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Thread: Academy / Monarch / PPU .38SPL 158gr SJHP - Undersize bullets

  1. #1
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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    Academy / Monarch / PPU .38SPL 158gr SJHP - Undersize bullets

    Picked up some of Academy / Monarch / PPU .38SPL 158gr SJHP when they had it on special for $15/box back in the fall. Got around to running a box through my GP100 yesterday, and noticed the barrel was surprisingly sooty afterward. Much more so than the usual amount of carbon fouling I see on any other pistol.

    That got me thinking, so I pulled a couple bullets and mic'ed them. Sure enough, I saw measurements ranging from .3553 to .3556 inch. Groove diameter is nominally .357 inch, and jacketed projectiles are normally expected to be near that. I haven't slugged the Ruger, but if it's at .357, then I'm looking at 1.4 to 1.7 thousandths undersize (half that dimension/side for clearance) between these jackets and the grooves. I don't expect good accuracy (i.e., reasonably tight slow-fire groups), and won't bother putting them in a lever gun.

    I'd be hesitant to run these if they were .357 Magnums, out of concern about flame damage to the barrel. Figure at .38SPL pressures, it shouldn't be the end of the world to run through a few hundred of them and then give it a good cleaning. Any SMEs in the room, please let me know if I should be worried.
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  2. #2
    I'm not a SME, but are they keyholing when they hit? If not, my guess is that they are gripping the rifling enough and I wouldn't be worried about using them. I agree that I'd be more worried if they were .357.

  3. #3
    Well, the 9mm Luger has used a 0.355" bullet (nominally) since it was created and the Europeans have used barrels with a groove diameter of 0.358-0.360" since the same period of time. In general, if you are shooting jacketed bullets, it doesn't matter.
    As an ammunition manufacturer, I would hope they have to meet SAAMI specifications:
    Jacketed bullets: 0.355-0.358"
    Groove diameter: 0.355-0.359"
    So, if the bullets meet that specification and your gun meets SAAMI specifications, there is "no problem" as far as they are concerned.

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