As it is of general interest to a number of us 38 Special lovers how we can duplicate the factory FBI Load - 158-grain SWC hollow point +P, especially the Remington version, I would like to add some of my chrono test data to the body of knowledge we who love the FBI load can use for getting close on duplicating it.
I am working from the baseline that IN GENERAL, the Remington FBI load makes an average of slightly more than 800 fps from 2" barrel revolvers. No one needs to inform me that this velocity varies with a number of factors. I'm taking that number as an approximate mark only, and from two reputable sources. Here are the two sources:
1) Stephen Camp - "From my 'slowest' barrel Model 642, Remington's 158-gr. LSWCHP +P hits 800 ft/sec with monotonous regularity."
link: http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/3...r%20LSWCHP.htm
2) Lucky Gunner - from Kimber K6s - average 802 low 767 5 shots - 767, 801, 802, 818, 824
link: http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/revo...cs-test/#38spl
My chrono work on my reloads has shown some loads with numbers very similar to those.
35Remington convinced me a couple of years ago to pay attention to how the velocity is affected by the powder being forward in the case, as when the gun has just been drawn from a holster or raised from a low ready position. So my tests include that, and you see those numbers here. In each case, you see that the lowest velocity reading is from among the "powder forward" shots. Since the first shot fired in a self-defense situation would probably be "powder forward," that is significant.
Bullet was a 358429 HP at 160 grains.
Police Bulldog with 2.2" Barrel
4.2 grains Red Dot - average 812 low 758
powder forward 831, 772, 758
powder rearward 829, 838, 847
Police Undercover with 1 7/8" Barrel
5.0 grains Unique - average 802 low 753
powder forward 796, 813, 753, 793, 767, 848, 867, 777
powder rearward 804 775 812 864 825 804 804 844
Police Undercover with 1 7/8" Barrel
5.4 grains BE-86 - average 808 low 768
powder forward 812 800 780 798 768
powder rearward 819 825 805 826 847
I found it very interesting to see the 5.0 grains Unique load perform so similarly to the Remington FBI load, since that load has been recommended about a million times on this discussion forum.
I also found it interesting that BE-86 did so well. (Dare I say better than Unique?) It is relatively new, and not many of us have much experience with it.
Hopefully this will be a good addition to the knowledge base. Anyone else want to post your data here in this thread?
Thanks.
LBS