Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .38-45 ACP with .355 | 125gr | Speer TMJ bullet and 51 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Alliant Herco, Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol and Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 60% and propellant combustion ≥ 80%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 5"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 2² | <<locked>> | 68% | 27,673 psi | 81% | 1283 fps | 99.8% |
| Accurate Solo 1000² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,718 psi | 84% | 1211 fps | 100% |
| Accurate Solo 1250² | <<locked>> | 76% | 30,211 psi | 89% | 1293 fps | 100% |
| ADI AP 100* | <<locked>> | 92% | 29,211 psi | 86% | 1375 fps | 93.9% |
| ADI APS 350² | <<locked>> | 68% | 30,342 psi | 89% | 1125 fps | 100% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 68% | 29,283 psi | 86% | 1142 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 30² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,500 psi | 84% | 1178 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 50N² | <<locked>> | 68% | 30,501 psi | 89% | 1250 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BE-86² | <<locked>> | 72% | 28,340 psi | 83% | 1253 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BULLSEYE² | <<locked>> | 64% | 27,905 psi | 82% | 1316 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Green Dot² | <<locked>> | 68% | 27,659 psi | 81% | 1214 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Herco | <<locked>> | 88% | 28,340 psi | 83% | 1325 fps | 100% |
| Alliant POWER PISTOL*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 29,370 psi | 86% | 1417 fps | 93.2% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 72% | 29,863 psi | 88% | 1217 fps | 100% |
| Alliant UNIQUE² | <<locked>> | 76% | 30,356 psi | 89% | 1362 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100² | <<locked>> | 72% | 30,182 psi | 89% | 1240 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol | <<locked>> | 92% | 30,835 psi | 90% | 1260 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 68% | 30,255 psi | 89% | 1260 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 76% | 29,573 psi | 87% | 1148 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 15,447 psi | 45% | 958 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Universal² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,718 psi | 84% | 1283 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S020² | <<locked>> | 68% | 29,066 psi | 85% | 1306 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 1² | <<locked>> | 76% | 27,818 psi | 82% | 1250 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 2² | <<locked>> | 76% | 30,226 psi | 89% | 1293 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 3² | <<locked>> | 72% | 29,153 psi | 86% | 1250 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 4² | <<locked>> | 72% | 30,719 psi | 90% | 1250 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 64% | 28,311 psi | 83% | 1168 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12² | <<locked>> | 64% | 29,211 psi | 86% | 1260 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 14,098 psi | 41% | 958 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20² | <<locked>> | 76% | 28,587 psi | 84% | 1335 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 24* | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,110 psi | 88% | 1421 fps | 87.5% |
| Rottweil P 806 | <<locked>> | 84% | 28,631 psi | 84% | 1437 fps | 97.6% |
| SNPE Vectan A0² | <<locked>> | 76% | 28,108 psi | 82% | 1283 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan A1² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,877 psi | 85% | 1253 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9² | <<locked>> | 72% | 30,835 psi | 90% | 1299 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA10² | <<locked>> | 64% | 30,139 psi | 88% | 1155 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2 | <<locked>> | 84% | 30,255 psi | 89% | 1362 fps | 98.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2² | <<locked>> | 72% | 30,313 psi | 89% | 1299 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 2² | <<locked>> | 72% | 29,341 psi | 86% | 1430 fps | 95% |
| Somchem MP200² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,137 psi | 83% | 1316 fps | 100% |
| Somchem MS200² | <<locked>> | 72% | 28,123 psi | 83% | 1296 fps | 100% |
| Somchem S221*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 27,862 psi | 82% | 1358 fps | 89.7% |
| Vihtavuori 3N37² | <<locked>> | 76% | 28,558 psi | 84% | 1358 fps | 98.6% |
| Vihtavuori 3N38* | <<locked>> | 92% | 28,950 psi | 85% | 1394 fps | 87.8% |
| Vihtavuori N105*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,647 psi | 90% | 1483 fps | 93.1% |
| Vihtavuori N320² | <<locked>> | 68% | 29,544 psi | 87% | 1240 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Starᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,790 psi | 84% | 1158 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,195 psi | 83% | 1280 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N340² | <<locked>> | 72% | 28,137 psi | 83% | 1299 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N350 | <<locked>> | 84% | 30,560 psi | 90% | 1388 fps | 99.3% |
| Winchester AutoComp ² | <<locked>> | 76% | 29,631 psi | 87% | 1299 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 5"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,640 psi | 63% | 1171 fps | 98.4% |
| Accurate Solo 1000² | <<locked>> | 60% | 23,308 psi | 68% | 1125 fps | 100% |
| Accurate Solo 1250² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,435 psi | 57% | 1109 fps | 100% |
| ADI AP 100*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 17,854 psi | 52% | 1132 fps | 85.3% |
