Power Pistol for .38 sp

[Rodentman]

OK!! But it doesn't look like I'll be getting any soon based on what I've heard. Hopefully the supply will come back in earnest soon!!

[Einthoven's Triangle]

Going to have to be patient about primers....

Heard a rumor that GM in Woodbury had all kinds of Federal Match primers......of all flavors?

This all has been gone through before. It happened in 94 when a rumor started at the SHOT show, and the rumor caused shortages so to speak. Back when Bill's had reloading stuff they were price gouging in 94, and so was Scheels in St. Cloud. But, a local gunshop in St. Cloud was stocked and not taking people to the cleaners.....

Many wholesalers are limiting how much of each primer can be bought, and they are not discounting for buying a sleeve anymore.

[Rodentman]

Yeah, I felt bad about buying 1k primers. I didn't want to be a hog. Now it's a vicious cycle. I have a good supply of everything else I need...............

I will be patient.

[mnglocker]

Yeah, I felt bad about buying 1k primers. I didn't want to be a hog. Now it's a vicious cycle. I have a good supply of everything else I need...............

I will be patient.

I feel bad when I don't have the cash to empty the shelves.

[Pinnacle]

I shot some 38's with 158gr Cast and 5.0gr of Power Pistol yesterday and they were snappy - and not at all clean ( I know that it is a feature of the bare lead and lube)

Light 357's with PP are nice - clean and about perfect.

[EJSG19]

Yeah, I felt bad about buying 1k primers. I didn't want to be a hog. Now it's a vicious cycle. I have a good supply of everything else I need...............

I will be patient.

I wouldn't feel bad about buying 1000 at a time. Guys walk out of there with 5-20 times that amount if the primers are available. 1k is actually being pretty nice to the rest of us I'd say. No need to feel bad.

[Stradawhovious]

1000 primers will last many people on this forum the greater part of a week. Not hoarding. If you can find them, buy them.

[plblark]

1000 primers will last many people on this forum the greater part of a week. Not hoarding. If you can find them, buy them.

Slackers I say











Okay, I can DREAM of being able to get that much trigger time though, can't I?

[Rodentman]

Tested the loads at BV range today and they worked fine! I fired a few factory +P's for reference and my loads were noticeably weaker so I guess that's good evidence that I didn't overload them.

I found a couple pounds of Unique at Gouger Mt today so I will use that in the .38's and save the PP for the 9mm and .40 S&W.

For the heck of it I asked at GM if they had any Small Pistol primers. I thought they'd just laugh. He went in the back and brought out 1k Remington # 5 1/2 which I bought. I later learned they are SP Magnum primers even though the box does not say Magnum. I plan on using them anyway. I have heard that should not be an issue but maybe to cut the charge back a bit.

Rem's are supposedly the "mildest" of the main primer brands so I am not too concerned about using them in the .38's. I'll save the CCI SP primers for the 9 and 40.

Ordered a case tumbler today to add to the reloading stuff that is rapidly filling the basement.

[Veldy]

I bought Power Pistol to use in 9, 40, and 38. I have Speer 4211 JHP 158g bullets. I am using 4.9g of PP.

I can't find a specific listing for that combination, but it seems reasonable. My guns are +P rated and one is a .357. I am not after the hottest load, just something for range use. Next time I am buying SWC lead bullets though.

Do you think 4.9g is acceptable?

Thanks!

What other powders do you have? I prefer 231, Unique or Universal Clays for 38 special and 2400 for 357 Magnum.

Anyway, I suspect the load you want is listed here: http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/recipedetail.aspx?gtypeid=1&weight=158&shellid=28&bulletid=38

Reduce by 10% to start. It looks like for 357 mag, you want to start with 7.4 or 7.5gr of Power Pistol. I don't think Speer 158gr JHP bullets are likely intended to be loaded as 38 special ammunition. I shoot 158gr cast lead bullets all the time for 38 special however, so I guess there isn't a reason you couldn't make a +P load (although Alliant doesn't list information for this load). BTW ... I would make a few rounds at -10% a few more rounds at -8% and a few more rounds at -5% and then shoot at the range and take a careful look at the cases. I am pretty sure that what you have is covered by the link above, so you will probably not have any trouble getting to a full power load if that is what you want [but why shoot full power at the target range other than, perhaps for practice for rapid fire or a small handful of other reasons?].

