Any U.S Military Surplus .38 Special Left on the market?

[VariableRecall]

I was wondering if there was any U.S Military surplus .38 Special ammo left to nab anywhere in the market for a price under .55 cents a round? Thankfully I live in a state where I don't need an FFL to purchase some, but I think it would be a potential source of ammo in these tough times.

[Petrol & Powder]

In a word, NO.

While there may be old surplus 38 Special ammo in someone's inventory, it's going to be priced for today's environment.
So even if there is some floating around, it will likely be priced well beyond what it's worth.

As a side note, I've never been terribly impressed with U.S. military 38 Special ammo. It is typically 130 grain, round nose FMJ.
I had a supply of it back in the early 1990's and I pretty much just shot it up to acquire the casings.

[Petrol & Powder]

And BTW, the Air Force was the last holdout for the 38 Special and even they have moved on:
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...i-auto-pistols

There's probably a little 38 Special ammunition still in inventory but I wouldn't look for the current administration to be keen on releasing any of it as surplus.

During the Obama administration the policy was to destroy ordinance rather than sell it to the public (and it was the citizens that paid for it in the first place).

[Garyshome]

"policy was to destroy ordinance rather than sell it to the public (and it was the citizens that paid for it in the first place)."
Your government at work!

[yovinny]

I havent seen any USGI 38spl available since well before the 94' ban.
I shot up what I had for the brass,, except for a few boxes of tracer...

[Outpost75]

Winchester makes a 130-grain flatnosed FMJ range load they call "Service Grade" which has ballistics similar to the Ball M41

.38 Special Velocity Tests, November 19, 2019, 50 degs. F.

Firearm:___________S&W Mod37_____S&W Mod12____S&W .38-44HD Remarks:
Barrel length___________ 1-7/8"____________2"____________4"
Cyl. Gap_______________ 0.008__________0.006_________0.006

Ammunition:
Ball M41 130FMJ RA66_____732 fps, 23 Sd__742 fps, 30 sd__832 fps, 31 Sd_Vietnam-era military for Airweight revolver
Ball M41 130FMJ WCC68___721 fps, 20 Sd__766 fps, 32 Sd__779 fps, 28 Sd_Vietnam-era military for Airweight revolver
Win. 130FN"Service Grade"_739 fps, 22 Sd__771 fps, 5 Sd__846 fps, 11 Sd_Current production "range" ammo
Avg. of 130 FMJ ammo__731 fps________760 fps_______819 fps


Standard Pressure Handload to Approximate M41 Velocity Safe for Airweight Frames
Speer 135GDHP 4.1B'eye__710 fps, 19 Sd__772 fps, 18 Sd__808 fps, 20 Sd_

Expands from the Model 12, but not from the M37. GDHP "Short Barrel" Needs >750 fps to expand in water jugs.

Attachment 276576Attachment 276577Attachment 276578

[VariableRecall]

Winchester makes a 130-grain flatnosed FMJ range load they call "Service Grade" which has ballistics similar to the Ball M41

.38 Special Velocity Tests, November 19, 2019, 50 degs. F.

Firearm:___________S&W Mod37_____S&W Mod12____S&W .38-44HD Remarks:
Barrel length___________ 1-7/8"____________2"____________4"
Cyl. Gap_______________ 0.008__________0.006_________0.006

Ammunition:
Ball M41 130FMJ RA66_____732 fps, 23 Sd__742 fps, 30 sd__832 fps, 31 Sd_Vietnam-era military for Airweight revolver
Ball M41 130FMJ WCC68___721 fps, 20 Sd__766 fps, 32 Sd__779 fps, 28 Sd_Vietnam-era military for Airweight revolver
Win. 130FN"Service Grade"_739 fps, 22 Sd__771 fps, 5 Sd__846 fps, 11 Sd_Current production "range" ammo
Avg. of 130 FMJ ammo__731 fps________760 fps_______819 fps


Standard Pressure Handload to Approximate M41 Velocity Safe for Airweight Frames
Speer 135GDHP 4.1B'eye__710 fps, 19 Sd__772 fps, 18 Sd__808 fps, 20 Sd_

Expands from the Model 12, but not from the M37. GDHP "Short Barrel" Needs >750 fps to expand in water jugs.

Attachment 276576Attachment 276577Attachment 276578

Thank you very much for the load data!

Looks to me like there is no place to nab the real stuff as a potential source of ammo.

However, making a load similar to the military loads sounds like a much better thing to do once I get the components. Notably, the 130gn J-Words.

Thank you for all the help!

[Winger Ed.]

The govt. hasn't sold loaded ammo to the public since Moby Dick was a minnow.

The best you could hope for is pulled down components.

[Petrol & Powder]

I wouldn't be real enthusiastic to duplicate a 130grain, FMJ 38 Special load.

[yovinny]

Finding anything today is a lesson in futility,,, But FWIW,,Fiochi was making a 130gr fmj 38spl loading that I was able to pick up a case of pretty reasonably a few years back.

[nicholst55]

I wouldn't be real enthusiastic to duplicate a 130grain, FMJ 38 Special load.

Agreed. I shot up a bunch of that ammo just to get rid of it many years ago. It was terribly inconsistent and inaccurate, and loaded to way too low of a velocity IMHO. Excellent brass, though.

[rcslotcar]

I have several of those white box's in a ammo can marked "38 spl" some where. A friend at work gave it to me probably 25 years ago.

[Rich/WIS]

Still have 6-8 boxes in my stash. Good brass but lousy ammo. IIRC mine is WCC.

[smkummer]

I have several of those white box's in a ammo can marked "38 spl" some where. A friend at work gave it to me probably 25 years ago.

Is it full boxes with ammo inside or just the empty boxes. I am interested in the empty boxes.

[ddixie884]

I bought a coupla cases of Perfecta by Fiocchi .38spl 158gr FMJ 2 or 3 years ago shipped free and reasonably priced that is very strong. It chronos @900fps from a 4" S&W........

[beagle]

Don't get hasty here. Every thing has it's purpose. I send 130 grain HP SWCs to a friend in Texas and he makes "diller killer" loads with them. Says they do quite well and improves the lawn with no armadillo predators./beagle

I wouldn't be real enthusiastic to duplicate a 130grain, FMJ 38 Special load.