Shooting "Dead Soft Lead"

[curioushooter]

I've been studying factory 38 Special +P "Chicago" "FBI" etc. loads lately...basically +P loadings with a LSWCHP.

Remington, Winchester, and Federal all continue to produce a version, however, Remington's was noted to use the softest lead...a sort that could be dented with a fingernail easily. I sincerely doubt it was truly "dead soft" or pure lead as some claim, but what seems to be the consensus is that the newer loading which goes by the HTP name (last few years) instead of Express uses a harder bullet and consequently doesn't expand at the sub-900 FPS velocities typical of snub nosed revolvers.

I was considering using a gas checked bullet with a very soft alloy (like 1:30 or perhaps even less tin) to see if it would be possible to get expansion at very low velocities.

I was thinking it reasonable to take soft castings from my RCBS 358-158-SWCGC and drilling a hole with a center-drill for the nose. This would bring it under 158 grains for sure, which would make loads for the Lyman 358156 a good source of data...like 5.4 grains of Unique from my Lyman 4th.

But I concern I had was leading and consequent accuracy loss.

Has anyone experimented with alloys this soft and using gas checks to make up the difference?

[country gent]

There are ways to do this and at the sub 900 fps your talking I doubt even with soft lead a gas check will be needed. A properly sized bullet to your firearm should be fine. A small amount of tin will help with expansion and also fill out.

There another way to get the soft nose you want. A 2 part bullet. Make a ladle to hold the nose and front bands amount of lead.
Ladle pour the nose portion with pure alloy using the volume sized ladle. Then fill remainder with the harder alloy. Single cavity moulds and slightly higher temps work best for this. Another help is a small rail to help hold the mould level when filling second portion. With what you want and bullet being used I could see this mushrooming back to the driving band or a little farther even.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Powder coating has allowed me to shoot pure (sheet lead) 38's with no leading. Also helps make up for the smaller boolit. It does not keep the case from swaging down the boolit though and I have had the occasional boolit tumble that did not engage the rifling enough, presumably. A higher pressure load may have fixed this, but I never tried as they were just plinking loads.

[RED BEAR]

I actually do use dead soft lead under 1000 fps. I load 38 spec some 380 and 32's. Everyone said no go but i reasoned that the colt walker used dead soft lead at 1300 fps. So i gave it a try and worked out pretty good. I don't get leading and are as accurate as my other bullets.

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm not sure what the actual BHn of the Remington lead used in their current loadings but I doubt it's pure lead. However, I'm with Red Bear, you can go pretty soft in a 38 Special under 1000 fps without problems.

I don't think you would need a gas check at 38 Special velocities, even with a very soft bullet.

[Gunslinger1911]

Oh boy !

I started a thread last year on trying to duplicate the "primo FBI snubby load". Soft 158g SWC HP at the best velocity you could get from a snubby (Detective Spl in my case).

Most of the drama was discussing the feasibility of actually getting 900 f/s with a 158g from a short bbl.

Dead soft lead (pure from Rotometals), powder coated, lubed (Carn Red), sized, and alum gas check. Probably over kill, but I hate scrubbing lead from a bore.

After decades of alloy, lead with no tin to help fillout was fun !

No issues, I think the PC may have helped get the vel I was looking for.

Good accuracy (at self defense distance), at close to 900 f/s a hand full in the DS.

Experiment, that's the fun of our sport !