Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .38 S&W (Colt N.P.) with .358 | 105gr | LEE Mold 358-105-SWC bullet and 29 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are 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: 4"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate Solo 1000² | <<locked>> | 64% | 14,272 psi | 82% | 879 fps | 97.5% |
| Accurate Solo 1250* | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,606 psi | 90% | 951 fps | 92.3% |
| ADI AP 70N*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 14,475 psi | 83% | 945 fps | 92.3% |
| ADI AS 30² | <<locked>> | 68% | 15,389 psi | 88% | 909 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 50N² | <<locked>> | 68% | 15,374 psi | 88% | 928 fps | 97.8% |
| Alliant BE-86*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 14,214 psi | 82% | 928 fps | 94% |
| Alliant Green Dot² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,171 psi | 87% | 925 fps | 97.7% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,142 psi | 87% | 919 fps | 99.9% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,360 psi | 88% | 919 fps | 96.5% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol | <<locked>> | 96% | 15,026 psi | 86% | 951 fps | 98.2% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,243 psi | 88% | 955 fps | 97.3% |
| Hodgdon CFE Pistol*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 15,360 psi | 88% | 955 fps | 91.6% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 68% | 14,025 psi | 81% | 833 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 6,237 psi | 36% | 656 fps | 88.9% |
| Hodgdon Universal*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 14,475 psi | 83% | 945 fps | 92.3% |
| Maxam CSB 1* | <<locked>> | 80% | 14,721 psi | 85% | 925 fps | 91.6% |
| Maxam CSB 2 | <<locked>> | 84% | 14,779 psi | 85% | 991 fps | 97.3% |
| Maxam CSB 3² | <<locked>> | 76% | 15,737 psi | 90% | 945 fps | 96.8% |
| Maxam CSB 4² | <<locked>> | 68% | 14,185 psi | 82% | 902 fps | 97.9% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 64% | 14,475 psi | 83% | 892 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12² | <<locked>> | 72% | 14,808 psi | 85% | 988 fps | 99% |
| Rottweil P 801² | <<locked>> | 64% | 14,243 psi | 82% | 945 fps | 99.8% |
| SNPE Vectan A1*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 14,968 psi | 86% | 915 fps | 93.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 14,330 psi | 82% | 896 fps | 88.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 14,214 psi | 82% | 915 fps | 90.4% |
| Vihtavuori N320² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,635 psi | 90% | 961 fps | 98.9% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Starᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 12,662 psi | 73% | 876 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 15,273 psi | 88% | 984 fps | 93.9% |
| Winchester AutoComp * | <<locked>> | 80% | 14,910 psi | 86% | 945 fps | 90.2% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 4"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate Solo 1000² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,473 psi | 72% | 833 fps | 95.9% |
| Accurate Solo 1250*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 11,443 psi | 66% | 840 fps | 86.8% |
| ADI AP 70N*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,125 psi | 70% | 876 fps | 89.1% |
| ADI AS 30² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,574 psi | 67% | 814 fps | 98.8% |
| ADI AS 50N*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,835 psi | 68% | 837 fps | 94.5% |
| Alliant BE-86*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 10,051 psi | 58% | 810 fps | 88% |
| Alliant Green Dot*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,950 psi | 63% | 810 fps | 93.4% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,530 psi | 61% | 801 fps | 97.5% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,356 psi | 60% | 787 fps | 90.6% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol*² | 3.1 gr | 68% | 7,005 psi | 40% | 702 fps | 85.7% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,182 psi | 59% | 820 fps | 91.6% |
| Hodgdon CFE Pistol*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 11,008 psi | 63% | 833 fps | 85.5% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,226 psi | 65% | 768 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss* | <<locked>> | 92% | 5,381 psi | 31% | 617 fps | 85.9% |
| Hodgdon Universal*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,037 psi | 58% | 810 fps | 85.5% |
| Maxam CSB 1*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 10,907 psi | 63% | 820 fps | 86.1% |
| Maxam CSB 2*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 8,238 psi | 47% | 787 fps | 87.5% |
| Maxam CSB 3*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 9,993 psi | 57% | 787 fps | 89.9% |
| Maxam CSB 4² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,560 psi | 66% | 833 fps | 95.4% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,431 psi | 77% | 869 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 9,297 psi | 53% | 830 fps | 93.3% |
| Rottweil P 801² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,531 psi | 72% | 902 fps | 99.1% |
| SNPE Vectan A1*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,951 psi | 69% | 833 fps | 89.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 12,807 psi | 74% | 853 fps | 86.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 11,226 psi | 65% | 830 fps | 86% |
| Vihtavuori N320*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 10,254 psi | 59% | 820 fps | 94.1% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star*² | 2.1 gr | 60% | 4,322 psi | 25% | 568 fps | 86.9% |
| Vihtavuori N330*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 10,660 psi | 61% | 846 fps | 87.1% |
| Winchester AutoComp *² | <<locked>> | 72% | 12,125 psi | 70% | 869 fps | 86.4% |
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 3 powders for .38 S&W (Colt N.P.) loaded with the .358 | 105gr | LEE Mold 358-105-SWC. Maxam CSB 2 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 991 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 876 fps to 991 fps. Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 3 of the 3 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (120 MPa), the top charges use 73–86 %, leaving at least 14 % headroom. Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star 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. Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol, Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star rank at the top here: for .38 S&W (Colt N.P.) with the .358 | 105gr | LEE Mold 358-105-SWC they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol, Maxam CSB 2, Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star 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.