1873 38 Special Ammo

[DeaconBlues]

I have just obtained a new-in-box Winchester (Miroku) 1873 Trapper in 357/38. Because I shoot indoors at a 100 yard range, I prefer FMJ bullets to cut down on lead. I choose to shoot 38 Special exclusively because it is more pleasant to shoot and easier on the rifle. I do not participate in SASS, at least at this time. This rifle will be used for target fun at the range. I suppose it could potentially be used for home defense as well, but I have other options I would consider before that.

Taking these things into account, would I be better served by using 38 Special 125/130 grain FMJ, or 158 grain? I will be shooting primarily at 50 and 100 yards. And for home defense, 125 or 158 grain?

[ollogger]

OH WOW! sounds like you have a dandy
buy or load a few boxes & blaze away, your gun will tell you what it likes


Brad

[Blaine]

IMO, for defense, I'd use .357 125gr jacketed hollow points.
Plinking? The cheapest stuff you can load, or buy.

[Rusty]

Congratulations and welcome to the board. Your rifle might one load over the other either because of the length as it relates to feeding or accuracy. Both will work after a fashion but you might find it like one over the other. Just ask it, them leverguns got a soul.

[AJMD429]

If you reload I'd use 357 Mag cases unless they won't feed smoothly. Using shorter cases all the time might result in a bit of a 'crud-ring' in the front end of the chamber' which then could grab a full-length 357 case of you use one later. Plus just a little more distance for the bullet to yaw while jumping to the lands, unless you load them out pretty far, in which case why not just use the longer case.

Get brass ones for most loads but if you have some hotter loads for defense or whatever, maybe use Nicole played cases for those.

[pshort]

Howdy,
I have one of those rifles... IMHO, if you're gonna use .38 spec, you might
wanna use the longer bullet.
At first, mine would cycle .38's but not more than 5 in the tube..
I wound up cutting off some of the mag tube spring to relieve some
of the pressure and then it cycled fine...
YMMV.. If you reload, use the .357 cases and probably get by with any bullet..
The moral of the story is: it might be a bit fussy feeding every .38 spec..
I was using the Federal 158gr, LRN....

Paul

[OldWin]

As mentioned above, I'd use .357 cases to avoid feed and crud ring issues.
Have you considered trying plated bullets? In the winter the wife and i shoot at an indoor range with handguns. The plated bullets have no exposed lead, are fairly reasonable, and are clean to load in my Dillon 550.
I've had good luck with these and use them quite a bit now in .38/.357 and .45ACP. Saves my lead supply for my old guns too.

[M. M. Wright]

Welcome!

Like the responders here, I too would use the 357 brass. The 125 XTP is a great defense bullet and there are some 125 grain lead flat nose for cowboy loads that would be cheap shooting.

I never worry about lead exposure. Been smelting, casting, loading and shooting it for 60+ years and my lead levels are normal. Yes, there are some lead compounds that can be harmful but the stuff we use is almost inert. Same hype as the climate change bunch.

[vancelw]

Howdy,
I have one of those rifles... IMHO, if you're gonna use .38 spec, you might
wanna use the longer bullet.
At first, mine would cycle .38's but not more than 5 in the tube..
I wound up cutting off some of the mag tube spring to relieve some
of the pressure and then it cycled fine...
YMMV.. If you reload, use the .357 cases and probably get by with any bullet..
The moral of the story is: it might be a bit fussy feeding every .38 spec..
I was using the Federal 158gr, LRN....

Paul

I have problems with the Keith 158 gr bullets being to long to let the carrier rise up in mine. But everything else has fed just fine.