2ndtimer
Member
I have also been reloading slightly longer than you, and have chronographed a number of handloads for short barrel .38 special revolvers. If your .38 Special is rated for +P pressures, check out the Sierra No. 6 manual for some spicy loads with 110 gr and 125 gr JHP bullets. Note their velocity data is from a 5.63" barrel and probably without a b/c gap, but it still will show which loads achieved the highest velocity, which is what you need if you desire to expand those jacketed bullets from a short barrel revolver.I have been reloading for 43 years and have a half dozen manuals, but nothing specific for snub-nosed revolvers.
Back when Remington sold component bullets, they offered a 95 gr JHP that I loaded with HS-6 powder and achieved over 1300 fps out of a 2 3/4" Ruger Speded Six .38 Special (of course that revolver was identical to their .357 Magnum, so I wasn't too concerned about exceeding +P pressures). My other .38 loads consisted of the swaged lead 158 gr HP bullets with 5.0 gr of Unique (loosely based on the FBI load they were running in their 3" Model 13's.)
Not sure those would expand, since they were only 800 fps or less from my .38, but they were easy to control and didn't lead the barrel too bad if you only shot 25 or so at a time.