| ADI APS 350² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,077 psi | 74% | 1050 fps | 100% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,482 psi | 72% | 1073 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 30² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,931 psi | 67% | 1093 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 50N² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,178 psi | 71% | 1155 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BE-86² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,073 psi | 59% | 1119 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BULLSEYE² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,918 psi | 73% | 1263 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Green Dot² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,452 psi | 66% | 1129 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Herco² | 6 gr | 60% | 14,315 psi | 42% | 1017 fps | 95.8% |
| Alliant POWER PISTOL*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 20,566 psi | 60% | 1227 fps | 86.8% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,814 psi | 64% | 1089 fps | 100% |
| Alliant UNIQUE² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,203 psi | 56% | 1148 fps | 98.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,857 psi | 64% | 1112 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | 5.6 gr | 60% | 13,822 psi | 41% | 965 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 23,554 psi | 69% | 1165 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,827 psi | 58% | 994 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss² | <<locked>> | 60% | 7,208 psi | 21% | 709 fps | 99.7% |
| Hodgdon Universal² | <<locked>> | 60% | 23,061 psi | 68% | 1188 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S020² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,408 psi | 66% | 1194 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 1² | <<locked>> | 60% | 18,072 psi | 53% | 1076 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,551 psi | 57% | 1119 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 3² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,132 psi | 62% | 1119 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 4² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,858 psi | 67% | 1132 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,802 psi | 76% | 1129 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12² | <<locked>> | 60% | 26,107 psi | 77% | 1217 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14² | <<locked>> | 60% | 6,875 psi | 20% | 705 fps | 96.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20² | <<locked>> | 60% | 17,680 psi | 52% | 1129 fps | 99.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 24*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 27,050 psi | 79% | 1365 fps | 85.5% |
| Rottweil P 806*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 14,199 psi | 42% | 1106 fps | 86.1% |
| SNPE Vectan A0² | <<locked>> | 60% | 18,289 psi | 54% | 1093 fps | 98.4% |
| SNPE Vectan A1² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,902 psi | 67% | 1158 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,060 psi | 65% | 1158 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA10² | <<locked>> | 60% | 26,847 psi | 79% | 1109 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,490 psi | 45% | 1047 fps | 89% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,306 psi | 63% | 1148 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 2*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,363 psi | 57% | 1217 fps | 88% |
| Somchem MP200² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,350 psi | 66% | 1207 fps | 99.2% |
| Somchem MS200² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,349 psi | 60% | 1148 fps | 99.6% |
| Somchem S221*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 23,989 psi | 70% | 1283 fps | 87% |
| Vihtavuori 3N37*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 17,289 psi | 51% | 1119 fps | 92.2% |
| Vihtavuori 3N38* | <<locked>> | 88% | 25,875 psi | 76% | 1335 fps | 85.7% |
| Vihtavuori N105* | <<locked>> | 88% | 21,466 psi | 63% | 1296 fps | 86.2% |
| Vihtavuori N320² | <<locked>> | 60% | 23,830 psi | 70% | 1158 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | 4.3 gr | 60% | 11,850 psi | 35% | 860 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,292 psi | 65% | 1184 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N340² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,595 psi | 57% | 1142 fps | 99.2% |
| Vihtavuori N350*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,026 psi | 44% | 1056 fps | 90.2% |
| Winchester AutoComp ² | <<locked>> | 60% | 18,913 psi | 55% | 1109 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
* not dangerous but load has suboptimal powder burnt with possible characteristics such as extensive muzzle flash or inaccurate loads.
² fill rate low - you might want to consider using a filler to ensure proper ignition.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 51 powders for .38-45 ACP loaded with the .355 | 125gr | Speer TMJ. Vihtavuori N105 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,483 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 958 fps to 1,483 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 12 of the 51 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (235 MPa), the top charges use 41–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14, Vihtavuori N105 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. Alliant Herco, Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol, Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star rank at the top here: for .38-45 ACP with the .355 | 125gr | Speer TMJ they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, ADI AP 100, Alliant POWER PISTOL, ReloadSwiss RS 24 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Accurate Solo 1250, ADI APS 350, ADI APS 450 stay subsonic at start load. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.