S&W Model 10 38 Sp

[Swamprat1052]

In 10 days I am gonna have another wheel gun follow me home. I bought my wife a S&W Model 10 in 38 Sp. with a 4" barrel. The pistol is in as new condition.
I am curious as to what weight bullets I should go with for this pistol, it does not have adjustable sights (the good ole groove.) The only mold I have is the 105 gr.
Lee mold and I want a heavier bullet if the point of impact will stand it. Was considering 125 gr. or 158.

Anybody have a suggestion on a good mold and some loads for it. I am not trying to get +P out of it, just a good comfortable load for her to shoot at the range and for home defense. I plan on using Hornady XP or something similar in it for defense. I work nights and want her to use the same pistol at home as she uses at the range. Right now what I have for her is a snubby and it dont matter much what you shoot in it.

Thanks, Swamprat

[Dale53]

The "typical" fixed sighted .38 Special is regulated for a 158 gr Bullet. My current bullet of choice is the Lee 158 RF. It is an excellent design and is available in Lee's Six Cavity Mould.

Check Lyman's Cast Bullet Manual for a load. I am away from home and have no reference material here. You can use the same data from Lyman's 358311 round nose bullet.

I prefer a velocity in the 725-775 fps for practice (pleasant to shoot) and then load to top listed load for self defense. It is a good idea to end your practice session with a few of the top loads.

Bullseye, Win 231, or Hodgdon's Clays are good, fast burning powders that work well in the .38 Special. Mid-level powders like Unique will give you about all the performance you can ask of a .38 Special.

Dale53

[Murphy]

I'll second Dale on the boolit choice. I began using it 5-6 years while shooting IDPA matches. The booilt seems to be a very useful one. It carries a nice truncated design, single lube band and crimp groove. The truncated nose design also helps in loading unchamfered cylinder holes which is always a big plus in my book.

It comes in either 2 or 6 cavity so you have the option of being out however much you choose to spend to give it a try.

I use this boolit with 3.5 Grains of Bullseye powder in a K frame Model 19 S&W. Recoil is mild and the wife shouldn't have any problems with it. Of course you can always start her out with the old standby load of Bullseye of 2.7 grains, which should be a very mild load.

[Swamprat1052]

Thanks guys. I just ordered the mold from Midway, it's even on sale!! I have plenty of Bullseye and just bought 8 lbs of Titegroup so I may try that also. Gotta get busy and clean up some brass, had a guy give me a couple of 5 gal buckets of mixed 45 ACP, 38, and 357 brass. It was a job sorting it but I should have enough to last me for a long time.

I'll let you know how it shoots when I get it in and make it to the range.

Thanks again,
Swamprat

[Buckshot]

...............That 158gr Lee is a great boolit. Another good home defense load for your wife to use would be a soft cast 148gr WC.

.................Buckshot

[Echo]

Depends on your wife's tolerance for recoil. I agree that the gun is undoubtedly regulated for 158 grain bullets, but if she is intolerant, you might want to check out using the 105 grain SWC with a light load of whatever. I load these for use at our range when some guy tries to get his 12 year old to shoot a .45, or .357. I loan my Combat Masterpiece and let them shoot all the popcorn loads they wish. My load is the Lee 105 SWC on top of 3 grs of PB. Little more recoil than a .22.

[9.3X62AL]

I'll pile on here, and agree with all the above.

The lighter weight bullets--even 110 grain +P (my agency's old carry load) will shoot low relative to the sights. Not greatly so, but it's noticeable. I prefer boolits of 140 grains or heavier in the 38 and 357, they tend to shoot more accurately as well as go where the sights are looking. That "2.7 grains of Bullseye" classic wadcutter charge will give about 750 FPS to the 158 grainer, and is VERY pleasant to run.

[Heavy lead]

Sounds like a great gun. I happened onto a model 14 k 38 masterpiece a couple of years ago for 200 bucks. Never owned a 38 special before that. I had red dot bought some remington hbwc and have been shooting 3 grains of reddot ever since. It's a blast. The recoil is almost non existent. I've got 1500 of those bullets left, but when they're gone I'll probably buy a mould.

[EMC45]

My wife has the same gun (she has yet to shoot it) I load the Lee 158 RNFP over 3gr Bullseye for my own use. Great bullet! But everyone already said that here right?[smilie=1:

[Glen]

Every Model 10 I've shot has put the 158 grain bullets close to the sights. I will echo the recommendations above, the Lee 158 RF is a dandy plinking bullet.

