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Member |
Can anyone advise/recommend a light, standard pressure .38 Special load for casual range use in my 1972 Colt Detective Special? I'm not interested in a carry/defensive round, but rather something which will be easy on the revolver. I have a box of Winchester 110 gr. Silvertip JHP's which chart at around 945 fps at the muzzle. Am I correct in thinking the old tried & true 158 gr. lead semi-wad cutter at 755 fps would be easier on the action than the faster Silvertip load? Thanks in advance for your reply. | ||
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| That's just the Flomax talking  |
For casual range use, I suggest the tried and true 38 Special round nose. 38 wadcutters would be very gentle, but harder to find and probably more expensive. | |||
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| Big Stack |
This sounds like a job for basic 148 grain full wadcutter standard velocity target rounds (made by anyone and everyone.) Edit: Garry and I hit the button at the same time. But wadcutter loads shouldn't be hard to find. Here's link to one, which has links to more. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1000192977 | |||
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| Member |
Yeah 158 grain normal .38 specials should be fine in it. | |||
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| Member |
If you can find it: Federal Nyclad. Excellent load for snubs. End of Earth: 2 Miles Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles | |||
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| Freethinker |
Light and gentle? 148 grain (full) wadcutters. ► 6.0/94.0 I can tell at sight a Chassepot rifle from a javelin. | |||
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Member |
Good timing. I recently acquired a colt army special made in 1921. Was looking for the same info. Thanks! Regards, P. | |||
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| I'm not laughing WITH you  |
For Cowboy Action Shooting I load 125gr bullets with 2.7 grains of clays. My Detective Special likes them very much. Rolan Kraps SASS Regulator Gainesville, Georgia. NRA Range Safety Officer NRA Certified Instructor - Pistol / Personal Protection Inside the Home | |||
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| His diet consists of black coffee, and sarcasm.  |
As long as carry/defense isn't a concern, the full wadcutter target load is fine. (Not because of an ineffective bullet shape, but because they are loaded very light. Also, wadcutters are great for the "in-the-gun" load, but terrible for reloading.) Realistically, even the standard 158 lead round nose is "gentle" enough. I have heard that the 130 FMJ is pretty mild, but jacketed bullets may not be as "gentle" to the bore as lead. | |||
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| Big Stack |
I think Nyclad as a product is long gone. But there are now a good number of powder/polymer coated bullet rounds out there. Some reloaders DIY the coating.
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