1899 .38Special powders?

ZVP · December 27, 2014, 09:38 PM

#! Was the origonal 1899 powder Smokeless or Black?
#2 was the 1899 bullet a 158 grain lead?
I once had this information but lost the notebook and it keeps driving me nuts!
After owning a .45ACP for years, then briefly a .357 Combat masterpiece. I went totally rimfire for years (fun shooting) and now have rediscovered the .38 Special.
I wore the .45 out completely (3 cracked frames) and sold the hard kicking C.M. 357,still have all the .22's but ammo is so ridiculously priced that the .38 Spl is almost as cheap to reload and I have converted to the .38Special as my fun guns. I even bought a .38 caliber Derringer to play with as well as a Vaquero.
If the original .38 load was BP, the factory's must've gone through an expensive conversion to loading Smokeless!
I just like knowing the history of the ammo as well as the revolver.
Thanks for the help.
ZVP

Jim Watson · December 27, 2014, 09:47 PM

The .38 Special was introduced with black powder.
A 158 grain bullet and 21.5 grains of black, which must have been a great improvement over the .38 Gov't/Long Colt at 150-18.

Smokeless was out not later than 1902. I'm not sure it was with Bullseye, but that is the smart way to bet.
I am sure it was expensive to set up with smokeless, but every ammo company had to so as to be competitive.

**Mike Irwin** · December 28, 2014, 03:33 PM

As Jim said, the original power was black.

.38 Special was offered commercially with smokeless powder by 1903 by, I believe, UMC.

Blackpowder loads were available at least until 1910, possible even until companies started to hunker down for production for World War I.

December 27, 2014, 09:38 PM	#1
ZVP Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2009 Posts: 1,102	1899 .38Special powders? #! Was the origonal 1899 powder Smokeless or Black? #2 was the 1899 bullet a 158 grain lead? I once had this information but lost the notebook and it keeps driving me nuts! After owning a .45ACP for years, then briefly a .357 Combat masterpiece. I went totally rimfire for years (fun shooting) and now have rediscovered the .38 Special. I wore the .45 out completely (3 cracked frames) and sold the hard kicking C.M. 357,still have all the .22's but ammo is so ridiculously priced that the .38 Spl is almost as cheap to reload and I have converted to the .38Special as my fun guns. I even bought a .38 caliber Derringer to play with as well as a Vaquero. If the original .38 load was BP, the factory's must've gone through an expensive conversion to loading Smokeless! I just like knowing the history of the ammo as well as the revolver. Thanks for the help. ZVP

December 28, 2014, 03:33 PM	#3
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	As Jim said, the original power was black. .38 Special was offered commercially with smokeless powder by 1903 by, I believe, UMC. Blackpowder loads were available at least until 1910, possible even until companies started to hunker down for production for World War I. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

December 27, 2014, 09:47 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	The .38 Special was introduced with black powder. A 158 grain bullet and 21.5 grains of black, which must have been a great improvement over the .38 Gov't/Long Colt at 150-18. Smokeless was out not later than 1902. I'm not sure it was with Bullseye, but that is the smart way to bet. I am sure it was expensive to set up with smokeless, but every ammo company had to so as to be competitive.