38 special 158 gr load for Rossi 92 and Smith 66

[flyfisher66048]

I've got piles of 38 special brass, and want to start loading for my 92 and Smith 66. Kinda thinking about 5 grs or unique or 4 grs 231 with a 158 gr SWC. Purpose is just a general purpose walking around load. I think the 231 is cleaner than unique if I remember right.

It has been a long time since I loaded for 38 special - just wondering if there are any new wonder loads out there.

Thanks

[earlmck]

just wondering if there are any new wonder loads out there.

All depends on what you are wanting to do, flyfisher. If you are after very pleasant plinking loads then you have got the recipe already in mind. If you want more performance you can easily get that by seating the bullets further out using the top lube groove instead of the crimp groove and load with a slow pistol powder such as H110. I've been doing that using a 180 grain gas-check bullet with 13 grains of WW296 (virtually identical to H110) for a round that feeds smoother through my Rossi than the same load in a 357 case.

[L_Kilkenny]

Lead? Plated? Jacketed? Lee list 3.8 thru 4.2 grs of Unique for 158gr lead so I wouldn't be trying 5 grs. While Lee doesn't list a 158gr jacketed load using Unique, they do list 125gr jacketed at 4.7 thru 5.3. 5grs with a 158gr jacketed doesn't sound like a mild woods bummin round, sounds hot. I prefer TiteGroup. Works great for mild to medium loads using jacketed or plated bullets but I only use it for light loads when shooting lead.

I've also thought of Unique as being dirty but it seems the heavier crimp I do the cleaner it gets. Anyone else notice this?

[Gary]

Unique is cleaner burning than it used to be. I like it better than 231 because of its bulk. 38's tend to be erratic in my carbines unless I point the muzzle up before firing a round. This places the powder back against the primer. If I don't do that, I get poor ignition, dirty brass and poor accuracy.

Always be safe and use the powder manufacturers data.

[Hobie]

Once again I have to laugh at the concept that Unique is "dirty". That just gets me. I use 5.0 gr. of Unique.

[WCF3030]

Unique is cleaner burning than it used to be. I like it better than 231 because of its bulk. 38's tend to be erratic in my carbines unless I point the muzzle up before firing a round. This places the powder back against the primer. If I don't do that, I get poor ignition, dirty brass and poor accuracy.

Always be safe and use the powder manufacturers data.

This has not been my experince when using Unique in 30-30, 9mm, 357, 38, 44spl, 500 S&W.....ect.
I went through 8lbs last year and with my wife's/daughter's new Glock 17 it looks more like 12lbs this year.
I say go with the Unique.

[mikld]

Well, I've been using Unique for quite a while and I don't know if my Unique is the "new and improved, cleaner burning" Unique or not (and I don't care). I have a favorite load of about 4.5 gr Unique under a lead 158 gr. SWC for my .38s and up that a bit to around 6.5 gr. for my .357 Magnum.

IMHO only, I believe all this "cleaner burning" stuff is the latest "buzz word/phrase" . I've been using Unique for quite a few years (the second powder I bought. Bullseye was 1st) and have never had a gun stop functioning because of dirty powder. All my guns get "dirty" from shooting and all get cleaned after a range session. Some powders leave a bit more soot and residue than others, but if you shoot guns you're gonna get GSR on you. When I did a lot of shooting indoors some loads were "smokier" than others but L.A. air is worse than that was. I've read about shooters not liking "dirty hands" from shooting their handguns, but that's why God invented soap and water. If I want to eat something during or after a shooting session, I'll wash my hands (even out in the hills where I shoot, I take water with me) and I usually have a hand towel to wipe my hands/guns while I shoot. I don't wear a white tuxedo when I shoot and when I get home from shootin', my wife can't tell I been shootin' from my dirty hands and face, but from the smile on my face...