[Dale53]

I have a "ton" of bullet moulds. Nonetheless, if Lee made the .358 RF in the same design for .44 and .45's, ( the .44's to be 240-250 gr and the .45's to be 250-260 gr) I would IMMEDIATELY order a six cavity mould in each. I would want the .44's to size .430" and the .45's to size .452" and those would be my GO TO bullets for both "new" calibers. It is a VERY useful design for many reasons already enumerated in the above posts.

Are you listening, John (Lee, that is:mrgreen:).

Dale53

[kingstrider]

Wow my wife also has one of these, though hers is nickel plated. I guess great minds think alike!

[James C. Snodgrass]

:drinks::drinks:I'm with Ed that lil 105 swc is a lot of fun for the kids. My daughter shoots it over 5 grs of Bullseye in a contender for field pistol in IHMSA and it is quite accurate. I've been looking for a mod 10 but am always a day late. Congrats on your new smith. James

[Tom Herman]

The "typical" fixed sighted .38 Special is regulated for a 158 gr Bullet. I prefer a velocity in the 725-775 fps for practice (pleasant to shoot) and then load to top listed load for self defense. Mid-level powders like Unique will give you about all the performance you can ask of a .38 Special.

Dale53

Hi guys,

Good advice so far! I also have a Model 10. Unfortunately, I discovered to my horror that the gun was unfired! I put 18 rounds through it, and put it away.
I'm looking for another Model 10 that I won't feel bad about shooting.
My next mould purchase will be a .38 cal. 158 gr. SWC.
For years, I've loaded commercial cast 158 grain SWC's with Unique to achieve about 775 FPS. It works quite well for me.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

[theperfessor]

I use the Lyman 358429 in my model 10. Very accurate using 231, Unique, or Bullseye. Not hard to get load to shoot to point of aim with the fixed sights and still be pleasant to shoot.

[Curly James]

The Lee RNFP on top of 4.5 grains of WW 231 shoots to point of aim in my S&W model 10 and my model 60. In a 4 inch barrel velocity averages 810 fps with very good accuracy. Like Murphy this boolit and load have been my IDPA standard for several years. I just loaded 200 of them in anticipation of the match tomorrow. 4.0 grains of 231 and the same boolit makes a very nice plinking load also.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I used the Model 10 for 22+ years with our 3" HBar which was the standard configuration for law enforcement in this state until the Glock gatecrashed the scene.

I represented the dept many times and used my 586 and a standard Mod10 for the 'issue pistol' stage. The same loads worked fine in both and they were 158 Gn RCBS SWC and later on a 158Gn RN. the Lee should work as well or better. I used 2.7 and 2.8 Gns of Bullseye, 452AA when it was available and AS50 which is clays Universal I think in the States.

I was shooting my 586 one day at the range at Muswellbrook and ran out of ammo. Frank, who is one of the nicest, but noisiest people gave me some of his reloads to stop me going home. They were 357 cases with 3.5 Gns Bullseye from memory. I was a bit leery but knew that it was a safe level, so continued on with it. They were the most accurate loads I had ever fires through the gun. they were hard cast commercial bullets, ver similar to what I was using at the time. I think they were obturating better than the traditinal load which was designed for the HBWC. I have never followed that theory up as I don't shoot the old 586 much nowadays, but I will check it out when I get the time.

[.38 Special]

I like the Lyman 358156, though I use it mostly in the .357. The gascheck isn't really necessary for the .38, but it does remove one or two potential trouble sources.

[9.3X62AL]

Ditto to 38 Special's post, I like #358156 a LOT for 357 Magnum. Until I finally got a #358429 mould a few years ago, the #358156 ran pretty much a dead heat with #358477 for accuracy in my 38s--but the price of gas checks argued in favor of the #358477. In my Colt OMT x 6", the #358429 betters both of the other designs. I have a new-to-me Model 10 x 5" that needs a range day. DISGRACEFUL, to leave a revolver unfired for over 2 months' time after acquiring it.

[Nueces]

DISGRACEFUL, to leave a revolver unfired for over 2 months' time after acquiring it.

Aw, give yerself a break. Think of what great 'makeup shooting' you'll have. :drinks:

And, I'm glad to hear you've had good luck with the 358429. It's my favorite.

Mark

[9.3X62AL]

"Make-up shooting"........too funny!

I was going to run out to the range with the M-10 today, but 99 degree temps at 10 A.M. did not bode well for afternoon outdoor recreation. 116 right now (6 P.M.), so the revo will wait a little while longer for its maiden flight.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Come on guys! Whats a good .38 supposed to think of you if you don't feed it a good steady diet of the real deal wadcutters? A .38 without wadcutters is like a Western without John Wayne.

