.38 SPECIAL +P DATA

BULLETS & BRASS

- Brian Pearce

Q: Many reloading manuals suggest when loading the Lyman Keith-style bullet from mould 358429 in .38 Special (listed at 170 to 173 grains) that bullets should be crimped over the front driving band, or cases need to be shortened. I plan to use this bullet in my USFA .38 Special single action, but would like to crimp it in the crimp groove and use full-length cases.

Can you suggest a good load using Hodgdon Longshot powder with the bullet seated as described above? I would like to reach 1,000 to 1,050 fps. Thanks for your insight.

P.D., via email

A: When the Lyman/Keith bullet 358429 is loaded in full-length .38 Special cases and crimped in its proper crimp groove, the overall cartridge length is usually around 1.532 inches (depending on mould vintage, case length, etc.). For reference, The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) maximum overall cartridge length for the .38 Special is 1.550 inches. In other words, when the Keith bullet is seated correctly, with the front driving band outside the case, it is within industry overall length specifications. So there is no logical reason to crimp over the front driving band or shorten cases. In fact, Keith designed this bullet prior to the development of the .357 Magnum (1935) and it was designed specifically for the .38 Special.

Using Starline cases capped with CCI 500 primers, 6.2 grains of Hodgdon Longshot reached 1,046 fps from a Smith & Wesson pre-World War II .38-44 Outdoorsman. Please note that this is a +P load and should only be used in guns designed to handle 20,000 psi, which certainly includes your USFA Single Action Army-pattern revolver.

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