45's and 38's

[Guy Miner]

Spent some time in my "gun room" today, building .45 ACP and .38 Special ammo, two of my most loaded/most fired cartridges. Seems like I've been loading them for about forever, and that's fine by me.

38's were Bullseye powder, 158 gr cast

45's were a lot more Bullseye powder and 185 gr Nosler hollow points

Both loads shoot great from my handguns. No surprises, just time spent loading two old favorites.

Also sized and primed some 30-30 brass, another old favorite! Not sure if I'll be loading 170 gr jacketed soft points to factory specs, or if I'll go light and load some cast bullets over a bit of Unique.

Guy

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Guy,
38 Special is one of my all time favorites. I've always liked how versatile it is. One can load 110 gr to 200 gr bullets, at differing velocities and pressures.
Now, I will be handloading for the .45 ACP shortly, and figure it's as versatile if not more so.

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[Guy Miner]

Had to grin while I was grabbing brass cases to load, and found a box of old .38 "Super Vel" brass. I remember shooting that stuff up years ago, it was pretty hot!

Guy

 

[Cleveland48]

I loaded 45 acp several years ago, but not anymore. Have to say I really enjoy loading 38 spl. 38 and 44’s are the only handguns I load anymore.


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[HAWKEYESATX]

Had to grin while I was grabbing brass cases to load, and found a box of old .38 "Super Vel" brass. I remember shooting that stuff up years ago, it was pretty hot!

Guy

As .38 Spcl goes, yes it was. I have an Uncle that used to use it, and like it.
Today, I think Buffalo Bore is probably equivalent to the "Super Vel".
It'll get your attention, no doubt! LOL

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[Guy Miner]

I loaded 45 acp several years ago, but not anymore. Have to say I really enjoy loading 38 spl. 38 and 44’s are the only handguns I load anymore.

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I still shoot & load mostly for the .45 ACP, more than any other centerfire cartridge. So, those dies are always set up.

The .38 dies have sure been on the press more, since I had the little S&W Model 19 worked over last year! I'm shooting it quite a bit again, and have to feed it. :grin: Loading the .38's takes me way back, decades ago, when I was learning to load for handguns. To me, there's just something "right" about the .38 Special. Easy to load, easy to shoot. It's very relaxing to take a box of 38's to the range, practice with it for 30 or 40 minutes, dumping most of the empty brass right into an old cardboard box or a coffee can... So simple & familiar. I don't load 'em hot. Have been doing a fair bit of shooting using speedloaders to refill my S&W, so I am having to pick up brass, but it's all in nice little piles, not scattered all over the range like brass from my automatics!

.44 mag is another one I load pretty often, but those dies haven't been on the press much since I got the Model 19 back in action!

Guy

 

[Cleveland48]

I loaded 45 acp several years ago, but not anymore. Have to say I really enjoy loading 38 spl. 38 and 44’s are the only handguns I load anymore.

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I still shoot & load mostly for the .45 ACP, more than any other centerfire cartridge. So, those dies are always set up.

The .38 dies have sure been on the press more, since I had the little S&W Model 19 worked over last year! I'm shooting it quite a bit again, and have to feed it. [emoji16] Loading the .38's takes me way back, decades ago, when I was learning to load for handguns. To me, there's just something "right" about the .38 Special. Easy to load, easy to shoot. It's very relaxing to take a box of 38's to the range, practice with it for 30 or 40 minutes, dumping most of the empty brass right into an old cardboard box or a coffee can... So simple & familiar. I don't load 'em hot. Have been doing a fair bit of shooting using speedloaders to refill my S&W, so I am having to pick up brass, but it's all in nice little piles, not scattered all over the range like brass from my automatics!

.44 mag is another one I load pretty often, but those dies haven't been on the press much since I got the Model 19 back in action!

