Has anyone worked up loads of Hodgdon lil 'gun in the 38 special?
Only data I find is for the 357 magnum and it is limited.
I've worked up to 12.5 grains of lil 'gun with the Hornady 140 grain XTP in my combat masterpiece 38 special and there appear to be no problems. I am hesitate to go any higher than this although there are no signs of excessive pressure with this load. This is producing around 1100 fps and is far better velocity than I can get with 2400 or bluedot. Am using western +P nickle cases and winchester standard pistol primers. Accuracy is around 1" at 25 yards. This load is NOT RECCOMMENDED!!
According to the published Hodgdon data lil 'gun will produce velocities in the 357 magnum as high as H-110 but does it with some 15,000 CUP less pressure.
Lil 'gun has worked well in my 22 hornet and has eleminated flyers which are common with the hornet. This powder is rapidly becoming a favorite for me in small capacity cases.
Thanks for the thoughts on lil 'gun. I am using the Hodgdon .357 magnum load reccommended of 18 grains and the 158 XTP in my Marlin 1894 carbines and getting over 200 fps greater velocity than my old load of 15 grains of 2400 with the same bullet. I'm also using it in my 221 fireball and getting better accuracy and velocity than either 4227 or 4198.
It just seems that lil 'gun gets more velocity with less pressure than similar powders and provides better accuracy.
I have several 38 specials by S&W that I carry with various loads for use around the farm. From what I can see it appears that lil"gun will be the powder to beat for full power loads.
I cheerfully take credit for L'il Gun in the fireball. I was working on a story, tried it, and got the exact 200 fps increase you mention. At my request Hodgdon pressure tested my load and got pressures well within SAAMI.
They have this thing over there at Hodgdon . . . "Longshot" delivers about 200 + fps. greater than nearest competitor in my "trail gun" 10mm.
If you want velocity in the .38 Sp., Longshot delivers.
Clean burners too !
BTW / FWIW - In the 2003 Basic the slowest powder listed for .38 Sp +P is H 4227
riverrat, first let me congradulate you on owning such a set of Cojones. Second, the powders you used,2400 and lilgun, are for magnum use only. All it would take is one round with a little extra crimp and you're in trouble. These powders produce pressures way too high even for a M15. Hence the reason you can't find 38Spl. info for the powder.
There are manuals around that still list 2400 for .38 Special loads. But things have changed over the years. Speer No.12 lists 8.0 grains of 2400 as a max load for a 145 grain JHP +P load, but my very old Lyman shows 12.5 grains as a max load for a 158 grain ld. FWIW, that's been my standard carry in my Ruger Flat Top for the last 50 years.
Back in the 1920's or 30's the factories loaded a heavy load for the 38 special using a 158 grain bullet at about 1100 fps. I have no idea what powder they used to accomplish this or what pressure the load produced. It would seem we should be able to duplicate this performance with all the modern powders and components we have at hand.
The hodgdon .357 magnum data indicates they obtain about 1575 fps with 18 grains of lil'gun at less than 26000 CUP. Other powders require pressures in the 42000 CUP range to reach this same velocity. (i.e. 16 grains of H4227 gives 1520 fps and 42600 CUP).
I don't know why Hodgdon stopped at 18 grains of lil'gun as maximum when pressures were less than 26000 CUP. I suppose they had a good reason.
I have a bit of trouble with some of Hodgdons maximum load data so I try to check pretty closely against other sources before using it. (i.e.They show a load for the Springfield trapdoor 45-70 of 55 grains of H4198 and a 300 grain bullet. I consider that load over the top for my Marlin 1895 and I would want to be 50 yards and behind a tree from anyone using it in a trapdoor.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. It appears that there is no tested data available for lil'gun in the 38 special so forward thru the fog VERY carefully.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Gun Hub Forums
464.3K posts
23.2K members
Since 2002
A forum community dedicated to all firearm owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about optics, hunting, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!