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Thread: .38spl hard to find?

  1. #41
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    Haven’t seen hardly any reasonably priced metallic ammo around here in months. That God for the roll your own corner in my basement.

  2. #42
    Boolit Master

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    Back to the OP's original question, In my area, even before the Great Panic, .38 Special wasn't plentiful compared to 9mm, and the price was relatively high. My local big outdoors store had maybe 6 inches of shelf space for high performance .38 loads, compared to over two feet of 9mm. Generic plinking ammo cost about 50% more than equivalent 9mm.

    Even in those happy days, Winchester and Remington 148 wadcutters, with their dedicated brass, were unavailable. I waited for two years for my favorite internet supplier to get some in, at the outrageous price of 48 cents apiece, and they never did.
    Remember: Ammo will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no ammo.

  3. #43
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Half Dog View Post
    On the plus side, perhaps there will be great sales on firearms that are hard to feed.
    Or... Buy guns that still have ammo available.

    Last show I went to..all the ammo was sky high except 17hmr...same show I found a revolver in hmr and grabbed that affordable ammo...

  4. #44
    Boolit Master


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    I don't think I've bought factory ammo since Bush was in Office.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

    SASS #375 Life

  5. #45
    Boolit Master


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    Rim fire... Or brass maybee..

  6. #46
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by poppy42 View Post
    Show me one instance, documented case, where charges have been brought against an armed citizen Soley because the ammo he used for self-defense we’re handloads! They don’t exist! If the use of deadly force is justified and proved so you cannot be charged because your ammunition was hand loaded! I’ve searched for years and never found one instance of someone being charged solely because they used hand loaded ammunition!
    Ditto.

    I believe the Rifleman and other magazines would inform us of the trials if handloads are an issue in self defense. I've been reading gun magazines since 1964. I've read hundreds of legal articles but, to the best of my memory, court wrangling about defensive handloads has never been mentioned.

  7. #47
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Ayoob has always preached in his classes to carry the same ammo that your local police do, but others who have searched the case law say that handloads are not an issue. If good factory loads are available I carry them, but if I happen to be carrying an obsolete .44-40 or .45 Colt I like a dead soft, fat flat nosed, heavy bullet for the caliber and don't worry about it. I often carry a .32 ACP as a "Church Gun" and it gets Euro heavy ball.
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
    Keep it to yourself.

  8. #48
    Boolit Grand Master
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    LGS had 4 boxes of 130gr fmj @$22/box. Waited too long to decide to buy it and it was long gone when I went back

  9. #49
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Outpost75 View Post
    Ayoob has always preached in his classes to carry the same ammo that your local police do, but others who have searched the case law say that handloads are not an issue. If good factory loads are available I carry them, but if I happen to be carrying an obsolete .44-40 or .45 Colt I like a dead soft, fat flat nosed, heavy bullet for the caliber and don't worry about it. I often carry a .32 ACP as a "Church Gun" and it gets Euro heavy ball.
    I think Ayoob says that as an automatic out. IE.. if all the police use it.. it's 'safe' ammo. Not that handloads are extra liability.

  10. #50
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Not .38 related...but about 2 years ago saw a few comments from people who did not reload 9mm as is was so cheap it was not worth the effort.

    I am so cheap, I even reloaded 12 ga shells when they were just over $5 a box. Saving $1/ box might seem silly to some, but I can load 20 boxes an hour. Today, the ability to reload everything I want is a good thing. I have a few people asking me to reload for them, but politely decline...much too risky you know.
    Don Verna


  11. #51
    Boolit Master Murphy's Avatar
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    The Grand Ole' 38 Special.

    It's been with us for 123 year's now (first produced in 1898). That speaks for itself when one thinks about it. What speaks even louder as I sit here and think about it, is how many handguns and rifles have been produced in just the U.S. alone for it?

    Prior to the compact 9's and 380 Autos, the 'go to' gun for a lot of people was the grand old standby, the 38 Special. Regardless of the intended end use of it, it just made sense. Most ladies could be introduced to it with mild wadcutter ammunition, and then worked up to a more suited load for self defense.

