Magtech 38 special JHP????? - Page 2

ghost tracker · August 25th, 2009, 08:23 PM

Magtech? IMHO it's certainly not a top-shelf SD choice. At $1.00 a pop I would surely move to something from Hornady, Speer, Federal, Winchester, etc. & see how my pistol runs.

jrdoranz · September 3rd, 2009, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD

FWIW I dismantle the duds with a pair of pliers and a vice grip after they have sat a while.

I have a dislike toward Magtech revolver ammo after witnessing a friend have to remove his cylinder and pound out the spent casings with a cleaning rod and a mallet after the brass over expanded in the chambers...

Thanks. JD, for sharing that horror story. I am will be running away from Magtech for my new Airweight Snubby even if its the last box on the shelf.

Anyone with J-frame ammo experience with Cor-bon or Glaser?

thedogfather · September 4th, 2009, 01:32 AM

I shot some MagTech .357 mag 158 grain solids a while back and didn't have any problems. I think I still have a box in the ammo can but would only use it for range shooting anyway. For SD, it is much better to spend a few extra $$ on top shelf, proven ammo. I did shoot some cor-bon .357 mag 110 grain JHP through my Model 649 (steel frame) a couple of weeks ago. The all went BANG and the recoil was manageable. I have another 20 round box in the can and would buy them again.

czakem · September 4th, 2009, 12:09 PM

Bought some magtech sport .38 special 158 grain LRN recently and shot them through my colt cobra the other day at the range. I was highly disappointed with the performance. 4 duds out of fifty rounds and many required two or three slams of the ejector rod to fully eject because the crappy brass had expanded so much. I would hate to be caught with this ammo in a firefight. also shot a 50-round box of .38 special winchester 158 grain LRN with NO PROBLEMS whatsoever. Needless to say, I will definitely be staying away from magtech in the future.

wjh2657 · September 5th, 2009, 10:09 PM

I weigh and measure all of my handgun ammo before firing it in my guns. (I think I may be OC about ammo!) I do this at the kitchen table with calipers, cartridge length gauge and digital scale. The "calibrated ammo" is ammo within two Standard Deviations (SD) of the Mean. Measurements are always in terms of 100 of the same lot. This ammo goes into plastic ammo boxes for the range.

Bottom line is that two makes of ammo are always wildly variable (large SD): MAGTECH and Remington.

Winchester and Federal always have small variation (small SD) and Hornady has an SD measured in less than .1 of a gr.

(I carry Hornady and use Winchester and Federal for range ammo)

Consistency does not guarantee reliability but it is good indicator of attention to manufacturing procedures (QA).

Sgt Z Squad · September 7th, 2009, 02:04 AM

Here is a website that discusses the exotic ammunition and their penetration issues for SD. Worth a read before you spend any more money or get sucked into the hype: Exotic Ammo FAQ

Darkwater · September 7th, 2009, 02:47 AM

Scary!

Assuming you have a snub nose take a hard look at Speer Gold Dot 135gr +P. They are one of of few (perhaps only) rounds that will reliably expand in the FBI 4 layer denim test.

Most don't expand...

RMS · September 7th, 2009, 09:52 AM

Thanks for the info. I will keep this in mind. This is what I like about this forum, sharing information.

jrdoranz · September 8th, 2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwater;1290802

Assuming you have a snub nose take a hard look at Speer Gold Dot 135gr +P. They are one of of few (perhaps only) rounds that will reliably expand in the FBI 4 layer denim test.

Most don't expand...

[IMG

http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Misc_Images/DocGKR/38_Sp_BUG_load_sample.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks for the objective data DkH2O. Just as an aside, the good folks at Speer are most helpful and response quickly to inquiries -- and I am one, who is not easily impressed.

2nd Amendment Democrat
Vietnam Vet
Dist. Life Member - NRA

BPKJohn · October 14th, 2009, 05:43 PM

Have fired thousands of magtech 9mm ammo with no problems. A few months ago I pruchase flat nose fmj 38 sp ammo and ran it through my S&W airweight. Had aprox. a 40% failure. Wrote and called Magtech and they sent me 2 replacement boxes. Better but had a 25% failure. This is not a new gun. My gun shop said it was giving a good hammer strick, so I bought a box of PMC ammo and had no failures. It appears that the primer is set to far in on the casing causing the light strike. Looked at my defensive cary ammo which I sometimes use which is Magtech gold JHP and they use the same primer in a SS jacket. Have only fired a few of these in the past with no failures but now it has me thinking as sometimes this is my primary carry with this ammo. Think I should just shoot it all up and change brands.

