.38+p vs 38 Special

**Giddyupgo** · February 7th, 2012, 08:56 PM

Nice photos. I use to have a Webley like that a long time ago. Brings back memories.

I'll order 500 of those from Midway tomorrow and test them for hardness when they get here. Then load a few and shoot some test targets of different types... denim wrapped water jugs ect...

That is a nice .38 mushroom for sure. How could anyone argue with that?

Then the next test will be out of the Model 66 with a 4" barrel.

If they were just not so darned expensive.......NOT....lol

**EvoRich** · February 7th, 2012, 08:59 PM

I'm sure it's been answered already, but .38 Special and .38 +P are the same round just like 9mm and 9mm +P. Or .223 and 5.56 ammo for example (technically they ARE different, but the difference is negligible). Just need to make sure the gun you're firing from is rated for +P ammo.

**Guns N'at** · February 7th, 2012, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by Giddyupgo

Nice photos. I use to have a Webley like that a long time ago. Brings back memories.

I'll order 500 of those from Midway tomorrow and test them for hardness when they get here. Then load a few and shoot some test targets of different types... denim wrapped water jugs ect...

That is a nice .38 mushroom for sure. How could anyone argue with that?

Then the next test will be out of the Model 66 with a 4" barrel.

If they were just not so darned expensive.......NOT....lol

Good luck, and hope you will report back with your findings. BTW, I used current Alliant +P data, which is 6 grains max of Power Pistol, and it's the charge weight used to achieve the velocity listed. My expansion medium was plain water jugs, but I have found them and wet phone books to be pretty similar. I love PP in a lot of calibers, and if you have never used it before, it can get pretty boomy, and in some cals pretty good flash as I recall. Great accuracy, metering, and cleanliness in my experience is just icing on the cake with PP!

**Mootness** · February 8th, 2012, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by knight0334

+P means: overpressure.

You can have overpressure with less power. But it's the pressure that determines it's suitability for a given gun.

The +Velocity sounds more useful.

A powder choice with a less then optimal burn rate for the task could create an over pressure situation at e.g. 50 fps, while a more suitable powder could keep pressure normal for SAAMI at a faster e.g. 60 fps.

My current Lyman book has +p 38 special data in it, which seems odd, because it's 10mm data is anemic.

**Giddyupgo** · February 8th, 2012, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by Guns N'at

Good luck, and hope you will report back with your findings. BTW, I used current Alliant +P data, which is 6 grains max of Power Pistol, and it's the charge weight used to achieve the velocity listed. My expansion medium was plain water jugs, but I have found them and wet phone books to be pretty similar. I love PP in a lot of calibers, and if you have never used it before, it can get pretty boomy, and in some cals pretty good flash as I recall. Great accuracy, metering, and cleanliness in my experience is just icing on the cake with PP!

I will report in for sure. I hope to figure out posting photos here as well. They are well worth more than a thousand words I think.

Yes, I am trying to get my Power Pistol involved in more calibers as well. At least the 9 and the 40. Sure makes things simpler.

**Giddyupgo** · February 10th, 2012, 01:49 PM

Just opened a box of 500 Speer 158 grain swc hp's.

Will do a lead hardness test first and then see what happens....

Wow. Off the scale.... probably close to pure plumbers (PB) lead gonna guess BHN of maybe 6 or 6.5 which does bring up some low MAX psi figures for this round. The investigation continues....