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Thread: I felt the magic today

  1. #1

    I felt the magic today

    Over the years I've fired a few .38 specials and many many many .357 magnum rounds out of K, L, and N frame S&Ws in just about every conceivable configuration but for some unknown reason I've never fired a .38 full wadcutter target load until today. I took my grandfather's 4" Model 15 out today and had a baggie full of ancient target loads of unknown origin along with some JHP rounds in Norma brass. I had not shot this gun at all until today. I loaded up the cylinder and proceeded to shoot slow DA off the bench at 10 yards and put the first 4 rounds in the same hole and the other two just out of that group.

    I shot a bill drill on the next cylinder and I thought "so that's what the 4" K frame magic feels like!"

    I had alway preferred L frames until today. Target wadcutters and 4" K frames have some sort of juju going on that I had never felt before. They just work together. Tomorrow I'll order up a bunch of coated full wadcutters to work up loads for. My new J frame just found it's practice load.

    The Norma JHP loads were kind of like the opposite extreme. They weren't playing around, they were serious "get down to business" loads with a quite impressive fire ball. Kinda glad those are gone.

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Spartan1980 View Post
    Over the years I've fired a few .38 specials and many many many .357 magnum rounds out of K, L, and N frame S&Ws in just about every conceivable configuration but for some unknown reason I've never fired a .38 full wadcutter target load until today. I took my grandfather's 4" Model 15 out today and had a baggie full of ancient target loads of unknown origin along with some JHP rounds in Norma brass. I had not shot this gun at all until today. I loaded up the cylinder and proceeded to shoot slow DA off the bench at 10 yards and put the first 4 rounds in the same hole and the other two just out of that group.

    I shot a bill drill on the next cylinder and I thought "so that's what the 4" K frame magic feels like!"

    I had alway preferred L frames until today. Target wadcutters and 4" K frames have some sort of juju going on that I had never felt before. They just work together. Tomorrow I'll order up a bunch of coated full wadcutters to work up loads for. My new J frame just found it's practice load.

    The Norma JHP loads were kind of like the opposite extreme. They weren't playing around, they were serious "get down to business" loads with a quite impressive fire ball. Kinda glad those are gone.
    I've got 250 158 grain flat points to shoot up, and then after that it's going to be all wadcutters all the time out of my j-frames. I don't own a k-frame and should fix that.

    I shot some wadcutters out of an 4" N frame once and was convinced the first one was a squib load. I went and looked to make sure there was a hole in the target before I would pull the trigger again.
    I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.

  3. #3
    Site Supporter Trooper224's Avatar
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    Jan 2014
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    There are few things more relaxing than a day on the range with a good .38 wheelgun and some wad cutters.
    We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Spartan1980 View Post
    My new J frame just found it's practice load.
    When you start thinking about how unreliable expansion is out of a J frame with (most) 38 hollow points and about how much faster you can put wadcutters on target with good penetration, your new practice load could become your new carry load.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Member
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    Oct 2013
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    East Greenwich, RI
    The only advantage of the L frame is if you are shooting lots of .357 mag. Otherwise, K frame all the way for me. I only have 3 now, and they aren’t going anywhere. My 1st LSP duty gun, a 4” 66-1, a 4” 65 carried much in plainclothes and an issued 2 1/2” 66, bought when I retired. I don’t shoot them much anymore, need to change that.

    I’ve shot a metric ton of wadcutters through K frames when actively competing in PPC back in the Stone Age. Wish I still had my competition revolvers, along with the MANY K frames that passed through my hands over the years.

    .38s and wadcutters......great stuff!
    Last edited by LSP552; 02-18-2018 at 10:05 AM.

  6. #6
    Site Supporter SeriousStudent's Avatar
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    Mar 2012
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    Texas
    OP - I am delighted that you had a great day at the range. It's such a satisfying thing, as others have mentioned.

    I have a 3" Model 10 that I am slowly putting back into fighting shape. It's a wondrous pistol to shoot with some nice wadcutters.

  7. #7
    banana republican blues's Avatar
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    Aug 2016
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    Blue Ridge Mtns
    I wish I had the old Model 15 and 19 I was issued on the job years ago. Otherwise I'm pretty happy with the L frame 686+ I own currently.
    There was something special about those old blue steel beauties, though.
    There's nothing civil about this war.

    Read: Harrison Bergeron

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by SeriousStudent View Post
    OP - I have a 3" Model 10 that I am slowly putting back into fighting shape. It's a wondrous pistol to shoot with some nice wadcutters.
    Not much a person couldn’t do with a 3” Model 10! Great score.

  9. #9
    Site Supporter SeriousStudent's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blues View Post
    I wish I had the old Model 15 and 19 I was issued on the job years ago. Otherwise I'm pretty happy with the L frame 686+ I own currently.
    There was something special about those old blue steel beauties, though.
    I have a 4" Model 15 and a 4" Model 19, and love them both. They are going to two of my favorite nephews, I never want them to leave the family.

  10. #10
    Site Supporter SeriousStudent's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LSP552 View Post
    Not much a person couldn’t do with a 3” Model 10! Great score.
    Thanks, the nickel finish is pretty ragged right now. It's going to Karl Sokol for his sights and trigger work, then Freddy Blish is going to do an NP3+ on the entire thing.

    Drop it into a JRC SSH holster for 2 o'clock carry and it should be quite a lot of fun.

    I do love the VZ black cherry G10 grips on it. When I get it all done, I'll do a thread on it. Wayne and Darryl have given me some great advice and inspiration on what to do with it.

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