    Given the times we are living in, it's really no wonder even 38's are getting hard (or expensive) to come by. Given the civil unrest, covid, riots of last year and now possible new legislation, is it really any wonder people are buying it? I'm pretty sure even grand mothers are pulling out old 38's their dearly departed left them 20 years ago and getting them cleaned. They're probably thinking maybe that thing needs some fresh bullets too?

    On the other topic mentioned in this thread in regards to handloads and self defense. Along with one of the other posters in this thread, not one single case have I ever seen confirmed has a person been convicted of a crime for using a handload in a self defense shooting, not one.

    Murphy
    If I should depart this life while defending those who cannot defend themselves, then I have died the most honorable of deaths. Marc R. Murphy '2006'.

  12. #52
    Boolit Bub


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    Yep, and if my neighbors want to buy some components, I'll be glad to show them how to combine them. The last 1200 .38 SPL somebody found parts for went like hotcakes.

  13. #53
    Boolit Master smkummer's Avatar
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    In the 90’s, I was given a 5 gal. bucket of 38 special brass from a swept police range by the cities police Lieutenant. I still have it sorted by Fed., WW and RP in 3-30 cal. ammo cans. Wadcutter, standard and plus P. Almost all is nickel. I keep loading and shooting until it cracks. Then it’s scrapped. Life is good.

    Oops, since then another 30 cal can holds my military marked 38 special which is my cowboy loads.

    But yes, brass is available, bullets and molds are available, some powder available, dies available. Primers?.....

    I don’t think too many here got caught off guard especially if we are bullet casters we obviously reload. I really think I can go for 5 years on what I have and I compete in shooting sports. This will end. To other items such as food, toilet paper, water and so on, it makes one think.
    Last edited by smkummer; 04-20-2021 at 06:59 PM.

  14. #54
    Boolit Master



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    They aren't cheap but Buffalo Bore has their standard pressure 158gr swchp now in stock. They have been showing out of stock for awhile...........
    JMHO-YMMV
    dd884
    gary@2texastrucks.com
    Gary D. Peek

  15. #55
    Boolit Master


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    I think one needs to look at how loading/reloading is done. The machines at the ammo factories do more than one caliber just like your press. If it is currently set up for 9mm and you are selling every round you can make why stop. We know it takes time to change a setup. When they get caught up with all the 9mm orders they will think about changing over to make 38s. The way things are going we should see some new 32-20 in about 25 years.
    Remember the Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

  16. #56
    Boolit Man
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    A few years ago, after I started casting, I looked at 38 special at the gunshop for giggles. Well I didn't giggle, but just about pooped myself when they wanted over 20 bucks a box for lead 38s.

    I can't even bear to look at what they want for it now. My MP 38 molds stay hot, the IMR Red flows like water, and the Square Deal just keeps chugging out ammo for a few cents a round.

  17. #57
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    I just looked on Midway and the cheapest per round cost for lead round nose ammunition was 70 cents per round. Of course they are out of stock so it doesn't matter what the price is.
    I am loving the fact that I have several thousand boolits cast and ready to load as well as components to load them with.
    Just shot some of them at the range yesterday. Thirty rounds fired at a B27 silhouette with all but one round in the X ring at 8 yards(the distance from my bedroom door to the front door of my house). I was having a good day.
    Model 13 S&W 4".

  18. #58
    Boolit Master
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    I have 19 boxes of Remington 38 Spl factory ammo, 158 grn LSWC that an elderly gentleman has asked me to sell for him. Nobody has jumped to buy it. This gentleman has told me to ask $40 per box for it. I'm helping a friend,, & not making a dime. Yet,,,, no buyers yet, and I've had it available for over 2 months.

  19. #59
    Boolit Master



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    Have you offered it for sale here on the forum? Someone is bound to need it. Ammo is selling briskly on the S&W forum........
    JMHO-YMMV
    dd884
    gary@2texastrucks.com
    Gary D. Peek

  20. #60
    Boolit Master rondog's Avatar
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    I've got 6 boxes of factory Remington .38 Special LRN's that a guy at work just gave to me for free. Someone he knew bought them by mistake and gave 'em to him, thinking he shot .38 Special - but he shoots .38 Super. So now they're part of my stash! Score!

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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