There's nothing that screams happiness any louder than a 3-lb coffee can full of wadcutters over Bullseye with a hungry K-Frame stairing down a dueling tree.

[Swamprat1052]

Finally got to the range with the Model 10 and it did what an S&W was supposed to do. It shoots where you aim it. The Lee 158 RF is a good bullet. I also found a 150 gr. RCBS SWC
in my stuff, dont even remember where it came from. lol. Bought it on ebay sometime or another. It shoots good too but not any better than the Lee. I loaded 3.5 gr. of Titegroup and it did ok but I noticed my wife flenching a little so when I got home I loaded some more with 2.8 gr. of Bullseye. That ought to do better for her for a while.

Swamprat

[Bret4207]

I'm currently eye balling a 2" K frame beater for a truck gun. Wicked nice double action! Oddly it has a target hammer. For $200.00 how can I go wrong?!

[Buckshot]

I'm currently eye balling a 2" K frame beater for a truck gun. Wicked nice double action! Oddly it has a target hammer. For $200.00 how can I go wrong?!

............GPC has barrels :-)

..............Buckshot

[9.3X62AL]

Bret--

Sometimes, I think Buckshot would take spray paint to the Sistine Chapel.

If you snag that $200 M-10 x 2", run some 158 SWCs through it before taking tools to the barrel. I had one years back that was an absolute tackdriver, and accounted for lots of jackrabbits and several cottontails before I unwisely sold it off when we converted to autopistols in 1987.

[Bret4207]

Yeah, that Bucksnot, he's a trouble maker!!!:mrgreen: If I get it it the standard barrel will be fine. This thing is about the ugliest S+W I've ever seen. I say it's a 2" barrel, but it might be 1 7/8" and I think it's pre-M10. Got what amounts to a flat black finish and was apparently a prize gun as there is engraving stating some such thing, along with the owners name. Be a nice "keep it locked away in the truck" type gun. I almost bought a 45 Hi Point for that purpose, but this appeals more.

Hey Al- that late model Colt Dick Special is back in the case! Boy thats a nice gun!:drinks: EXPENSIVE!

[missionary5155]

I had a model 10 for 2 years and sold it as another feller down here was gunless...
I have an Ideal Lyman 358432 mold that drops this wad cutter at 165 grains (20-1) . I used 4 grains Unique or 3.5 grains 231 in the Model 10 and it launched these 2 loads with EXCELENCE. I use the same boolit in my model 13 .357 3 inch with 5.5 grains Unique..

[Thumbcocker]

Say Missionary; how about an article on castpics or maybe a thread in the appropriate catagory about shootin and casting where you live?
Sounds like you have some good stories to tell.

[walnutred]

I have three loads that shoot to point of aim out of my 4" 10-6 at 50 feet.

125gn TC, 4.1 gns of W231

148gn DEWC, 3.9 gn Bullseye

158gn SWC, 4.3 gns Unique. Actually this load shoots 1" high at 50 feet.

The 125 gn load is very mild even though it is supposed to be in the 950 FPS range.

There are all lubed with White label Lube BAC.

[Crash_Corrigan]

That is what I had to pay for it when I got it new when I was a NYCPD recruit and I got it from the NYCPD Equipment Bureau. It was a 4" bbl 6 shooter that I carried for 20 years on duty and it always worked when I needed it.

The 158 RNL round and later the 158 GR LSWC factory rounds were idiot proof but kinda wimpy. I had a reloading friend of mine make up some more potent rounds using the same cases and boolits but loaded with Unique and these babies rocked. The only down side was that they were a little difficult to extract so in a reload situation you were in bad shape.

I did not worry about that as I always carried a NEW YORK RELOAD strapped to my left ankle that carried 6 more Unique fueled rounds. I have never had to go the 2nd gun because somehow luck, skill or the God that I serve made me a winner every time I had to use the Smith.

I load the Lee 148 GR LWC that is TL over W 231. Starting at 3.0 gr for new shooters and up to 4.5 gr for a stouter load. They are fast and easy to cast with the Lee 6 holer and TL is nothing to do. MY Dillon 550 spits them out with regularity and uniformity and I usually load up 1K at a time and keep them in those little white boxes that Midway sells on sale from time to time.

That old Model 10 is still alive and kicking 44 years later and it would be the last gun I would ever sell. It is an old friend and trusted companion that has gone over the mountain with me and I would never sell an old friend.