ond is a Model 10 with a 4-inch heavy barrel, the third is a Model 15 Combat Masterpiece with a 4-inch barrel, and the fourth is a Model 14 K-38 with a 6-inch barrel. All but the Model 10 have adjustable sights and the target style hammer and trigger. For this project, we omitted the Model 10 from the tests because it has the same barrel length as the Model 15 and cannot be sighted in with the various loads using light bul- lets because it has fixed sights. When it comes to powders that are
suitable for loading the .38 Special, the choice is rather wide. What is needed is a powder that is relatively fast burning so that acceptable velocity is developed in a 3- or 4-inch barrel. Excellent choices include Alliant Bullseye, Unique, and Power Pistol; Winchester 231 and WSF; Hodgdon HS-6; IMR SR 4756; and oth- ers. In order to spend somewhat less than a lifetime on this project, it was necessary to severely limit the number of powders utilized. Based on experi- ence, our choices were Alliant Unique and Power Pistol. One of us has been using Unique in .38 Special cases for about four decades (and it has been produced much longer than that), and Power Pistol is a relatively new powder. Because of the intended use on
varmints, jacketed hollow-point bul- lets of relatively light weight are most appropriate, although other bullets also will work well. Therefore, the bullets selected were limited to those weigh- ing 110 grains and 125 grains. Our choices in both of these weights were the Winchester JHP (available in bulk) and Hornady XTP. Our design for this experiment
involved testing the Winchester bullet of each weight with a range of powder charges in all three guns. After deter- mining the velocity and some indication of accuracy of each load to establish the preferred charge weight for each bullet weight, a load that indicated excep- tional accuracy would be determined. It was decided that accuracy would be evaluated using the S&W Model 14 with a Weaver Classic 4x scope attached. Although it would be desirable to check accuracy of all the bullets with all of the charge weights in all of the guns, this was simply not practical so we settled on the abbreviated testing program. The ranges of powder charges chosen were based on the values pub-
www.varminthunter.org Page 19
lished in several loading manuals. In general, we stayed away from those loads in the manuals that were listed as “maximum” or +P. All powder charges were weighed to 0.1 grain, and veloci- ties were measured using a Competition Electronics ProChrono chronograph. In each case, 15 cartridges were loaded and five of them were fired over the chronograph from each gun. Firing was conducted utilizing a Caldwell Pistolero rest so that a five-shot group could be obtained at 25 yards with each handgun. The velocity data obtained are
summarized in the accompanying table. When interpreting velocity data for the three revolvers, it should be mentioned that the cylinder-to-barrel gaps were not identical. For the Model 60, the gap measures 0.006-inch, for the Model 15 the gap is 0.003-inch, and that of the Model 14 is 0.004-inch. The differences are not large, but they have some bear- ing on velocity. Although some loading manuals
recommend charges of Power Pistol as high as 7.1 grains with 110-grain bullets, we do NOT recommend such loads! The
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212