The 110-grain standard-pressure loads ran just under 1,000 fps, and the +P loads ran just over that mark. Caribou Media Group may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. It just doesn’t perform well in barrier testing. A 9mm will match the 100-grain weight, even best it, with 115-grain bullets. The smallest have diminished capacity, five shots vs. six. Reloading: How Much Does New Brass Versus Fired Brass Matter? There are some loads that feature weights less than full but not all the way to light. On a recent test with a three-inch 9mm, I tested seven different 115-grain bullet loads, only one of which exceeded 1,100 fps. The next step up in weight was Black Hills Blue, reloads using 125-grain JHPs.

The Hornady Critical Defense Lite 38 Special loading was created for the recoil sensitive shooter. If you can handle the extra hassle of the muzzle blast, the performance bonus is worth it. As a house gun or a nightstand gun, a "too big to carry" .38 can be a useful tool and a comforting one, too. I guess that depends on how much missing you plan to do. First off, no .380 load in existence uses a bullet of 110 grains. This is a new approach, and we see it working in the .38 Special. In lightweight bullets, you have high speed and normal. The .38 was invented in the late 19th century, given up for dead in the latter half of the 20th, and resurrected by the time the 21st rolled around. These are 110-grain bullets and they do not get to 1,000 fps out of a 2-inch barrel. In +P form (r.) the FTX delivers more expansion and penetration—but at the cost of more recoil. Hotter loads are generally easier to shoot out of larger revolvers.

What if we move up?

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Snubbies knock off around 100 fps of muzzle velocity. Medium-sized revolvers, the six-shot wheelguns and those with 3- or 4-inch barrels, are a lot easier to shoot and deliver the ballistics you want. But the .38 Special? Let's compare those to other compact carry guns—some .380s and some really short-barreled 9mms. Curious about this, I tried some other loads as well in the Model 60. Snubbies are easier to carry, but they extract a cost in velocity. Is the ubiquitous .38 Special revolver passé in today's semi-auto world? SWC $29.99 brownells.com. I can see some doubters in the crowd. You get what you pay for, and you pay for what you get. Caribou Media Group earns a commission from qualifying purchases.

Not by a long shot, says Sweeney. I now have a M637 Airweight. However, the velocity loss means marginal expansion at best, and while the nose shows some signs of starting to open, it isn't the classic mushroom shape. As a starting point, knock 100 fps off of the book value of a load if you are using a snubbie. SIG Elite .38 Special Ammo $17.99 cabelas.com.

One aspect of a .38 Special revolver that people might have forgotten is accuracy. Noticeably more robust in recoil but still far short of obnoxious, they expanded and penetrated.

Four-, five- and six-inch barrels are going to boost velocities an appreciable amount. Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special 110 Grain - Clothing and Clear Gel Tests As a follow up to our test of the +P version of this load last week, this week we look at Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special 110 grain FTX in standard pressure format. Hornady FTX (l.) delivers mild recoil, expansion and penetration. And as a final bonus, when it comes to reloading, the .38 Special is king.

The Black Hills load exceeds the FBI minimum and risks exiting a block of gelatin.

But their tested terminal performance was interesting. Federal took a different approach. By the time you accelerate a 158-grain bullet to expansion velocities, we've used up all the easy-to-carry goodwill that a compact handgun provides. IMR Target Smokeless Powder Light weight bullets or heavy? The +P load expanded more and penetrated more. When it comes to the categories of no-drama and easy-to-reload, there is no caliber that even pretends to contend with the .38 Special. They are easy to shoot, but they will not deliver performance like the stouter loads. Hornady FTX (l.) delivers mild recoil, expansion and penetration. A 6-inch .38 revolver might be entirely suitable for a home defense gun. It is no fun to shoot, regardless of caliber.

You need the barrel length to get all the velocity the extra pressure promises.

Disclosure: Some of these links are affiliate links. However, a quick flip through my chrono logbook shows me that 115 is not a laser beam bullet out of a compact 9mm that you'd expect. How resistant to recoil are you? If you walk into a gun shop and its sells ammo, it will have .38 Special ammo of some kind on the shelf. The lightest, such as the Smith & Wesson Model 442, weighs 15 ounces. It was an all-stainless S&W Model 60, a police trade-in backup gun. This makes for EDC problems. Springfield Armory XD-M Elite Precision Review, Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Subcompact Pistol Review, Self-Defense: How to Search for Additional Threats, Compact Carry Pistols Are Effective With Practice, The Black Belt - Remington's Newest Defense Load. The velocity was modest and recoil was likewise. My thoughts on this came from testing the Hornady Critical Defense ammo in a .38 snubbie. ©2020 Outdoor Sportsman Group.

You do, however have a few choices to make, choices that will determine your path in life. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. M36. But no expansion means extra penetration. More if it is lightweight bullet. It has recoil, but more than manageable, as my winter carry gun is a 1911 in 45 acp, and I regularly shoot everything from .357 to 41 Mag, 44 Mag, & 45 Colt. Rugers are legion, and the medium-size wheelguns are in the mid-30s when you tote up the ounces. Unless you absolutely need that level of performance (and I can’t imagine how to require it, and not move up in gun size), then live with it. While the .38 Special Gold Dots would fail the FBI barrier tests—and I do not know of any .38 Special load that passes those—it exceeds the FBI minimum 12 inches in bare gel. But, if you want the benefits of extra pressure you need extra barrel length.

Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. 158-gr. Choosing .38 Special Ammo For Self-Defense. A lightweight .38 Special ammo choice that won’t punish you would be the Hornady Critical Defense, or Critical Defense Lite.

Disclosure: These links are affiliate links. Editor's Notes: This article is an excerpt from Choosing Handgun Ammo: The Facts That Matter Most for Self-Defense by Patrick Sweeney. Now, the lack of expansion and the modest velocity of the heavyweights may be of concern to some. They offer a full-diameter cutting shoulder, and yet they penetrate as well as anything else out there. A Ruger LCR weighs 13 ounces while the Model 60 is a relative heavyweight at 19 ounces. It just took a long time to develop something better and get it out where it could be tested.

It was earth-shattering in 1898, when invented, but even before WWII we knew better. Learn how your comment data is processed. So, you have to determine how much recoil, blast and difficulty in shooting you are willing to put up with to get the performance you desire. Submit Products for Review; Ammo Tests; Wednesday, March 26, 2014.



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