This is a section taken from Paco’s up and coming leveraction and handgun book ...it is out of the handgun chapter.
38...357...38
THEY ARE VERY SPECIAL....WORLDWIDE
Probably the most popular cartridge/caliber combination in North America is the 38/357. Certainly the 38 Special is on the top of all the lists, In countries where citizens are not allowed to have any caliber that is considered military or federal enforcement, like Mexico..the 38 is greatly coveted. When I was in Mexico in the middle 1970s running a large drug interdiction force, with my Mexican Federal Police counterparts, I had two 38 Supers on Colt Commander frames. Because the 45 ACP and the 9mm were taboo even for Mexican lawmen to personally own, those two Supers were wanted by everyone, I had all kinds of offers to buy them. Even though I personally owned them, it was illegal to sell them in Mexico. The second most popular caliber in Mexico, is the 22 LR. Actually Mexico’s handgun laws are much better than Canada. When on assignment there, Canada wouldn’t let us in with our guns...and Mexico wouldn’t let us in without them.
I have written extensively of the 357 magnum and it’s Mega potential and loads. But we would be cutting ourselves short bread if we didn’t also use our 357/38s with lite to medium 38 special level loads. They are fun, accurate and effective, for a variety of uses. I think that unlike the various magnum handguns...which are made strong, and can take pressures usually beyond commercial loadings. The 38 Special handguns require us to pay close attention to their age, condition, real strength...and ability to withstand today’s pressures. There are thousands of older 38s out there that are suspect, and a goodly number of the newer smaller framed guns, that also must be treated carefully with reloads.
Some of the turn of the century S&Ws and double action Colts look like modern handguns, they are chambered for the old black powder and very low power smokeless 38 Specials, (yes there were black powder 38 Spc. loadings)...some of these older guns will unfortunately sometimes even chamber 357s. I had a S&W 1st. Model. M&P 1899 Army/Navy, circa 1901, brought to me several months ago. It had a heavy 357 magnum load fired in it. The gun was totally frozen, nothing in the action worked any more. All internal parts were jammed, the forcing cone on the gun was gone. It was blown off even with the frame. So we really must look carefully before we leap.
There were a number of blown up 357 handguns in the 1980s. It was reputed by some fairly responsible gun writers that these guns were blown with target doses of Bullseye. Around 4 grains under simple 148 grain wadcutters. The first reaction was that the loads must have been double charged. But Remington did a study and found some interesting results. 3 plus grains of Bullseye under a 148 gr lead wadcutter will generate about 16000 psi. An easy load for nearly all guns to digest, especially magnum frames. But Remington learned that if you push the 148 grain wadcutter down into the 38 Special case just 1/8th of an inch plus, the pressure jumps to over 25,000psi. Now remember the wadcutter for 38s is a long bullet with most of it being set down into the case, in the first place. Remington said when you push it down a 1/4 inch plus below the lip of the case, your then in 40,000 or more psi territory. Bottom the wadcutter out in the case and the pressure escalates to around 90,000 plus psi. And that will take even a strong Ruger SA 357 apart.
As I have probably been preaching till my readers are tired of it...pressure is much more sensitive then velocity is to variables. Take care dear reader.
I like loading the 148 grain hollow base wadcutter backwards for a superb home defense load. When it strikes, it opens up like the jaws of a rattler, and dumps all of its energy into the target. 4 to 4 ½ grains of Bullseye under the wadcutter will give about 950 fps and around 21,000 psi. Strong 38s can take those loads with relative ease. Between 3 and 4 grains of Bullseye, or WW231, Clays, Universal Clays, those of the fast burning rates...will usually give you and your handgun, a load with gilt edge accuracy. I have found that 4 grains of Clays, and 17,000 psi, (not Univ. Clays) will break 1000 fps and give outstanding accuracy in most of my strong guns. Putting a gas check on the nose of the wadcutter, which becomes the base keeps the fouling down when you push them a little too fast. Sometimes a .375 gas check will fit the plain base cast bullet in .358 and can be sized on....some.