[Gary]

http://www.gunblast.com/Unique.htm

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

Before you get too deep into loading you might want to make up some dummy rounds, no primer to see what cycles through your gun. The original 92's were designed to work with bottleneck ammo in the 1.5" to 1.6" OAL using a round nose flat point bullet. What that means is they don’t work well with really long 357’s or really short 38’s.
Some 357m 92's work with SWC but not all. you may need to lengthen them plus ramp the chamber mouth slightly. With lead bullets you don't have to crimp in the groove. Just crimp right into the side of the bullet.

[crs]

What Nate said plus the fact that my 1892 does not stabilize slow .38 ammo. +p 110 and 125 is all that do not keyhole at 100 yards.
All factory .357 magnum shoots well though.
One day, maybe I will get around to finding out what the twist is on my Douglas barrel.

[Pisgah]

Once again I have to laugh at the concept that Unique is "dirty". That just gets me. I use 5.0 gr. of Unique.

Me too, Hobie. I never found the original Unique any dirtier than anything else, nor have I found the "cleaner" Unique any cleaner than the old stuff. It's darned good stuff.

[L_Kilkenny]

IMHO only, I believe all this "cleaner burning" stuff is the latest "buzz word/phrase" . I've been using Unique for quite a few years (the second powder I bought. Bullseye was 1st) and have never had a gun stop functioning because of dirty powder.

I could care less about smoke or dirty hands but I have had a gun stop working with Unique. My .32H&R Single Six to be exact. You run 50 of the moderate Unique loads I loaded up thru that gun and it will stiffin right up and you'll play heck trying to get the base pin out. I had a couple hundred rounds of that load loaded up and always the same result. Never happened with any other load before or since. Of coarse you'll never find a load that doesn't leave something behind but my Lord did those loads foul up a gun.

[JerryB]

I load 4.7 grains of Unique with a 158 grain swc for pistol and they run real fine in my Rossi 92 carbine. I have been using Unique since 1960 and I sure did not know it is a "dirty" powder.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Try some Cowboy loads just for fun.
158gr. cast over 4.0 gr Trail boss.
Much fun!!

[stretch]

I've always used 231 in 38 Special. With a 158 gr. LSWC, I've
loaded from 3.1 to 4.5 gr. of WW231. The lighter load worked well
out of a 4" barrel for indoor bullseye. I would NOT use it in a rifle - it
wouldn't make it to the end of the barrel!! Cast and 231 in 38 Special
makes for some pretty cheap shooting.

-Stretch

[J Miller]

When in eons past I shot 38 Specials I used two loads: 4.3grs of Win 231 and 5.0grs of Unique. I generally used the 231 with 158 to 160gr lead bullets and the Unique with Keith's 358429.
Those are and will be my go to loads for the 38 Special until I quit shooting.

Unique is no more dirty than any other powder. What makes it seem dirty is that it (and other Hercules / Alliant powders) tends to chemically react with certain bullet lubes to form a gooey, greasy, gummy gunk that can tie up revolvers.
The cure? Change bullet lube and clean your gun occasionally.

As for feeding problems, any good gunsmith familiar with the 92 style of action can tune them to do so. But then it might not feed 357s.

Joe

[J Miller]

I've always used 231 in 38 Special. With a 158 gr. LSWC, I've
loaded from 3.1 to 4.5 gr. of WW231. The lighter load worked well
out of a 4" barrel for indoor bullseye. I would NOT use it in a rifle - it
wouldn't make it to the end of the barrel!! Cast and 231 in 38 Special
makes for some pretty cheap shooting.

-Stretch

Yes it will, been there done that. Never had a problem.

Joe

[stretch]

I stand corrected, Joe!

Thanks for setting us straight!

Stretch

[rabbit hunter]

I have a Smith model 10 & a Taurus model 85. I never could get a good group with them using Unique. I found they both love 6.2 grs of HS6 behind a 158 gr Keith swc. I like Unique and use it in most all my handguns. This is just an exception, I guess.

[dogngun]

For carry in short barrel .38 spl, and for GP use in my Rossi 92, I use factory loaded MagTec 158 grain lead SWC's. They are VERY accurate, not expensive, good penetration.


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