what good is the +P in .38 SPL

marlin60

marlin60

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+P brings the round up a little closer to the slower 9mm stuff.

Would they have the same effectiveness out of a .38 revolver as a 9mm out of an auto?

I've got some 910 FPS, 158 grain .38 ammo. That is as fast as the slower 147grain 9mm, and the heavier bullet may have an edge.

Why doesn't this round get more respect?
 
marlin60 said:
Why doesn't this round get more respect?
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Because you need to shoot it in a revolver.

And .38Special revolvers are ghey. :p

Seriously though, +P in a .38 is kinda a waste, IMHO. If you want increased velocity/power over a regular .38Sp, jump up to .357mag. But that's just me....
 
One more good thing is that, due to the availability of .38 SPL brass vs. .357 Magnum brass, you can get a bit more punch for your money when handloading .38 SPL+P over .357 Magnum.
 
marlin60 said:
+P brings the round up a little closer to the slower 9mm stuff.

Would they have the same effectiveness out of a .38 revolver as a 9mm out of an auto?

I've got some 910 FPS, 158 grain .38 ammo. That is as fast as the slower 147grain 9mm, and the heavier bullet may have an edge.

Why doesn't this round get more respect?
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Location, location, location.

Oh err :redface: , I should say,
Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement.

If you can shoot better with a revolver then shoot that. If you shoot better with a semi-auto then guess what? Shoot the semi-auto. The statistical differences of the ammo probably wont make a difference in any one situation. More likely it will be down to your own ability.
 
According to my loading manual

The annemic 38 special can be loaded to approximately the same velocities as the superdeduper 9 MM. Either one is not that bad or the other is not that great. They were both introduced in 1902.

38 is like the rodney dangerfield of cartridges.
 
.38 Special + P's don't have much practical use/market in Canada. They need a pricey jacketed bullet to perform well and since there's no CCW here, they really only give you more felt recoil and muzzle blast.
Their purpose is to increase the performance of the .38 Special. 'Plus P' means more pressure. They're a hotter load than regular .38's. As mentioned, not all .38 revolvers are made for +P loads.
Comparing +P .38's and 9mm is comparing apples to oranges. T'aint the same thing. There is such a thing as +P 9mm too.
 
marlin60 said:
Why doesn't this round get more respect?
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Cuz there's a super ultra short maxi mag uber cartridge out there somewhere that's newer I think. Take a 357 revolver and load a 38, 38+p, and 357 in that sequence. A definite step up each time, plain old 38's are wuuusie. Cops used 38+p for years. Ah, the days of Dominion CIL ammo....
Popularity hit rock bottom when everyone went to auto's.
In a revolver I think most folks prefer .357 as it is still wholly controllable, and has a little more snap. Enough for deer anyways... not that that ever happens in this country.
To each his own. As far as respect.... I know one cop who once told me the story of .38's failing to penetrate a winter coat. From my experience, .38+p just wasn't enough of a difference to impress the heck outta people and change their thinkin of .38s.
 
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I shoot revolver in IPSC and IDPA and reload to +P specs to make PF.

You tend to lose brass at the matches, and seeing how 38Sp brass is more readily availible than 357 brass, that's why 38Sp to +P specs.
 
canuckgunny said:
As far as respect.... I know one cop who once told me the story of .38's failing to penetrate a winter coat. From my experience, .38+p just wasn't enough of a difference to impress the heck outta people and change their thinkin of .38s.
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That has to be one of those so called wives tales. Were they shooting out of a 1" barrel gun standing 1/2 mile away from the perp. Even a .22 short is going to penetrate a winter coat, although they did make coats thicker and heavier in the old days.
 
target said:
That has to be one of those so called wives tales. Were they shooting out of a 1" barrel gun standing 1/2 mile away from the perp. Even a .22 short is going to penetrate a winter coat, although they did make coats thicker and heavier in the old days.
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Very well could be... perhaps I should move that story over to the Myth thread thats running right now.:redface:
 
It was really an attempt to get more power from police revolvers already in service and from the small framed snubbies. Generally if you are buying new 38+P wouldn't be your first choice these days.
 
Originally Posted by Suputin
I did terminal testing on a variety of different 38 Sp and 357 Mag rounds and surprise surprise, the lead 158gr +P 38 Sp round was the best performer.

Greenhorse six said:
Isn't that the F.B.I. load???
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158 grn LSWCHP. They are still available of course, I have a couple boxes of factory Winchester brand .38 spl +P, 158 grn LSWCHP. I imagine all the big ammo manufacturers would still be producing this round, there's still tons and tons and tons of .38 spl wheelguns out there despite all the young 'uns being totally hyyyyyp-no-tized by wundernines and the like.

Also note that the +P casings ARE beefier. You can get away with handloading "normal" .38 spl casings to +P specs for a couple or three times, but then the case head will generally tend to seperate from the rest of the casing (in my experience anyway... did a lot of playing around with just about every combination of .38 spl and .357 mag loads published, and some not, in my Highway Patrolman).
 
Uses for .38 +P

sunray said:
.38 Special + P's don't have much practical use/market in Canada
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All the Brinks Armoured guards (at least in Western Canada) use .38Spec+P in their S&W revolvers. Probably Securicor too.
 
What does "best performer" actually mean?

freddo said:
Originally Posted by Suputin
I did terminal testing on a variety of different 38 Sp and 357 Mag rounds and surprise surprise, the lead 158gr +P 38 Sp round was the best performer.



158 grn LSWCHP. They are still available of course, I have a couple boxes of factory Winchester brand .38 spl +P, 158 grn LSWCHP. I imagine all the big ammo manufacturers would still be producing this round, there's still tons and tons and tons of .38 spl wheelguns out there despite all the young 'uns being totally hyyyyyp-no-tized by wundernines and the like.

Also note that the +P casings ARE beefier. You can get away with handloading "normal" .38 spl casings to +P specs for a couple or three times, but then the case head will generally tend to seperate from the rest of the casing (in my experience anyway... did a lot of playing around with just about every combination of .38 spl and .357 mag loads published, and some not, in my Highway Patrolman).
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So define "surprise the 38 was the best performer"???:confused:
 
freddo said:
Originally Posted by Suputin



158 grn LSWCHP. They are still available of course, I have a couple boxes of factory Winchester brand .38 spl +P, 158 grn LSWCHP. I imagine all the big ammo manufacturers would still be producing this round, there's still tons and tons and tons of .38 spl wheelguns out there despite all the young 'uns being totally hyyyyyp-no-tized by wundernines and the like.

Also note that the +P casings ARE beefier. You can get away with handloading "normal" .38 spl casings to +P specs for a couple or three times, but then the case head will generally tend to seperate from the rest of the casing (in my experience anyway... did a lot of playing around with just about every combination of .38 spl and .357 mag loads published, and some not, in my Highway Patrolman).
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The RCMP used that load made by Winchester.

The +P cases are generally plated.
 
Scanner_66 said:
Be careful as well, +P ammo can only be fired safely from weapons marked for +P as the high chamber pressures are not safe for standard .38's.

Scanner
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The pressures aren't so high that it will blow the gun up. It might in certain light frame .38s such as the J-frame S&W loosen it up faster or stretch the fame. Many larger frame .38's such as the K-frame S&W are perfectly fine with +P even though they are not marked that way.
 
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