38 Special Magsafe Defender+SWAT and Glaser "Silver" test.

[CountShotula]

Bought three of the most popular fragmentation/frangible loads for 38 Special and conducted "wetpack" tests on each.
These are very non-scientific results, I only had my camera for the last test which was the 38 Special Magsafe SWAT.
Any information regarding each test will be posted under the image. Phone book thickness was ~400 pages.
Each test was conducted with an 8-ply cotton barrier.
For comparison (solid wetpack test):
38 Special Hornady Critical Defense (non +p) expanded to ~.43 and penetrated 6.5 inches.
38 Special Buffalo Bore "Combat" Wadcutter penetrated to 10.5 inches.
These "conventional" rounds had noticeably smaller permanent cavities than each of these "exotic" rounds.

Glaser Safety Slug "Silver"

Solid wetpack test.
Penetrated roughly 5 inches, sprayed it's shot throughout the "wound channel". The #6 shot did not seem to spray very far into wet paper, a good amount was found clumped together near the 5 inch mark (although some were found to be shed along the path).

Magsafe Defender

Solid Wetpack test.
Penetrated roughly 5 inches.
The 6 pieces of #2 shot or #3 shot (measurements showed a variance of .015 between shot sizes, cannot conclude actual pellet size prior to shooting) had spread to create their own wound channels and did not clump together like the Glaser.

Magsafe Defender

Test: phone book|milk jug|phone book
The jacket penetrated the first phone book and was stopped in the water jug, the shot continued into the second phone book for roughly 1/2 inches.
Patterned similar to first test.

Magsafe SWAT

Test: phone book|milk jug|phone book
Penetrated roughly 3.5 inches and stopped in first phone book. Complete energy dump.

Magsafe SWAT

Test: milk jug
Stopped by one water filled milk jug, did not exit.

Entry of Magsafe SWAT


Permanent Cavity


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[CountShotula]

Firearm used was an FIE 38 Special derringer.

[TominCA]

Great test! Thanks!

[crue2009]

very interesting,thanks for posting..would you say from the testing you did, the Glaser Safety Slug is the most effective of the fragmentable rounds??

[CountShotula]

very interesting,thanks for posting..would you say from the testing you did, the Glaser Safety Slug is the most effective of the fragmentable rounds??

From my testing I believe that Magsafe is superior.
Cavities were larger and fragmentation was deeper, I also know that the larger Magsafe pellets will penetrate bone.
According to Brass Fetcher the Glasers also have a failure rate.