Lead Round Nose .38 SPL bullets?

[YoungMilsurpGuy]

I found some Privi partisan lead nose round bullets for a good price online and was wondering if shooting a few boxes (150-250) rounds ]through my 1980s production S&W model 10 would do any harm to the gun or cause any problems with lead fouling?

Also, has anyone ever heard anything about Armscor Precision ammo?

 

[billybob44]

IS what the Model 10 was made for...

I found some Privi partisan lead nose round bullets for a good price online and was wondering if shooting a few boxes (150-250) rounds ]through my 1980s production S&W model 10 would do any harm to the gun or cause any problems with lead fouling?

Also, has anyone ever heard anything about Armscor Precision ammo?

The 158gr. lead RN load is what the S&W 'K' frame .38 Spl. were designed to shoot.

Now, back then-50's-60's these loads were "All over the Map"--Some were real light loads that lacked stopping power, some were very hot loads.

What matters most, lead wise, is the diameter of the projectile vs the diameter of your barrel. Some will shoot well with little leading, some will be all over the place, with a lot of lead left in your barrel. Speed does play a part in the "leading process" also. Very slow bullets, that are too hard, will not get a good gas seal, and will leave some lead, usually just ahead of the cyl. Very fast bullets can also leave some "melt" toward the muzzle end of your barrel.

Bottom line is--try some of these loads out+see how they perform.

To answer your question--The Model 10 S&W was designed when most (80% or so) factory loads were lead projectiles..Bill.


PS: A LOT!!! More revolvers have been damaged from hot jacketed loads than ANY lead loads..

 

[safarihunter]

A friend who casts his own bullets is up to 16,000 rounds out of his S&W Model 14 and it is still going strong

 

[OHOIAN]

Any leading, although a pain to clean out, will not harm the gun. My 80s production mod 64, same as the mod 10 but in stainless steel, has fired countless thousands of lead bullets and still shoots like new.

 

[BE Mike]

Quit worrying and enjoy shooting your Model 10. That's what it was made to shoot. You won't have any trouble with any lead bullets hurting your revolver. If you want something for self-defense, you might look closely at something like this: Buffalo Bore Ammo 38 Special 158 Grain Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollow

 

[dg101win]

I found some Privi partisan lead nose round bullets for a good price online and was wondering if shooting a few boxes (150-250) rounds ]through my 1980s production S&W model 10 would do any harm to the gun or cause any problems with lead fouling?

Also, has anyone ever heard anything about Armscor Precision ammo?

I picked up 1,000 of this same brand a few years ago. They shot great out of my S&W Mdl 14 and 15.

 

[djones]

The 158gr. lead RN load is what the S&W 'K' frame .38 Spl. were designed to shoot.

Now, back then-50's-60's these loads were "All over the Map"--Some were real light loads that lacked stopping power, some were very hot loads.

What matters most, lead wise, is the diameter of the projectile vs the diameter of your barrel. Some will shoot well with little leading, some will be all over the place, with a lot of lead left in your barrel. Speed does play a part in the "leading process" also. Very slow bullets, that are too hard, will not get a good gas seal, and will leave some lead, usually just ahead of the cyl. Very fast bullets can also leave some "melt" toward the muzzle end of your barrel.

Bottom line is--try some of these loads out+see how they perform.

To answer your question--The Model 10 S&W was designed when most (80% or so) factory loads were lead projectiles..Bill.


PS: A LOT!!! More revolvers have been damaged from hot jacketed loads than ANY lead loads..

I agree with everything billybob said except I would like to add that you want your lead bullet to be 0.001+ over you cylinder throats and your barrel groove diameter 0.001" under your cylinder throats.

Being that you have a older well made revolver your chances are good that this relationship is indeed true for your gun. Some newer revolvers made with only jacketed in mind can have a sloppy throat/barrel groove relationship.

Let us know how they shoot!

 

[billybob44]

++1 to djones..

I agree with everything billybob said except I would like to add that you want your lead bullet to be 0.001+ over you cylinder throats and your barrel groove diameter 0.001" under your cylinder throats.

Being that you have a older well made revolver your chances are good that this relationship is indeed true for your gun. Some newer revolvers made with only jacketed in mind can have a sloppy throat/barrel groove relationship.

Let us know how they shoot!

djones IS spot on with this info--I just had to type fast to get in the FIRST reply..HA HA...Bill.

 

[YoungMilsurpGuy]

I agree with everything billybob said except I would like to add that you want your lead bullet to be 0.001+ over you cylinder throats and your barrel groove diameter 0.001" under your cylinder throats.

Being that you have a older well made revolver your chances are good that this relationship is indeed true for your gun. Some newer revolvers made with only jacketed in mind can have a sloppy throat/barrel groove relationship.

Let us know how they shoot!

I put about 100 of the PPU LRN rounds through my gun in the past two weeks and it shot great, more accurate than I am(minute of pop can at 15 yards). Only thing was, and this was probably due to the lead, it was a little more smokey then normal .38 special, but aside from that no issues. Every 50 rounds I ran a bore brush through the barrel (being a broke college student i cant really afford to shoot more then a box at a time) and because of that I haven't had any problems with leading

 

[djones]

I'm glad it worked for you.

The smoke is most likely from the lubricant used with cast bullets.

I like seeing the puff of smoke from my pistol and rifle cast loads.

 

[Cerberus]

My 1971 vintage Model 15-3 loves lead. It lives in my bedside table with 12 Lapua LRN cartridges ready to go.