Backwards Bullets?

[SFC JeffJ]

Anyone load wadcutters backwards for their .38 Spl? I have a few friends that do this. Primarily for their snubbies.

How does doing this compare to modern hollowpoints?

I know it cuts down the range, not that it's that important with that type of shooting from that type of gun.

Jeff

 

[Grenadier]

They basically take a hollow based wadcutter, and turn it around.

At the very worst, at least it will have a good bit of frontal section to make an overall larger hole than a tapered bullet, and still has the possibility of expansion.

If I did not have access to good quality hollowpoint loads, and if I needed a short range manstopper, then I wouldn't feel entirely uncomfortable using an inverted HBWC.

Accuracy, as you would expect, isn't going to be good beyond close range (7 yards or less), and the bullet can certainly tumble in flight.

Today, there's really no need for an inverted HBWC cartridge, since modern premium hollowpoints are now being designed for shorter barrels, too. Speer's Gold Dot "SB" series (short barrel) are specifically designed for snubbies or other subcompacts, and are easier to fire than any full house magnum load.

The way I see it, CCI / Speer spent millions of dollars designing a Gold Dot that can expand at low velocities, and you may as well benefit from that research.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

That was my thinking as well.

Thanks for the input!

Jeff

 

[Grenadier]

Here's the product info for Speer's 135 grain +P load for the .38 Special:

http://www.miragetechnologies.net/PDF Files/SpeerTech38_135HP.pdf

Even in a 1 7/8" barrel, it will still get over 850 fps, and the bullet will expand as well as any.

This is probably one of the best short-barrel revolver loads out there, since Federal stopped making their Nyclad a long time ago.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

I'll have to give them a try. I'm currently using the Federal 135gr "Personal Defense". Not the best round for the .38, but a good one, and I got a great deal on a case many moons ago.

Jeff

 

[Shovel Hook]

Anyone remember the Thunderzap .38+P round? It was a cylindrical plastic bullet,extremely light gr. that was supposed to be a great stopper.
I used to collect boxes of different defensive handgun cartridges(JHP's, Frangibles, Multi-Ball,etc.), but these were impossible to get, I think they were LEO.

I used to keep the Federal Personal Defense in my Glock 23 (IIRC 135 gr., if not 155 or 165).

 

[Grenadier]

Anyone remember the Thunderzap .38+P round? It was a cylindrical plastic bullet,extremely light gr. that was supposed to be a great stopper.
I used to collect boxes of different defensive handgun cartridges(JHP's, Frangibles, Multi-Ball,etc.), but these were impossible to get, I think they were LEO.

I used to keep the Federal Personal Defense in my Glock 23 (IIRC 135 gr., if not 155 or 165).

Yup, I remember the Thunderzappers. They used a 30-35 grain nylon bullet, and were sometimes called the "THOR" round.

If I recall correctly, there was a .38 Special and a .45 ACP load developed with this concept, but the .45 ACP never made it out of production.

The Thunderzapper, being that light, behaved similarly to Glazer slugs (violent fragmentation, high velocity), and I remember seeing a video of the owner of Second Chance Body Armor, whose company produced these these rounds, firing the .45 ACP version from a Thompson submachine gun.

Richard Davis was the fellow in the video, and Second Chance still exists today:

http://www.secondchance.com/home.asp

I doubt he has any of the old stuff still in stock, though.