38 S&W loads using 452AA. bullet.

[DaveF]

I have a Colt Police Positive in 38S&W, and have been using Bullseye and Unique with 158gr. cast SWC bullets in it, but my supply of both those powders is getting low.
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I also have a large quantity of 452AA which I use in 38 Special and mid-range 357 loads with the same bullet, so would like to also use it in the 38S&W.
None of my old or newer manuals list any such loads, so I'm asking here if anyone can help.
Thanks in advance.

[Outpost75]

Nice old Colt. I have one made in 1920, very similar for which I load Accurate 36-155D with 2.7-2.8 grains of 4452AA. I also have a keg of 452AA bought at Camp Perry in 1987, leftover from my Bullseye shooting days, which I am using up in .38 Special wadcutter, .38 S&W, .44-40 and .45 ACP wadcutter and .45 Colt cowboy loads. If you adjust your powder measure to meter the same charge weight you have used with Bullseye, you will not get into any trouble. It may be necessary to increase the charge a wee bit if you want to match the velocity exactly.

The only concern I have with your generic 158 SWC is that most bullets designed for .38 Special a have greater seating depth when crimped into the crimp groove than bullets designed especially for the .38 S&W. My suggestion is to load 452AA using the same charge weight which you have found satisfactory with Bullseye, and adjust the powder charge slightly, if needed to obtain the same velocity over the chronograph. I suggest seating your .38 Special SWC bullets to 1.20" minimum OAL, crimping in the lube groove if necessary, to mitigate the increased seating depth which would result from using the crimp groove dimensioned for .38 Special cases.

[rintinglen]

452AA is a bit of an oddity in my experience, in that my results did not match up with the burn rate charts. I only used it in 45 ACP loads, but although the charts indicate that 452AA is roughly equal to WW-231 in burn rate, it actually took less powder than Bullseye to achieve equivalent velocities. IIRC, I used 4.8 grains of 452AA to equal 5.0 grains of Bullseye in my H&G 68 loads. Regardless, I think that Outpost's recommendation will get you safely where you want to go. If my experience was typical, you'll get excellent accuracy from that powder.

[DaveF]

Thank you gentlemen for the responses, and also the advice re. minimum OAL.
Much appreciated.

[Crow_Eater]

The Speer Reloading manual # 11 has a few loads for the .38 S&W with 452AA powder, including probably the one I would use, a BBWC, loaded out of the case.
The manual also used 452AA with other calibers.
I have an old copy in storage (which,unfortunately, might as well be on the dark side of the moon), but I was able to find an almost-new copy cheap on one of the online used booksellers. You might be able to find one for a price you could stand to pay.
One thing I would caution you about, is, the 800X and AA-5 loads listed, which were new for that edition, are hot -- I mean like proof load hot -- loads. DO NOT used that data from Speer #11 without rigorously cross-checking the data with other manuals or sources, like Lyman, Lee, the powder company lists or others.

[Andy45]

I wish they had not discontinued that powder!!!

[Outpost75]

I wish they had not discontinued that powder!!!

WST is not exactly the same thing, but performs similarly and can be used in the same shotshell/pistol/revolver applications.