August 25th, 2009, 08:23 PM	#11
ghost tracker Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ky Backwoods Posts: 1,154	Magtech? IMHO it's certainly not a top-shelf SD choice. At $1.00 a pop I would surely move to something from Hornady, Speer, Federal, Winchester, etc. & see how my pistol runs. __________________ There are only *TWO* kinds of people in this world; those that describe the world as filled with two kinds of people...and those who don't.

September 4th, 2009, 12:09 PM	#14
czakem New Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 1	Bought some magtech sport .38 special 158 grain LRN recently and shot them through my colt cobra the other day at the range. I was highly disappointed with the performance. 4 duds out of fifty rounds and many required two or three slams of the ejector rod to fully eject because the crappy brass had expanded so much. I would hate to be caught with this ammo in a firefight. also shot a 50-round box of .38 special winchester 158 grain LRN with NO PROBLEMS whatsoever. Needless to say, I will definitely be staying away from magtech in the future. Last edited by czakem; September 4th, 2009 at 12:10 PM.. Reason: exposition

September 5th, 2009, 10:09 PM	#15
wjh2657 Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Lafayette, Tennessee Posts: 544	I weigh and measure all of my handgun ammo before firing it in my guns. (I think I may be OC about ammo!) I do this at the kitchen table with calipers, cartridge length gauge and digital scale. The "calibrated ammo" is ammo within two Standard Deviations (SD) of the Mean. Measurements are always in terms of 100 of the same lot. This ammo goes into plastic ammo boxes for the range. Bottom line is that two makes of ammo are always wildly variable (large SD): MAGTECH and Remington. Winchester and Federal always have small variation (small SD) and Hornady has an SD measured in less than .1 of a gr. (I carry Hornady and use Winchester and Federal for range ammo) Consistency does not guarantee reliability but it is good indicator of attention to manufacturing procedures (QA). __________________ " A man has got to know his limitations!" Inspector Harry Callihan, SFPD Last edited by wjh2657; September 6th, 2009 at 01:14 AM..

September 7th, 2009, 02:04 AM	#16
Sgt Z Squad Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Connecticut Posts: 46	Here is a website that discusses the exotic ammunition and their penetration issues for SD. Worth a read before you spend any more money or get sucked into the hype: Exotic Ammo FAQ __________________ Certifed Sig Classic Pistol Armorer USMC: 1975-1979 Lawdog: 1980 to ??? Soldier of Christ: January 2000 to Eternity A Sheepdog who has found the Shepherd Romans 5:8

October 14th, 2009, 05:43 PM	#20
BPKJohn New Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 1	magtech 38 special ammo Have fired thousands of magtech 9mm ammo with no problems. A few months ago I pruchase flat nose fmj 38 sp ammo and ran it through my S&W airweight. Had aprox. a 40% failure. Wrote and called Magtech and they sent me 2 replacement boxes. Better but had a 25% failure. This is not a new gun. My gun shop said it was giving a good hammer strick, so I bought a box of PMC ammo and had no failures. It appears that the primer is set to far in on the casing causing the light strike. Looked at my defensive cary ammo which I sometimes use which is Magtech gold JHP and they use the same primer in a SS jacket. Have only fired a few of these in the past with no failures but now it has me thinking as sometimes this is my primary carry with this ammo. Think I should just shoot it all up and change brands.

September 4th, 2009, 01:32 AM	#13
thedogfather Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Western Washington Posts: 41	I shot some MagTech .357 mag 158 grain solids a while back and didn't have any problems. I think I still have a box in the ammo can but would only use it for range shooting anyway. For SD, it is much better to spend a few extra $$ on top shelf, proven ammo. I did shoot some cor-bon .357 mag 110 grain JHP through my Model 649 (steel frame) a couple of weeks ago. The all went BANG and the recoil was manageable. I have another 20 round box in the can and would buy them again.

September 7th, 2009, 02:47 AM	#17
Darkwater Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 79	Scary! Assuming you have a snub nose take a hard look at Speer Gold Dot 135gr +P. They are one of of few (perhaps only) rounds that will reliably expand in the FBI 4 layer denim test. Most don't expand...

September 7th, 2009, 09:52 AM	#18
RMS Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: West KY Posts: 358	Thanks for the info. I will keep this in mind. This is what I like about this forum, sharing information.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode