I just bought a Ruger Service Six and was looking for some inexpensive (OK cheap) ammo to practice with. All the cheap stuff was 130gr. FMJ. I know I've been kinda out of touch the last couple of years, but 130 grain FMJ? What happened to 158gr lead round nose?

dump all the made for the US Military 130 fmjs left over from the Cold War era...

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

I just left that most dreaded place of all...China-mart.

I was over in sporting goods and for the heck of it took a stroll into the ammunition section. Sticker shock doesn't even begin to describe the way I felt.

.38's were in the $15.00 and up range for a box of 50. A box of 100 rounds of Winchester white box .357, $49.99

Anyone who reloads and thinks the cost of reloading has gotten expensive, may need a reality check. I also cast my own so my cost is even cut greater.

Murphy

over and over!

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

Tell me about your Service 6....

I rather suddenly find myself with 2...a .38 and a 9mm.

Don't mean to hijack but...guess I did.

Nm

It's a 4" .357. Looks it hasn't been fired much if at all. I'll pick it up tomorrow. (California, 10 day wait)

A couple of reasons why this variation the 130/FMJ 38 special is so popular... less recoil, less eee-vile lead and little to no cleaning required.

For my own uses, I'd rather have a box of .38 wadcutters. They'll shoot rings around those little 130s and hit harder to boot.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

I own two Security Sixes (4" blue, 6" stainless). Wonderful revolvers - very accurate and almost indestructible.

over runs or seconds from a military contract. those i shot back in the 60's and 70's had .355 or .356 slugs, powder charge was low and accuracy questionable at best. cases were quite thick resulting in a bulge if you seated a .357 slug properly. my guess is the military wanted a round for any gun chambered in 38spl, regardless age, make or strength. while in the military, people "in the know" with decent 38's dumped the issue rounds and carried SuperVel.

Some years back I acquired 5,000 USGI 38 Special cases. They are headstamped LC (Lake City), WCC (Winchester) and RA (Remington). While indeed thicker, I load them with .357 and .358 cast bullets without any bulging of any sort. They have proven to sturdy cases for reloading.

Just passing on my experience with these cases.

10-4 on Georgia Arms. Accurate too

Bob

I've still got a few boxes of wadcutters from back in the day. I don't know how good they are since they're about 30 years old!

The one person who I know to have been hit with one of those things expired right away with one shot. Go figure.

While in Central America I carried 110 grain Super Vel stuff I took with me instead of the 130 nonsense. Getting stuff down there was easy, getting stuff out was sometimes probelematic. My solution was to ditch the Super Vel stuff up inside a nitch in a hotel closet in Panama City when rotating out. I always figured it would be just my luck for some dope running bad guy to find the stuff and pop some person of importance. The cases have my prints all over them. That was 28 years ago though, so I am probably safe now

some time ago and am down to my last four boxes. They shoot well out of any of my S&Ws or Colts. The Colt Cobra really likes them. My Second Gen Colt SAs shoot 'em good enough for cowboy matches.

But they are hard to find anymore. Everybody wants to sell you the lousy 130 grain jacketed stuff -- at $19.95/50. I'll try at Cabelas next time I got visit my daughter at the end of the month.

RL -- shot the new Buntline Special Sunday and debuted the extra-long Simply Rugged Cattleman you made for it. Only shot two scenarios and got the post-chemo wobblies, so I quit early.

Took a PET scan yesterday and have to wait until the 20th for The News. Maybe I'll be back to work by the end of October.

Scribe

I've been seeing more of them recently for some reason.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops