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My first choice for 155 pf IDPA revolver loads would be N-310 under a 200gr lead round nose bullet. My standard 165 pf revolver load(5" barrel) was 3.8 gr. N-310 under a 230 gr lead or HiTek coated round nose bullet. This load made 170-175 pf and had extreme spreads of 20-30 fps. I never tested n-310 in 32 degree conditions to see if it was temp sensitive. Look at the Vithavouri .45 acp load data here. You should be able to develop a good load using this info. https://www.vihtavuori.com/reloading-data/handgun-reloading/?cartridge=52

Here is some of my American Select load data. The firearm is a GP-100 with a 4.2 inch barrel that I use in IDPA SSR. All cases are .38 spl. GP-100 MATCH CHAMPION – 4.2” barrel 158 GR MISSOURI RNFP COATED WIN CASES, FED SP MATCH PRIMERS 1.287” OAL 4.3 GR AMERICAN SELECT LO 886 HI 936 AV 899 ES 49 SD 21 PF= 142 158GR MISSOURI RNFP COATED WIN CASES, FED SP MATCH PRIMERS 1.287” OAL 4.1 AMERICAN SELECT LO 870 843 HI 891 902 AV 883 875 ES 21.1 59 SD 7.28 17.71 PF = 139.5 150GR BONUS CHINA CAMP LEAD ROUND NOSE FLAT POINT (VERY NARROW DRIVING BAND) FED SP PRIMERS 1.43 INCHES 4.4 GR AMERICAN SELECT LO 978 HI 1024 AV 1003 ES 46 SD 17.6 PF = 150.45 4.7 gr American Select 125gr Round Nose FP Missouri Fed Small Pistol WIN CASES FED CASES HI 1047 1024 LO 1028 992 AV 1037 1015 ES 19 32 SD 6 12 125 gr SNS Coated Round Nose Lyman M Die – Fed SP Magnum old batch red box Starline Brass 4.6 gr American Select 1.491 HI 1038 LO 1014 AV 1025 ES 24 SD 8 pf 128.125 THIS WILL BE MY IDPA LOAD UNLESS I GET BETTER RESULTS WITH THE 148 GR EGGLESTON ROUND NOSE BULLETS. (ACCORDING TO THE ALLIANT 2004 LOAD DATA, 4.7 GR. OF AMERICAN SELECT IS THE MAXIMUM STANDARD PRESSURE .38 SPECIAL LOAD WITH 125 GR. LEAD BULLETS. YOU CAN PROBABLY BUMP THIS UP BY A COUPLE OF TENTHS IF YOU ARE SHOOTING A .357 MAGNUM REVOLVER.) BONUS INFO REGARDING VV N-310 IN .38 SPECIAL! WARNING! THIS IS AN "OFF-LABEL" USE OF N-310 IN .38 SPECIAL AND IS NOT BASED ON ANY PUBLISHED DATA. WORK UP WITH CAUTION. THE LOADS SEEMED QUITE MILD AND HAD NO PRESSURE SIGNS. THAT SAID, USE THESE ONLY IN A .357 MAGNUM REVOLVER. 158gr Missouri LRNFP w/ Alox 3.6gr N-310 Starline Brass – Fed SP Match Primer Low: 817 823 High 843.8 860 Av. 832 837 ES 26.82 36.35 SD 10.53 12.76 PF 131.4 132.24 3.3 gr N-310 Low: 773 774 High 792 794.8 Av: 778.2 782 ES 18.97 20.89 SD 6.78 8.86 PF 123 123.5 I WILL POST DATA IN A FEW WEEKS REGARDING 148GR ROUND NOSE EGGLESTON BULLETS IN .38 SPECIAL.

Hello: I use American Select with lead and coated bullets in .38 special. The data from the Alliant 2004 online reloading manual shows a max load of 4.3 gr. under a 158 gr. lswc and 4.7 gr. under a 125 gr lead round nose. If you will send me a PM, I will send you a copy of the 2004 alliant manual and my chronological results from my gp-100. It might take a few days cause I'm in the hospital right now post knee replacement surgery.

The mixed brass is likely causing the variations in your fps. Of all the commonly used brass, Win seems to be the most consistent for me in 9 mms. I use mixed brass only in practice ammo.

I put in a 10 lb mainspring and it fired all my reloads with Federal primers. I will put in a lighter trigger return spring and see if that helps. How light a mainspring are you using?

