mine is a 357, not a 38spl so I can do that.
It expanded 125gr xtp bullets ok.
A 38spl+p out of a 2 inch barrel is only going to do like 800fps if you are lucky.
 
200gr WFN-HC-GC over a just on the edge of +P charge of Unique (found in the Lyman’s 2nd Ed. Pistol and Revolver manual). That big, wide, flat head moving 750fps is just plain mean.
 
 
 
N555 said:
That's fine if the gun can take 357mag pressure.
Click to expand...

The only load that one could question using in a 38 Special gun would be the +P+ Treasury load.

The max pressure of the +P+ round in the Treasury Round article (23,500) isn't that far past the +P limit of 20,000 psi, and it's still less than the 29,500 psi Proof pressure for 38 Special.

But all the other linked ammo is safe for +P rated guns, and most are these days. And their ballistics far exceed what you claim to be the limit of a 2" gun.
 
N555 said:
Yeah I find that hard to believe.
Its loaded way hotter than my approximately 25,000psi 38spl+p+, but "it's safe in all guns".
Click to expand...

What do you find hard to believe? That a company can make a load with better performance at lower pressure than you can? Specifically the +P+ Treasury load?
 
The only thing I can think of is the FBI Load. If you can't find a cast hp like Matt's bullets, try casting you own. I've had success expanding a Speer Gold Dot but the bullets are hard to find and I tested my loads through a 6" Model 66
 
This is worth looking at, two inch and four inch gelatin tests.

.38 Special and .357 Magnum Self-Defense Ammo Ballistics Test

If your Cobra is a vintage Aluminum framed Colt, do not shoot plus P loads in it. Those older Cobra's are absolutely not rated for +P and you are not going to get one fixed if +P puts it out of time, hog wallows the crane hole, etc.
 
In all honesty, if it is a newer +P rated Colt, buy a box of these.

0BCC32FE-532A-40A1-8590-CBC13DE0EFB7.jpeg

If it is an older Colt, buy a box of these. (Label is a bit worn, it is the non +P version.

637084B4-F716-499A-A6B5-CC4BD446B0A9.jpeg

Results at Lucky Gunner for these rounds in 2” guns were pretty much exactly what we had when we demoed the Hornady Critical Defense/Duty ammo at my office a few years back. It was so consistent that those of us with .38’s as BU/OD-CCW guns carry it.

D9B69FE1-E31D-430F-80E6-46D003364AD7.png

Like with all of us, I hope you never have to use your .38 in a deadly force situation.

Stay safe.
 
Years ago, before any decent 38 Special SD bullets were developed, I used a 150 gr. DEWC over a max load of W231 in my 2" House gun. I watch a lot of ammo test videos and use manufacturer's velocity specs., when I can find them, for "expansion thresholds". The Hornady 110 FTX seems to be one of the best performers in short barrel 38 Specials. I have since graduated to 38 +P in my 2" 357 Mag. revolver, mostly with 124 gr XTPs..
 
Last edited:
Ru4real said:
Full wad cutters in a 2” all day long and a month of Sundays too. Good luck on getting the HP’s to open up reliably.
Click to expand...
Yes!
Full wadcutters, either hardcast or plated swaged (double ended, button nose, or beveled base) loaded to full power, vs. target loads.
4.5 to 5 grains of Unique behind a 148 grain full wadcutter is da bomb.
 
fxvr5 said:
The only load that one could question using in a 38 Special gun would be the +P+ Treasury load.

The max pressure of the +P+ round in the Treasury Round article (23,500) isn't that far past the +P limit of 20,000 psi, and it's still less than the 29,500 psi Proof pressure for 38 Special.

But all the other linked ammo is safe for +P rated guns, and most are these days. And their ballistics far exceed what you claim to be the limit of a 2" gun.
Click to expand...
The "treasury load" has always been 110gr, mine are 125gr.
Those loads are way hotter than anything I have ever seen in a reloading manual.
Hottest 158gr 38spl+p out of a 4'' gun is 850-900fps I can find and they're claiming 1,000fps out of a 2 inch barrel?
That's hot.
 
N555 said:
The "treasury load" has always been 110gr, mine are 125gr.
Those loads are way hotter than anything I have ever seen in a reloading manual.
Hottest 158gr 38spl+p out of a 4'' gun is 850-900fps I can find and they're claiming 1,000fps out of a 2 inch barrel?
That's hot.
Click to expand...

The Treasury Load article looked at factory loaded ammo, and aside from the Winchester +P+ load, all are within standard or +P pressure limits.

You need to look at more reloading manuals, because the data is out there. All the handloads in that article were assembled based on data in load manuals.

The 158s at 1000 fps from a 2" barrel is real. I've chronographed some from my guns. An Underwood load chronographed at just a tad over 1000 fps from my 1.875" barrel. Manufacturers have access to powder we don't, and selecting the right ones can give a big boost in velocity for the same pressure.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=263
 
Stefan A said:
I'd like to reload some defensive rounds for my 2" 38 special Colt Cobra. Should I be looking at hollow points in a +p? What kind of velocity will I need for expansion?

Thanks
Click to expand...
I use in 38sp cases 125grn XTP hollow points / HP-38 powder in my Taurus 2" 357, I use the { +P loads of 5.1 / 5.3 } anything much lower I was getting blow back/sooty case necks, Hornady 125 XTPs claim velocity range of 700-1500 fps, my manuals don,t list 2" barrels but it looks like I may be getting around 800 fps, seems like a lot of others don,t care if the bullet completely penetrates their bad guy, I would prefer the 125s to expand a bit but if not a .358 diameter hole in a body I think would hurt a little, Ron.
 
A year or two ago, Midway was selling some of the Federal .357", 130 HST bullets. I bought a few hundred of them to try in my S&W 340 PD. I settled on a .38 Special +P load with 6.0-6.5 grs. of Unique. The load is quite snappy, wasn't able to Chrono them, but they're as accurate as the Speer 135 Gold Dot Short Barrel I use for carry.

From the Lucky Gunner tests with the Federal 130 HST, they look pretty good. Glad I bought the bullets.
 
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