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Thread: 95 grain 38 caliber bullets

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    1,084

    95 grain 38 caliber bullets

    Of course everything's out of stock right now, but I've been looking for some jacketed 38 caliber rounds because I want to experiment a bit with powerful 357 rounds from my 4 inch SP101. The only jacketed 38 caliber bullets they had were these funky old 95 grain SJHP (Remington B22944, if anyone is really that interested).

    So I bought a couple boxes planning to load them with 2400 and see what I could make them do. Then I got to thinking it might not be a good idea.

    Most people know about the old Smith revolvers that aren't supposed to shoot the <125 gr loads because of flame cutting and so on and so forth. The problem is that the peak pressure doesn't occur until after the bullet is gone from the cylinder with a normal, heavier bullet. The lighter bullets have an issue as the peak pressure occurs after the bullet exits the cylinder, which causes the hot gases to leak out all over the top strap and forcing cone, right?

    Even though this SP-101 is not known for those flame cutting issues, 357 caliber isn't known for 95 grain bullets so it could be an issue.

    Does anyone else share this concern?

    Has anyone loaded or even seen these light bullets?

    Should I load them as soft 38 special rounds?

    Where would I find some load data for 2400 or unique? Those are the only two suitable powders I have for those calibers.

    Should I just put them up in the swapping and selling section for some heavier bullets?

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Greater Portland OR.
    Posts
    1,745
    I have loaded the Rem 95 gr SJHP in my Security-Six. Lots of fun. Not sure what the load was. May have been 38 Special or .357. Have not been able to find any for years. I would load to 38 special levels with Unique.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Guesser's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    North Central Montana; across the wide Missouri
    Posts
    2,069
    I have loaded and fired many thousands of the 95 grain SJHP, still have several thousands. Problem with loading them to 357 pressures is that the concave base and very thin jacket allows them to fail at 357 pressures. I have had the jacket start to break up before it cleared the muzzle, I actually found shavings of the jacket in the forcing cone. I really like the bullet in short barreled 38's. My Colt DS and my 2" S&W 10-5 are very accurate with them.
    Give'm a try but check your bore after each round if loading to 357 pressures.
    I was using the 357 loads in Ruger, Colt and S&W 357 revolvers, single action and DA.

  4. #4
    Boolit Bub BucketBack's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    West Michigan
    Posts
    42
    I just found 4 boxes of 100 that I was researching what they are worth to sell local, and stumbled on this retro thread. Might be fun in the Security Six and GP100

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check