SNS Casting and Missouri Bullets both make coated 158 gr round nose with cannulure sized to .358. I've used these over N-310 for IDPA in my GP-100. They go into the cylinder easily using a moderate roll crimp.

Try VV N- 340 or N-350. I saw no muzzle flash using N-340 in 9mm but the 124 gr loads probably didn't go above 1,150 fps. I also shoot full-power 38 spl reloads out of my snub nose revolvers using N-340 and 125gr XTPs. Those loads have little to no muzzle flash. I don't think you can push 124gr bullets to 1,200 fps with WSF using Hodgdon's load data. It is a very accurate and consistent powder thouugh.

I use their 125gr rnfp 140gr TC, and 158 RN in .38 special. They all work well, are reasonably accurate, and no leading. Sometimes I get a "burning insulation" smell but otherwise they work fine. I'm trying 125gr SNS casting Round nose coated bullets for faster reloads. The 125gr SNS have shorter bearing surfaces than the Missouri 125 gr and average about 40 fps slower with the same powder charge.

I shoot IDPA because 1. It is a somewhat different discipline than USPSA, 2. It provides better practice for concealed carry and practical shooting skills.. 3. The matches are small and take much less time than local USPA matches ((2.5 to 3 hours vs. 5+ hours). 4, I can have fun and be competitive with my .38 special revolver. 5. In general, there are fewer big egos at IDPA matches. 6. There are often IDPA side matches for rifle and back-up guns. There are several changes I would like to see in IDPA but that's a different thread. Chris

I agree with Steve RA. I got large extreme velocity spreads with Universal in 45 acp unless it was loaded to the max. OTOH, Universal worked quite nicely for me with 124gr jacketed bulls in 9mm. It was not quite as "soft" as Titegroup, but burned cleanly, was accurate in my gun, and burned cooler than Titegroup. By the way, get the Hodgdon "Annual Manual" for thousands of rifle and pistol loads with all Hodgdon, IMR, and Winchester powders. A new edition comes out each December or January and it contains many times the number of loads you will see through online sources. The current edition is probably available through Amazon.

With the "lighter" mainspring installed, the Match Champion still digests Win and CCI primers without problems. However, in truth the lighter mainspring hasn't affected the trigger pull very much. I suspect that it might be at most one or two lbs. lighter than the original spring. I also added some hammer shims because the hammer was dragging against the left side. I still use Fed Small Pistol primers for my match loads, but haven't had a misfire with any primers yet. Chris

My Match Champion with a stock main spring shoots my reloads with CCI and Win SP primers without problem. We will see how it does after I install the lighter main spring that Ruger sent me out of the blue a few weeks ago. Chris

You don't need a harder bullet. Modern coated bullets should have less leading, smoke, and debris than standard lead bullets with hard lube. Definitely try a different powder. I use Billy Bullets 200gr LSWC and American Select in my 1911 and get virtually no residue outside the barrel. I use Bear Creek 200gr lead round nose hollow base over American Select in my SW 625 and again have little residue in the barrel and no residue outside the barrel or on the front sight. WST, Solo 1000, N-320, or even Universal will burn much cleaner than Unique and all will have less muzzle flash. Some folks even use N-310 under 200gr SWCs. Vihtavouri powders are expensive but burn very clean and meter accurately. Chris

"While on the subject I also stopped by to talk with Ben at Alliant this afternoon. He told me if you purchased the new Speer reloading manual to hold on to it as it will be their last. ATK, BAE and other manufacturers at the Arsenal are getting ready for a change. Alliant will now have to rent the ballistics lab in order to use one. I saw pallets of all kinds of pistol and shotgun powder leaving there today so they are still making and shipping it just as fast as they can. If I catch anything else interesting I will pass it on." If this is correct, I find it amazing that Alliant, a company that is supposed to be a major manufacturer of gunpowder, does not have its own ballistics lab. This would be the culmination of Alliant's efforts over the years to provide less and less loading data about their powders and to tell customer that some powders they previously sold for handgun use are no longer recommended for that purpose.

Congratulations on your Ruger Revolver. If you are interested in tinkering with it, famed gunsmith Jerry Kuhnhausen wrote the manual about working on Ruger's "Six" style pistols. His book can be obtained through Midway and other outlets. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/122286/the-ruger-double-action-revolvers-a-shop-manual-volume-1-book-by-jerry-kuhnhausen One thing to note is that the supply of spare parts that Ruger has for the Six series is getting low. If you plan to shoot it a lot in competition or do any modifications, you might want to check with Ruger or Numrich Gun Parts to see what is available.