The S&W "Victory" M&P 38/200 is a good shooter with decent service sights. NEI #169A atop 3.0 grains of Unique or 3.3 grains of Herco prompts about 700 FPS, and when they hit iron targets at 25 yards they make quite a WHOCK. The 150 grain #358477s at similar speed don't thump nearly as much on those same targets. It is a weird combination--the bullet (.810") is longer than the case it is seated into (.775"). The British seem to design everything by committee.
I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.
The Brits wanted the long ogival nosed bullet with high overturning moment to encourage tumbling in soft targets, to improve stopping powder to partly compensate for the low, 600 fps velocity. The WW2 service load was NOT a 200-grain bullet, but the 178-grain FMJ Mk2.
Attachment 227548
Firearm____________S&W 32-1__Colt_____Ruger__S&W Victory___Rook Rifle
Barrel length__________2”_______4”_______4”______5”______ _____20”
Cyl. Gap_pass 0.004/hold 0.005_0.005/.006_.004/.005 .008/h.009___Solid bbl.
Ammunition________________________________________ _______________
FN Mk2z___________577,8 Sd___616, 10___618,19 ____571,22____Bullet stuck in bbl!
Kynoch 146LRN______623,26 ___649, 31___650,22_____685, 22____848, 7
WRA 146LRN (WW2)__659, 10___701, 13__727, 5______681, 14____787, 14
Rem-UMC 146 LRN____668, 22__768, 14__765, 15_____754, 10_____ 920, 14
Fiocchi 146 LRN______706, 12___809, 21__820, 23_____709, 24_____985, 9
R-P 146 LRN________603, 14___674, 12 697,18_____627,22_____790,10
W-W 146 LRN_______586, 18___593, 36___662, 29____620, 19_____801, 12
Column Mean_______631______687_____705________664________ 855
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Didn’t realize how many others shoot the 38s+w. I’m on my 2nd H&R 925 with a 2 1/2” barrel. Been casting .375 round balls and sizing them down to .360 and shooting them at 10 paces. They are fairly accurate and mild shooting with a bullseye charge. Todd
Kind of settled on Lyman’s 358477 and 3 grains red dot in my colt PP 4” and bankers special 2”. I just received a bunch of brass from a forum member here and I will bulk load this brass with that load. From this post, if my bullets are dropping at .359 or .360, I will load them as cast.
.38 S&W reloading data from the current issue of The Fouling Shot:
.38 S&W Hand Loads Fired in Revolver And Rook Rifle
Firearm__________S&W 32-1___ S&W Reg.Pol.____S&W Victory___Rook Rifle
Barrel length__________2”_________4”_____________5”______ _____20”
Cyl. Gap_____________0.005______.005___________.009____ _____Solid bbl.
Accurate 36-151H
2.5 Bullseye__________629, 8_____724, 12_________674, 12_______836, 22 Factory Duplication Load
3.7 AutoComp________605, 19____730, 19_________732, 20_______964, 15
4.2 AutoComp +P_____754, 26____not fired________not fired______1064, 9 NOT FOR TOP BREAKS! - Do Not Exceed
Accurate 36-155D
1.7 Bullseye__________470, 18____495, 27_________493, 23_______630, 32, Min. to Exit Barrel
2.5 Bullseye__________629, 8_____727, 12_________680, 25_______856, 22_Fact.dup.load
6.3#2400+P_________696, 26____801, 20_________784, 24_______1058, 23 NOT FOR TOP BREAKS
Magtech (Brazil) 158-grain LRN .358” diameter, soft lead cupped base
2.1 TiteGroup________550, 34____632, 20_________614, 17_______762, 14 Very quiet in rook rifle
Accurate 36-176P
2.5 Bullseye________635, 9____680, 12_________669, 19______Won’t chamber in rook rifle
3.0 AutoComp______521, 15____542, 31________558, 23______" Approximates Mk2 velocity
Accurate 36-190T
1.7 Bullseye________485, 9_____545, 15_______496, 18______560, 23 Minimum to Exit Rook Rifle
2.1 Bullseye________547, 15____630, 16_______572, 15______681, 10 Approximates Super Police
3.0 AutoComp+P____668, 4_____732, 15_______674, 20______825, 16 Not for top breaks!
2.5 Bullseye________645, 10____686, 5________704, 8_______800, 11 Not for top breaks!
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HE wants to know what YOU know.
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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 |