[Rodentman]

Thanks for the info. The 38's worked fine with the PP Powder but I bought some unique and that's going in the next batch. I have 500 cast bullets on order.

[Veldy]

Thanks for the info. The 38's worked fine with the PP Powder but I bought some unique and that's going in the next batch. I have 500 cast bullets on order.

If you are using cast bullets that are lubed via the lube groves [some are coated like a shellac] you probably want to consider the least smoky powder that you can. My wife complains bitterly if I load 38 special cast bullets with Bullseye. She doesn't mind 231, but thinks it is still a little too smoky [I shoot those when I am not with her]. I bought an 8 pound keg of Hodgdon Universal Clays from Sportsman's warehouse going out of business sale [I already had one pound of it] and it is by far the cleanest 38 special load that I have yet made. I haven't tried unique, but since it is known to be smokier, even with the newer formulation than Universal, I still recommend Universal if smoke bothers you.

From what I own, I recommend in this order [for the purposes of reducing smoke]:

H. Universal Clays
Alliant Unique (not from experience in 38 special, but from reading and experience in other calibers)
Winchester 231
Alliant Bullseye

I haven't tried IMR 700-X even though I have it due to how well the Universal Clays is working [and I don't have much 700-X], but the 700-X burns very cleanly in my 45 full power loads [also lead cast Lyman 452374, 225gr bullets ... yes, I make my alloy very close to Lyman #2]. I have Accurate #5 and if you would like, I would gladly work up a load and try it out and report back [or maybe somebody else has a good recipe]. I shoot a 357Mag Ruger SP101 3-1/16" barrel. Nice little gun.

[Rodentman]

Well I loaded some .38's with Unique and the last of the 158g JHP bullets. I suspect they'll do fine, but I always check to see if the barrel is clear....

I did my first batch of .40 S&W with 6.1g of of Power Pistol and 180g FMC's. They are all 1.135" OCL and about .418 at the crimp, which is very light. I hope they feed OK. Not using a Glock, but a Sig 229. Also have a Kahr PM 40. That should be interesting with the short barrel.

Case tumbler arrived and by Friday I hope to have a load of brass for it.

[Rodentman]

Successful range day today! The 40's were great. Only 1 FTF from the Kahr PM40 and perfect performance from the Sig P229. I was very careful to be sure I had the 40 bbl not the .357 in it.

The 38's even with the magnum primers seemed weak thru my Service Six, and not very accurate. Maybe I was just getting tired. I'll be loading up some more 38's that's for sure. And 40's too. i am getting more confident with my reloading.

Gotta order more stuff now.

[Veldy]

Successful range day today! The 40's were great. Only 1 FTF from the Kahr PM40 and perfect performance from the Sig P229. I was very careful to be sure I had the 40 bbl not the .357 in it.

The 38's even with the magnum primers seemed weak thru my Service Six, and not very accurate. Maybe I was just getting tired. I'll be loading up some more 38's that's for sure. And 40's too. i am getting more confident with my reloading.

Gotta order more stuff now.

Why did you use magnum primers for your 38s? Unique doesn't require a magnum primer. I tend to load my 38s toward the top end, and I do it with 160gr lead round nose cast bullets (close approximation of Lyman #2 alloy) with CCI500 or WSP primers, Winchester cases and 4.5gr Universal Clays with an OAL=1.513". I haven't clocked this round yet to get an idea of how hot [or not] it is, but it shoots great out of a Ruger SP101 357Mag revolver This is a charge I worked up to, but I don't know if it is hot or not as the starting data was derived from looking at loads for other calibers to see how U.Clays relates to Unique and then applying the same idea as a starting charge for 38 special [pushing a little off of min because I know the cases can take +P and the gun can take 357Mag]. I worked up a little from there and have had no adverse results. I will try to remember to haul my chrony along next time to get a clock speed on it.