Vihtavuori’s 3N38 & 38 Special

[likeimjohnwayne]

I managed to snag some Vihtavuori’s 3N38 (https://www.vihtavuori.com/powder/3n38-handgun-powder/)

From their website it's "designed especially for competitive handgun shooting with high-velocity loads in 9 mm and .40 S&W cartridges".

There is however data for 357 Magnum, 8.8gr-11.1gr behind a 158gr projectile.

Has anyone experimented to see if it can be used for 38 Special?

[JohnV]

Not familiar with that powder but the two cases have similar volume and the same diameter bullet so a powder that is suitable for 357 mag should be ok for 38 special with any necessary powder weight adjustments . 357 mag case is slightly longer so it can't be fired in a 38 Special chamber . But a 38 special can be fired in a 357 mag chamber . If there is no 38 special load data for that powder then you may have to either contact the manufacturer or work out what other powders have a close burning rate and start a bit under that powders recommended charges . I am not a pistol person I hate them and think you may as well throw rocks but others love them and will know more than me on pistols .

[likeimjohnwayne]

Thanks, according to: https://imrpowder.com/wp-content/upload ... -chart.pdf

The next slowest burning powder is IMR Blue, which has data for 38 Special, 158gr LSWC, 6.5gr-7.2gr.

[wanneroo]

Looks like it is really suited to high velocity loads for certain cartridges and doesn't seem to be a versatile powder. I did some looking around elsewhere for data and didn't find any.

I think it's just going to be one of those deals where you make your best guess or use a program like Loaddata to figure out a starting load.

I actually bought some 3N37 earlier this year for high velocity 9mm loads for my WW2 Suomi. Apparently 3N37 was what they used during WW2 to load their hot sub gun 9mm ammo. Both 3N37 and 3N38 seem both to be suited for high velocity rounds and not much else.

I hear a lot of good things about Vihtavouri powder so we'll see.

[JohnV]

In the old days I used Vihtavuori powder and primers in shot shell reloading and it was good quality stuff .
Also used Nobel shotgun powders and they were good also . The bloody EU stopped the export to Australia of a lot of good quality stuff . Real mongrels just like the UN , same kind of dictators . Also some of our importers limit our choices and don't import certain products too keep retail prices up . Australia is a consumer wasteland with very little choice compared to other countries especially the USA . We need to develop a much larger arms and ammunition industry like Israel , South Africa or even Cuba . Hell Cuba has 230 arms factories managed by 16 research and development groups .
Do we really want to rely on the US to protect us forever ? . When they are 30 trillion dollars in debt .
The USA has a criteria list that Congress uses to decide if the US should go to war and NOWHERE in that list is the reason to protect an ally . Every reason is about whats good for the USA , nobody else . We all rely on treaty agreements that may not be enough . Look at Ukraine they gave up Nuclear weapons with a treaty agreement with the UK , Russia and US to protect them . Neither UK or US is sending any troops to fight back the Russian's . Australia must go Nuclear and the Nuclear subs are a step in the right direction . We need to be a strong Nuclear weapons country or we are just a target . That's my rant for the month .