S&w 38+p bodyguard and wild published loads

[Evoken]

Also, my pictures are crappy and I apologize

[Kosh75287]

The old Elmer Keith Load was 13.5/2400/160 gr. LSWC (KEITH) projectile. I don't recall ballistics, but "HOT" is the operative word. One time, I reloaded 30, shot 6 out of a K-frame, and decided to burn up the rest in my much sturdier Police Service Six.

The Sierra page is truly an eye-opener. I'd find those velocities more believable if the projectiles were cast or PCd, but j-word bullets tend to lower velocities, all other factors being equal. I may beed a new Sierra Manual to work up some of those hot .38 Special loads. FOR MY .357!

[shooting on a shoestring]

Cylinder to barrel gap is a big velocity bleed in real-life store-bought revolvers, especially of recent (10 years) manufacture. BC gaps of 0.010” are common now days. Each thousandth of BC gap looses about 30 or so feet per second. Pretty close to what an inch of barrel length is worth.

Im suspicious those stellar velocities in reloading manuals are often from “un-vented” test barrels. I have seen some listed as “vented test barrel” but never saw anything indicating the amount of “vent”.

So….I’m saying in my snubby 38’s it’s a big deal with heavy strain, maximum effort to get 150-160 grain boolits to 900 fps.

I have found wadcutters to be the boolit shape I can hand load to the highest velocities in snubbies. I attribute that to the base of the boolit getting the small advantage of a slightly longer travel path out of the bore than a similar weight SWC. Also, the wadcutter limits the amount of unused case capacity and makes the powder easier to ignite. Smaller case volume also increases chamber pressure. So some of my velocity gain could be from higher chamber pressure.

I’ve played with Blue Dot and 2400 in snubby 38’s and found them not as good as powders faster than Herco. Herco has given me the best performance with AA5 close on its heals. Bullseye is only slightly behind in velocity and in real life 50 or so fps won’t make a difference.

Blue Dot was erratic often with a couple of very low velocity numbers in a 5 shot string over my Ohler chronograph. 2400 was more consistent with velocity ES, but less average velocity than I could get with Herco. Blue Dot and 2400 would not burn well in my snubbies.

I’ve also tried 700x, PB, Titegroup, Steel, Red Dot, Unique. I settled on Herco or AA5 for my 38 snubby defense loads. They give consistent ignition and low ES (AA5 only with wadcutters), highest measured velocity in my guns. But, really, I don’t think the difference between a Herco load getting me 900 fps and a Bulleye load getting me 850 is going to be the factor that saves my butt if I have to use a 38 snubby as a defense tool.

[lightload]

With a 150-160 grain swc and 3.5 grs of Bullseye or 5.0 grs of Unique, you will have a good load that won't hurt you or your gun.

[RJM52]

If this "Bodyguard" is one of the S&W 649 +P guns, it is what I have...

Have never been a fan of the .38 Special as a defensive hangun because when I was in LE there was just too many fairures...the .38-44 however is a different story...

Have standardized on a 357156 Lyman/Thompson GC bullet or the clone from MP Molds that will also do HPs and PPS. Combinded with 6.0 grains of Unique gives 1000 fps from the 2"...mid-1100 from 4-5" guns...no pressure signs and the cases drop right out.

If you subscribe to LoadData.com do a search on .38-44 and two pages of loading data come right up. It is also found in some of the older, like 1940s through 60s Lyman Reloading Manuals...

Buffalo Bore also has two loads, a solid and a HP, that do the same velocity...and they list it as safe in all modern .38 including lightweights...

Bob

[Evoken]

Here is a screenshot of it from S&W's website. It is just called the M&P bodyguard 38+p, no number designation. J frame internal hammer 5 shot. The weird thing where the hammer should be is how you open the cylinder.

[Evoken]

Started wearing it around the house a bit to get used to it, break in new holster. Ran it through it's paces yesterday.

Shot some factory 38 junko FM target loads and was very unimpressed. About a 5" pattern at 10yds.

Shot 100 rounds of different handloads and it tightened up quite a bit. My go to cfe pistol load is just dreadful in this little thing. Not inaccurate, but loud, dirty, and very snappy. Way too slow of a powder.

Power pistol and xtp's did really well, but I had to get up to hornadie's +p load to get decent expansion.

Hp-38 did exceptionally well with the Lee wfn 158 and lwschp 158 +p loads. Nice clean cases, easy extraction, soft shooter.

The best run of the day, and what it is currently loaded with on my hip was the venerable 358429 cast with 96/2/2 and a +p load of titegroup. Just under 2" at 10yds. Pleasant to shoot as well.

I want to do some more testing with some faster powders. Next on the list will be reddot and 700x.

I'm impressed with this little guy for what it is. The little laser beam is kind of neat as well, never shot a pistol with one of those before.

[HWooldridge]

I have a J-Frame Airweight and load 4.0 gr of 231 under a 158 gr Keith. It's accurate and has great penetration within 15 yards - which is about the limit to what I can accurately hit with the short barrel. I have dispatched several raccoons with it and none of them needed a second shot.

[Geezer in NH]

Eva body seems to want a Magnum +++P for small and medium frames. I cannot fathom why.

[pettypace]

Eva body seems to want a Magnum +++P for small and medium frames. I cannot fathom why.

Maybe it's because most eva body can't believe that a wadcutter at "target" velocities will do more self-defense tissue damage than a heavier and faster semi-wadcutter. But VIRGEL gets it.

Here's a commercial "target" wadcutter from a snubby:



And here's a hard-cast semi-wadcutter over a good helping of Unique:

[doghawg]

I use RCBS 148 WC over 3.9 of 231 in my M637 2". Actual weight with my alloy is 154 gr. and velocity is right at 800 fps. That's enough for me, enough for the little J-frame and according to the test results posted above it should be enough on the target.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

Here is a screenshot of it from S&W's website. It is just called the M&P bodyguard 38+p, no number designation. J frame internal hammer 5 shot. The weird thing where the hammer should be is how you open the cylinder.

That’s not a J Frame. The J Frame Bodyguard was made of steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, with a humpback hammer shroud that enabled the user to cock the hammer for use “single action”. Several years ago the geniuses at S&W re-used the name “Bodyguard” for the revolver you have (and a .380 semiauto).

I have no idea whether your composite frame “M&P Bodyguard” is stronger than the original ones were.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

Here’s a picture of a J Frame “Bodyguard”


I believe this is the gun most respondents to your post are thinking of when you say you have a S&W Bodyguard .38.

[Evoken]

Here’s a picture of a J Frame “Bodyguard”


I believe this is the gun most respondents to your post are thinking of when you say you have a S&W Bodyguard .38.

I see what you are saying sir. I do not have a regular J frame to compare it to. S&w website calls it J frame size in the specs. What that means, I do not know.

As to the other gentleman asking why everyone wants a super ++++p gun, well if mr. Keith hadn't wanted such a creature we would not have the 357 or 44 mag so there is that.