Cast HPs in the .38 Special

Glen

Moderator
Staff member
Cast HPs in the .38 Special

Do HPs expand in the .38 Special? Back when I was learning to shoot a handgun in the 1980s, this was a common question. The general advice given back then was “Just use the FBI Load.” The FBI Load had been introduced in the 1970s in response to a request from the FBI (hence the name), and was comprised of 158 grain swaged lead SWC-HP (very soft), coated with some waxy lube, at roughly 900 fps (depending on barrel length). The FBI Load was offered by Federal, Remington, and Winchester. This load quickly became the preferred carry load for the FBI (and numerous other LE agencies), and developed a good, solid reputation in LE circles based on actual street fights.

I went out and bought some and tried it out. It was accurate, did not lead my guns, and seemed to hit harder than normal .38 Special ammo. Field testing consistently produced 2+” exit wounds on jack rabbits, revealing that expansion was both positive and reliable. Later on, when I bought my first chronograph, I found that the advertised velocity was indeed close to what I got from my first revolver (a 6” .357 Magnum).

Later on, when I bought my first .38 snub for concealed carry, I (of course) loaded it with the FBI Load. I didn’t chronograph it or expansion test it out of that snubby because I had already done that out of the 6” gun, and knew how it performed. I understood that it would be going slower out of the 2” snubby, but I trusted it enough that I was confident that it would do the job if called upon. I carried the FBI Load (and later the NYCLAD version) for many years, and in fact I still have modest supply of NYCLAD on hand now, although this excellent load is no longer in production.

As time marched into the 1990s, the attention of the shooting public turned to the Wonder Nines, and then the .40 S&W, and the focus shifted away from revolvers to semi-autos. The FBI Load slowly faded from the spotlight. At the same time, my own experience with cast HPs in general, and the FBI Load in particular, grew. I learned that the FBI Load (and the Federal NYCLAD version) shot well, was consistently accurate, and expanded well from barrels 4” or longer, but that expansion was iffy from 2” belly guns.

Chronograph data for Federal NYCLAD 158 grain SWC-HP ammo –

2” – 838 fps

3” – 869 fps

4” – 888 fps

By this point in time I was casting my own bullets, and had learned how to cast high quality HPs. I had a desire to make my own handloaded version of FBI Load using the Ideal 358439 (154 grain Keith HP). I was not interested in revisiting Mr. Keith’s +P+ loads with stiff charges of 2400, at 1200+ fps, suitable for N-frame guns. But rather, my interest was a moderate +P load that was going fast enough to get reliable expansion from the 154 grain 358439 when cast soft and shot from a snubby. Studying the available load data for .38 +P loads led me to settle on 8.5 grains of HS-7. The pressure tested loading data in the Hodgdon Loading Manual (26th Edition) suggests that this load generates 19-20,000 CUP (i.e. is a +P load, do not shoot this in old or weak guns). I routinely cast the 358439 HP from recovered range scrap (which from our range runs about BHN of 8 or 8.5), size them .357”, and lube them with 50/50 beeswax/moly grease. From a 6” revolver, this load generates 1050 fps and expansion is positive (3” exits on jack rabbits are typical). I have shot many, many thousands of rounds of this load over the last 30+ years, and have been very pleased with its performance. It is one of my all-time favorite varmint loads. Yes, I know that Hodgdon has dropped HS-7, but I have a good supply, probably enough to last the rest of my life. If not, experiments with other medium-slow burning pistol powders (AA #7, VV N350, Blue Dot, etc.) will likely find a suitable replacement.

Anyway, I was curious how this load did in the short-barreled guns, so:

Chronograph data for Ideal 154 grain 358439 HP over 8.5 grains HS-7 –

2” – 968 fps

3” – 999 fps

4” – 1017 fps

With a floor of about 875 fps to get these cast HPs to expand reliably, this load delivers excellent expansion out of the snubbies.

As happy as I have been with this load, I also got to be curious if I could do something similar (i.e. cast HP loads fast enough to expand from a snubby) with standard pressure .38 Special loads. Obviously, the way to do this is to reduce bullet weight. Experiments with the 143 grain Lyman 358477 HP over 7.0 grains of HS-6 demonstrated that this was a realistic goal. Pressure-tested loading data in the Hodgdon Loading Manual (26th Edition) suggest that this is a 15,000 CUP load. Accuracy is excellent.

Chronograph data for the 143 grain Lyman 358477 HP over 7.0 grains of HS-6 –

2” – 928 fps

3” – 934 fps

4” – 985 fps

Again, with a floor of about 875 fps to get these cast HPs to expand reliably, this load expands just fine from the snubbies, and does it at standard pressures.

Buffalo Bore makes excellent ammunition. They offer several different .38 Special loads. Pertinent to this discussion is their Product 20A/20 Heavy .38 Special +P, 158 grain Soft Cast LSWCHP-GC, at an advertised 1000 fps (unspecified barrel length). Multiple video reviews on youtube show this load expanding beautifully in ballistic gelatin when fired from a snubby. The pencil test reveals that these cast HPs have a BHN of about 9.

Chronograph data for Buffalo Bore Product 20A/20 Heavy .38 Special +P, 158 grain Soft Cast LSWCHP-GC:

2” – 1097 fps

3” – 1132 fps

4” – 1159 fps

These Buffalo Bore loads are pretty snappy, but I am comfortable shooting them in my modern steel-framed .38 Special revolvers, and aluminum alloy framed revolvers that are +P rated. I would not shoot this ammo in older, or aluminum-framed revolvers that are not +P rated. Obviously, this ammo is safe to shoot in any .357 Magnum revolver.

Yes, cast HPs can be made to expand reliably in the .38 Special, even from a snub-nosed revolver – just cast them soft enough (BHN of 8 or 9), and shoot them at least 900 fps.