Firearms Tactical Institute

.38 Special Ammunition Performance Data

Page updated September 1998.
Latest updates are published in teal.

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Part I.  Ammunition Manufacturer Products for 1998:

CCI-Speer:

Cartridge	Ammunition Performance Data
	None	Manufacturer	FBI Tests	Other
125 grain Blazer SJHP	X
125 grain Gold Dot JHP +P	X
148 grain Blazer Lead Hollow Base Wadcutter (HBWC)	X
148 grain Blazer Cleanfire TMJ HBWC	X
148 grain Lawman Cleanfire TMJ HBWC	X

Federal:

Cartridge	Ammunition Performance Data
	None	Manufacturer	FBI Tests	Other
110 grain Classic Hi-Shok JHP +P	X
110 grain Premium Personal Defense Hydra-Shok JHP	X
125 grain Classic Hi-Shok JHP +P			X
125 grain Premium Nyclad HP			X
125 grain Premium Nyclad HP +P	X
129 grain Premium Hydra-Shok JHP +P			X
158 grain Classic LSWC			X
158 grain Classic LSWC +P	X
158 grain Classic LSWCHP +P	X
158 grain Premium Nyclad SWCHP +P	X

Hornady:

Cartridge	Ammunition Performance Data
	None	Manufacturer	FBI Tests	Other
125 grain XTP JHP	X
140 grain XTP JHP	X
148 grain Hollow Base WC	X
158 grain XTP JHP	X

PMC-Eldorado:

Cartridge	Ammunition Performance Data
	None	Manufacturer	FBI Tests	Other
125 grain JHP +P	X
125 grain Starfire JHP +P	X
148 grain LWC	X

Remington:

Cartridge	Ammunition Performance Data
	None	Manufacturer	FBI Tests	Other
110 grain SJHP	X
110 grain SJHP +P	X
125 grain SJHP +P	X
125 grain Golden Saber JHP +P		X	X
148 grain Targetmaster LWC Match	X
158 grain LSWC	X
158 grain LSWC +P	X
158 grain LHP +P			X

Winchester:

Cartridge	Ammunition Performance Data
	None	Manufacturer	FBI Tests	Other
110 grain Super-X Silvertip JHP			X
110 grain Ranger JHP +P (Law Enforcement Only)	X
125 grain Super-X Silvertip JHP +P			X
125 grain Super-X JHP +P	X
130 grain Supreme SXT JHP +P	X
148 grain Super Match LWC	X
158 grain LSWC	X

Part II.  Manufacturer's Performance Data:

.38 Special 125 grain Remington Golden Saber JHP +P:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
?	4"	?	9.90"	0.63"	10.60"	0.60"

Part III.  FBI Ammunition Tests Data:

.38 Special 110 grain Winchester JHP, 6/21/91:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M19	4"	1089 fps	10.70"	0.56"	10.55"	0.58"

.38 Special 125 grain Remington Golden Saber JHP +P, 2/9/93:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M19	4"	947 fps	13.45"	.59"	14.50"	.59"

.38 Special 125 grain Federal JHP +P, 7/25/90:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M19	3"	852 fps	12.10"	0.53"	13.60"	0.43"

.38 Special 125 grain Federal Nyclad JHP, 5/1/90:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M13	3"	897 fps	10.85"	0.60"	14.55"	0.45"

.38 Special 125 grain Winchester Silvertip JHP, 10/31/89:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M13	3"	843 fps	10.15"	0.53"	12.90"	0.46"

.38 Special 129 grain Federal HydraShok JHP, 2/10/89:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M13	3"	841 fps	13.45"	0.58"	18.60"	0.41"

.38 Special 147 grain Winchester JHP +P+, 2/18/98:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M19	?	911 fps	15.20"	0.52"	14.05"	0.59"

.38 Special 147 grain Federal HydraShok JHP, 2/10/93:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M60	2"	892 fps	16.20"	.43"	19.55"	.36"

.38 Special 147 grain Winchester JHP, 11/18/91:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M19	4"	858 fps	13.85"	0.55"	15.20"	0.48"

.38 Special 147 grain Federal HydraShok JHP, 10/2/89:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M13	3"	874 fps	13.15"	0.62"	19.20"	0.44"

.38 Special 158 grain Federal LHP, 10/3/89:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M13	3"	834 fps	13.70"	0.60"	15.55"	0.48"

.38 Special 158 grain Remington LHP, 10/3/89:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M13	3"	871 fps	15.50"	0.60"	13.80"	0.58"

.38 Special 158 grain Winchester LHP, 10/3/89:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Clothed Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M13	3"	808 fps	15.65"	0.49"	21.90"	0.35"

Part IV.  Other Performance Data:

Speer .38 Special 125 grain Gold Dot JHP (non-production load), 8/6/98:

Test Gun	Barrel Length	Velocity	Bare Gelatin		Denim Covered Gelatin
			Penetration	Expansion	Penetration	Expansion
S&W M60	2.0"	796 fps	9.6"	0.61"	Not tested	Not tested
Notes:   BB calibration velocity 583 fps/penetration 10.2 cm.  Penetration and expansion values listed are five shot averages.  Penetration depth listed is corrected [MacPherson, Duncan: "A Simplified Penetration Depth Correction for Data Taken in Non-Standard Gelatin." Wound Ballistics Review 2(2); 41-45, 1995.]  Click here to view recovered bullets.

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