158 gr. Semi wad cutter HPs?
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Have others (even more brands scattered around the house) but Having
![17ED474F-0D17-49A3-88F7-C44AE70BEC27.jpeg]()
read someplace about older FBI .38 loads being lead SWC HPs so i wonder whether these PPU SWC HPs are good for SD or just target fodder. Editing to mention that the gun i would use these in is an aluminum Colt Cobra 64 years young. Hi pressure loads not Recommended. In my 642 and 50 yr old mod 36 i do use fed HST Micro +P. These are the backward loaded wad cutters that are hollow pt. There is a box of these HSTs in this photo.
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It’s PPU. It will be reliable IMO. I have shot thousands upon thousands of rounds of PPU over the years. A local shop of mine carried it almost exclusively for many years and I shot tons of it in a half dozen different calibers.
However, like said above, it’s very unlikely that particular round could be counted on to expand from a snubby in anything less than perfect conditions.
I have some Hornady frontier lead LSWCHP Bullets I reload. They are super soft. Literally dent with your fingernail soft. They would probably expand at snubby velocities. Not sure how hard those Bullets you’ve got are.
I would shoot it for target practice personally.
Even the old FBI load didn’t always reliably expand from a snubby.
However, like said above, it’s very unlikely that particular round could be counted on to expand from a snubby in anything less than perfect conditions.
I have some Hornady frontier lead LSWCHP Bullets I reload. They are super soft. Literally dent with your fingernail soft. They would probably expand at snubby velocities. Not sure how hard those Bullets you’ve got are.
I would shoot it for target practice personally.
Even the old FBI load didn’t always reliably expand from a snubby.
I also bought a case of them either last year or the year before, don't remember. They were cheap enough to use for range ammo but I haven't used any yer. Might get some expansion in a 4 inch barrel but doubtful in a 2 inch. Wouldn't feel defenseless if that was what I had.
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I'm not sure you can depend on anything expanding out of a 2" snubby. BUT with a soft lead 158 grain bullet you should get penetration so try to make a hit where it counts. Lots of bad guys stopped by 158 RN lead back in the day. You don't want to be shot with it........
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Its an old school defense round. It should work.
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This.
I don't want to get shot with a BB gun again, much less anything involving gunpowder.
As long as they go bang, use them. People get to wrapped around the axles about which load is best. This is November 2020, if you got it right now, it's probably as good as you're gonna get unless you are Daddy Warbucks with fat stacks of cash in the closet.
A bad guy getting capped with them won't care about how dirty they are.
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There's nothing wrong with the 158gr SWC-HP design. The devil is always in the details, so it comes down to how hard the lead and how fast the bullet is driven. I know nothing about PPU products so can't help you. But as a general rule, even if the PPU SWC-HP doesn't expand, it's still going to hurt.
An alternative to the above load is the 158gr SWC which is never going to expand! Or more modern versions of .38 ammo, such as the Gold Dot 135gr HP.
An alternative to the above load is the 158gr SWC which is never going to expand! Or more modern versions of .38 ammo, such as the Gold Dot 135gr HP.
I respectfully ask.... What is this opinion based on.
I have fired thousand of PPU rounds for many years in a wide variety of calibers and can't recall a single problem.
The worst thing I could possibly say is that years ago, when Century was importing the ammo, it was "sooty".
Not hard carbon, rather an easy to wipe soot.
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Fair enough question Banger. Here's my respectful answer:
My opinion is based on the way I think; no empirical, or personal experience axe to grind. PPU may indeed go bang very well. I don't know of any police departments that use it, but many departments use Federal, Hornady and Gold Dot. I've always felt it's a reasonable idea to use what the cops use. PPU is a make that I would use for target; unless I had nothing else; that's me. There's usually an obvious reason foreign ammo is "pretty inexpensive" (even after traveling half way around the world), and "dirty". I load the American brand name rounds for my self defense carry, figuring the overall quality control and design is probably more trustworthy and effective. I'll save a few bucks on something other than a box of protection ammo. I guess the Serbian army uses this stuff and some other foreign military - good for them. It's not going to be my go-to round at a gas station in the middle of the night, when I believe there are better loadings available. I don't mean to insult anyone that uses it for SD; but I'm not.
OP asked what I think, and that's what I think, and why! To each his own!:cheers:
Late edit: This tells me a little about their "quality control":
Recently, on September 7th of 2009, 7 people were killed in a Prvi Partizan Ammo factory explosion. None of the machinery at the plant was damaged; however, because of water damage from the activation of a sprinkler system, ammo production was delayed for about a month.
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It’ll poke a hole in somebody.
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Hollow point if it does work, weight if it doesn’t AND a cutting edge. Seems better than a RN or JHP of similar weight.
I want a bullet mood for that bullet so I can load some for longer barrel revolvers and my Rossi lever fun.
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