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I have been thinking of changing ammo that I use for carry in my 642 from HP to a non HP bullet. I have questions like velocity v. weight, lead bullet (flat nose v. round nose) v. FMJ bullet. A question I have is would a heavy lead bullet cut down on over penetration? I know shot placement is very important no matter what one shoots and the .38sp non HP has got the job done for a long time. I sort of lean toward heavy bullets in my other calibers that I carry (not at the same time) but my 642 has been loaded with a 110 grain bullet and would like to up the weight to maybe a heavy lead non HP bullet. Appreciate any suggestions you all may have to include brand of ammo to fit the above.

...can't honestly recommend you going to a non-Hp...BUT I can recommend this:
... http://actionsbyt.blogspot.com/2008/05/ ... mo_22.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

...this man, who left us this weekend, was very knowledgeable and non-biased...I respect his writings...I buy nothing but the 158-gr LSWCHP+P...preferring Remington's offering because the lead's a bit softer and will expand a bit easier than the Fed and Winch...Georgia Arms also loads it...lead seems a bit hard but it's around $14.50/50 from them, at least last spring when we bought 1000 rds...recoil on this round is mild, and it's effective on the other end...

The 158 gr +P LSWCHP is the only heavy bullet I will load my snubby with. I use the 135gr +P Gold Dot Short Barrel or the 125 gr Federal Nyclad (non +P). The non hollowpoint bullets in a .38 Special will shoot through too many times. The worst offender is the 158 gr RNL followed by the 158 gr LSWC. To control penetration you need to be shooting HP ammo. The 110 gr loads are a little too light for my taste and the 158gr +P ammo is a bit too much for my old arthritic hands so I lean toward the 125 - 135 gr bullets.

To get an idea of performance of various loads in most calibers this site http://www.handloads.com/misc/stoppingpower.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; has a neat chart where you can select caliber and bullet weight to see Marshall & Sanow's stopping power results.

Please, stick to HP ammo in your carry gun. The 158 gr RNL .38 special has caused the death of more police officers due to poor stopping performance than all other failures to stop put together.

Sort of on this topic, but...I generally carry the 125 gr. Nyclads non +P (picked up a couple of the 50 round boxes while they were still available) when I do carry my old Model 49 Bodyguard. I also have a couple of boxes of the 158 gr. LSWCHP +P. My Bodyguard was made in 1973, best I can figure out with the Serial # and is NOT marked for +P. Am I better off sticking with the Nyclads or is that old Smith quite capable of +P rounds? S&W says no...but I've heard others say, its steel, its okay. Is this just a liability thing for S&W or is there something about that older steel (compared to today's aluminum) that really makes it unsafe? This might be pertinent to others with older snubbies trying to make ammo choices, as well.

(Edited for spelling error)

...I've read both ways...but given the quality of the Smiths...I'd fire +P in limited amounts in it and practice with regular ammo...wouldn't hesitate to carry +P in it...and do in my older 649 exclusively...the Nyclad's a highly-applauded round...they quit making them and then started back up recently...I'd like to find some...

The 110 gr loads are a little too light for my taste and the 158gr +P ammo is a bit too much for my old arthritic hands so I lean toward the 125 - 135 gr bullets.

Came to that conclusion myself. No arthritis and certainly no expert. Talking about my 12 oz snubbie.

...so the lighter Gold Dot +P recoils less than the 158gr??? may be what my wife will need...she has small and bony hands...the beginnings of arthritis...I've heard the results are good with the Gold Dots in a snub...will try some out...

speedsix wrote:...so the lighter Gold Dot +P recoils less than the 158gr??? may be what my wife will need...she has small and bony hands...the beginnings of arthritis...I've heard the results are good with the Gold Dots in a snub...will try some out...

The +P 135 gr Gold Dot kicks like a mule the 158 gr +P LSWCHP is brutal especially in a light gun. If she is recoil sensitive I would look for some Nyclad it's a non +P load with great performance.

Here's a list of sellers with ammo in stock.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... CBYQ8wIwAA#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

...thanks for that...will try some for her...

The 125 grain +P Golden Sabers don't kick too hard in my wife's 642, and I've also heard good things about the 125 grain Hornady Critical Defense loads in .38 Special. I carry the 125 grain Critical Defense .357 ammo in my M&P340. But I've shot 158 grain cartridges in the 642, and I thought that the recoil bordered on uncomfortable.

As far as hollow points, keep using them. Solids are prone to over-penetration.....not a good thing in almost any SD scenario you can think of.

Thanks for all the good info folks. Guess I will be stickin with the HP's. I think I will try the Federal Nyclads or the Rem. LSWCHP. According to Mr. Camp, the 642 can take the 158 grain +p LSWCHP.