Guy

Ahh a model 19 one of my grail guns! I load HBWC with 2.8 grains of red dot. Bullseye was unavailable at that time locally. I shoot them through my 4” colt python and their scary accurate! Also load a lot of swaged swc-hp and shoot through my 442 airweight. I inherited the python from my dad who bought it brand new in 1972 as a deputy. It had only seen full bore 357 loads, so I sent it off to be re timed by Frank Glenn last summer. Now she is like brand new, but I only shoot 38’s through it. I doubt their will be anyone available to work on the old colts in another 40+ years, when my kids own it.


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[HAWKEYESATX]

Guy,
.38 SPCL is one of the few pistol rounds I know that just plain works well with any combo of bullet and powder mixes.
It's great as a target round, and great as a self defense round.
It doesn't beat the shooter up, unless they're using a very small pocket carry revolver. I like shooting it in my .357, because the .38 was my first love for reloading, I went and bought an old S&W .38 SPCL, not even marked as a Model 10, when I was in the Air Force. That was almost 30 yrs ago, and people were switching over to the 9mm, and autos. Not me, I've always been a wheel gun guy.
Now, I'm liking the .45 ACP, a lot. Don't think that'll change either.

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[Guy Miner]

I think you're rightly concerned about finding good people to keep the old Colts working.

Buddy of mine has a Python he bought long ago and it needed attention. Colt told him that they couldn't work on it since they didn't have anybody who knew about the old Python anymore!

He did eventually get his Python fixed, but... It was a bit of a chore to find someone who really knew those wonderful old guns.

Here's my Model 19. I had it cerakoted last year, and worked over internally. I bought it used long ago, and there was significant pitting on the cylinder, couldn't be polished out. So, rather than having it polished and re-blued, I chose the cerakote. Not original, but I think it turned out well:

Guy

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Guy,
That's a beautiful specimen of a Model 19. I've come to respect the cerakote finish a lot!
The old S&W I had was a pencil barrel 6" hand ejector, and not rated for +P ammo.
I've liked old Colts, but have found out that the internals of them are a little flimsy, and wear out after a lot of usage.
Now, S&W, on the other hand, has lasted quite a long time with original parts.
Although I traded that one off several years ago, I always find myself with a 4" barrel Smith of some sort, or a Smith clone, like my Taurus Model 65 .357 magnum. I've shot that enough, it's worn in now, and it's almost like the Model 10 I used to have.

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[Cleveland48]

I think you're rightly concerned about finding good people to keep the old Colts working.

Buddy of mine has a Python he bought long ago and it needed attention. Colt told him that they couldn't work on it since they didn't have anybody who knew about the old Python anymore!

He did eventually get his Python fixed, but... It was a bit of a chore to find someone who really knew those wonderful old guns.

Here's my Model 19. I had it cerakoted last year, and worked over internally. I bought it used long ago, and there was significant pitting on the cylinder, couldn't be polished out. So, rather than having it polished and re-blued, I chose the cerakote. Not original, but I think it turned out well:

Guy

Yes Guy it took me a lot of searching to finally find Frank. Apparently he is one of the last gunsmiths who still work on old colt actions. I really like the 19 especially with the 2 1/2” barrel! I really like my python, but I have to admit the k frame S&W’s fit my hand perfect. It’s just a perfect example of weight/power and balance! I have had L frames, but liked the k’s better. Still love my N frame model 29 too.


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[JD338]

I've loaded many 44 Mag and 45 ACP but never 38 Special.
I might be missing something...

JD338

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

JD338,

You should get one. It's so much fun. They're usually extremely accurate, and make a really good self defense round.
IMO, the .38 is a better self defense round than the 9mm Luger. You can equal, and better the 9mm if you load light bullets in the same weight range as the 9mm, and without all that excessive pressure.

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[HAWKEYESATX]

Recently, I have found an auto cartridge that has as much history as the .38 Special....the 9mm Largo. Its the 9mm Bergman-Bayard cartridge that started life in 1898.

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