ammo question
Ok, this may sound stupid, but I have never really understood the difference between .38 Special and .38 Special +P. I have had only a limited amount of experience with a .38 Special for starters. I guess I just need to know what the difference between the two is, does +P have to be shot through a "special" type of .38 revolver and can I shoot +P through a .357 revolver?
Thanks!
Thanks!
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Let me see, how to put the question. Is it true, that if you use one type of ammo for target, and a different ammo to hunt with that the weight should be the same For instance!! If you use 158 grain lead nose to practice with then you should use 158 grain jhp to hunt with. Is this correct? Seems to make sense, since both weights are equal so you should hit target in the same place, taken into consideration windage and elevation. Thank you for any information. 0 -
well...I knew i was close. at least now you got a better understanding..and I'm sure you'll get more info on it as well. 0 -
Other way around. Boxers are newer and are the type used in most modern ammo. Berdans are the type used mostly in older military ammo. Berdans can be removed but not easily and they're expensive to buy.
The corrosive part of ammo is in the primers used. There are salts in the priming compound that gets into the wee cracks etc in the barrel and cause rusting. Clean your rifle with hot water then use the regular solvents.0 -
If you want to handload, use only Boxer primed brass. As Sunray said, primers can be removed from Berdan cases but it's a lot of trouble. I don't think it's worthwhile to try to reload them. If you're not going to reload them there's no problem. I reload, but occasionally buy inexpensive ammo that have Berdan type flash holes simply because of the price.
Better to have and not need, than need and not have.0 -
The Boxer design was a British invention used in the US while the Berdan was an American design used extensively outside the US. Until fairly recently, the Berdan design was the only type used by most other nations. The two types are about the same age, both dating back to the 1870s. Both are found in both corrosive and non-corrosive form; that is a function of the primer compound, not the mechanical design. It is hard - but not impossible - to obtain Berdan primers on this side of the pond, but for some items, the cost and effort are cost effective (e.g., for obsolete British and Metric calibers which bring $5 and up per round new). It is a PITA to decap Berdan primed cases compared to the Boxer type, but hand decapping tools exist and if someone is really serious about it, a hydrolic (forcing water into the case under pressure) system will do a fast, if messy, job. 0
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