Modern Manuals for Heavy .38Special Cast Loads?

[PBSmith]

I have three or four 190-200 grain cb's of various designs that I'd like to try at low to medium velocity in older .38 Special revolvers, primarily Colts. Nome of my older manuals show data for such bullets.

Do any of the more modern manuals give recipes for these bullets? I'm thinking here of Lyman 358430 and a couple of flat-nose items from NOE and RCBS, cast soft to no harder than wheel weights. I'd like to keep loads down in the range suitable for older .38 Special snubbies and police revolvers,..

Thanks.

[Outpost75]

I'm not aware of any of the modern manuals that have standard-pressure data for 200-grain .38 Special. Hatcher's Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers (1935) lists 4 grains of Hercules Infallible (similar to Herco) with the 200-grain LRN bullet for 725 fps from a 6-inch barrel. In my 1939 Colt Official Police I use 3.2 grains of Bullseye with Accurate 36-190T which approximates the velocity of pre-WW2 200-grain Winchester Super Police I have tested, 650 fps from a 2-1/2" barrel.

I load 2.5 grains of Bullseye with the same bullet in .38 S&W brass for use in my 1937 Colt Police Positive, for 667 fps. This is a MAX load which absolutely should not be exceeded, NOT for topbreaks. A charge of 2 grains of Bullseye in the .38 S&W case gives 550 fps, but I found it less accurate.

241171241172241173

[dangitgriff]

The Lyman 50th edition lists 3.0 grains of Universal Clays suitable for 120 to 170 grain cast.
Hope this helps,
—Griff

[country gent]

Lymans Cast bullet handbook lost the following. 38 S&W up to 195 grns. 38 spl up to 170 grns and 357 mag up to 180 grns. From these a load should be able to be able to be extrapolated out. I loaded a 207 grn cast bullet in a mid range 357 mag load. Around 800 fps. But wont give it out since it was a home recipe. I have a spiral bound Lyman manual from the 50s-60 that gives heavy bullet loads but cant get to it right now. These loads used to be a lot more popular back then.

[Beerd]

Here are some older Hercules and IMR data that may help

[Norske]

From my 1967 Lyman reloading manual, 195grain cast bullet:
2-2.7gr Bullseye; 3-4.1gr Unique; 8-9.5gr 2400 (2400 has changed since 1967, cut max charge about 10%); 3-3.8 SR7625; 4-5.4gr SR4756; 7-9.5gr IMR 4227. Accuracy load: 3.6gr Unique. Factory equivalent load: 3.8gr Unique.

This was the first loading manual that all loads had been pressure tested by a ballistics lab.

[MT Gianni]

Norske, do you recall the number of that manual?

[RED BEAR]

This may be of some interest.
https://loaddata.com/articles/PDF/LD-41%20Campbell.pdf

[onelight]

Not very modern but this is from
45th Edition Lyman Reloading Handbook
241485

[Hi-Speed]

I use 2.7 grs Bullseye and Magnus 200 gr RN (bullet is shaped like the old WW Super Police 200 gr 38 Spl), seated the same length as the old WW Super Police round. Velocity with 2.7 gr Bullseye duplicates the Super Police round, approx. 575 FPS in 1 7/8 inch S&W J frame and approx. 645 FPS in 4 inch S&W Model 10.

[PBSmith]

Gentlemen;
Thanks for posting the good information. A very useful collection of data. Should keep me occupied for many days at the bench and at the range.

[Norske]

My old Lyman manual is the 44th.