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A 9mm lead bullet should be .356". 38 spl and .357 mag lead bullets should be .358". However if you have a tight barrel on your .38/.357 revolver, you may be able to get away with the .356" bullet. If not, you may well get a fair bit of leading and poor accuracy with the undersized bullet. Chris

I've used 4.6 gr of Universal Clays under 124gr FMJ and got between 1,050 and 1,080 fps in a CZ85. It burned very clean and had a relatively mild report compared to WSF and VV N-340. It was not as accurate as WSF or as soft as N-320, but gave very acceptable results. Chris

The bearing surface of the truncated cone bullet is longer than on a round nose bullet. Hence, they must be loaded shorter to fully seat. My powder recommendations are 3.7 to 3.9gr Clays, 3.7 to 3.9gr N-310, 4.2 to 4.4 gr American Select or Winchester Super Target. These powders all work well with lead. Chris

Hello: Where can I find 200gr round nose hard cast bullets? I've tried 200gr round nose flat point bullets but they can be clumsy to reload if not completely centered in the chambers. I've tried the 200gr round nose semi-wadcutters but the little sharp shoulder always seems to hang up on the chamber. Thanks for the advice. Chris

I used quite a few Precision 200gr hollow base RNFP in my SW 625. I had to use 5.1 or 5.2gr Winchester Super Target to reliably make PF. The lack of a lube groove made for a long bearing surface. A regular lead 200gr flat base RNFP made PF with about 5.0gr WST. Also the charge weights for N-320 were almost identical to WST with those bullets. Chris

I got very similar velocities with Universal Clays and 124gr Winchester bulk FMJ in my CZ 85. I'd probably go with 4.4gr. Accuracy was good with 4.6gr in my gun but the groups were not as small as with WSF. I find that Universal Clays burns very clean in 9mm and has low muzzle flash and report. One question: How did you manage to measure this powder down to 1/100 grain? Chris

For 115gr slower powders such as Winchester Super Field, VV N340, and IMR 4756 work best for me. For 124gr, VV N-320, Hodgdon Universal, Unique, and Titegroup all work well in addition to the powders listed above.

Julie: Thank you and SW for your interest and support of the Revolver Division. 1. What sports do you shoot your revolver in (USPSA, ICORE, IDPA, Steel, NRA, etc.)? I shoot USPSA. I shot my revolver at a steel match in NM once also. 2. How often do you shoot revolver at the club level? Less than before due to attending fewer matches and trying to become more proficient with my L-10 blaster. In 2008 I shot revolver less than once a month. Interest in USPSA revolver shooting seems to be waning in Colorado. Most club matches have either zero or one revolver shooter. It is a rare ocassion when two wheelgunners show up. The lack of competition makes it a little boring / frustrating. 3. How many majors do you shoot each year (state/regional/areas)? I plan to shoot the New Mexico and Colorado State matches in 2009. Didn't shoot any major matches in 2008. And with a revolver? I haven't decided whether I will shoot my 625 or CZ97. 4. Do you shoot a national championship with your revolver and if so which one(s)? Never. Being a C level shooter and with such low participation in CO, it would be difficult to get a slot. 5. Would you consider crossing over to other shooting sports with your revolver? If so, which ones and why? I would consider IDPA, ICORE, or steel. However, I wouldn't use my 625 to shoot minor power factor. I have a Ruger GP-100 that I could shoot but I'm not skilled with speedloaders. I'd like to get a 9mm revolver for IDPA or ICORE and possibly a 10 shot 617 for steel. However, that's not going to happen for quite a while. 6. Why do you like to compete in the revolver divisions? I learned to shoot on a revolver when I was in college. I like revolvers and the emphasis on accuracy and novel ways to approach some stages. I like the challenge. Finally, "If it (shooting revolver) were easy, everybody would do it." 7. If you don't shoot revolver in matches, are you interested in giving it a try - why or why not? NA

4.2gr N-320 under a Winchester 124gr FMJ averages about 1,050fps in my CZ85C. Chris

Thanks for the information. I ordered one from Speed Shooters Specialties today and it is already on the way. When it arrives, the 625-3 will be off the the 'smith in Colorado Springs for fitting and an action job. Chris

The cylinder on my 625-3 has badly peened stop notches and must be replaced. I figured that a titanium cylinder would improve the action and be less prone to wear in that area. I called SW and they said they don't have a titanium cylinder for a 625. Where do you find a titanium cylinders? Thanks, Chris

I've burned several pounds of Universal in .38. .357, and 9mm. I found it to be no more dirty than any other medium-speed powder in .38. It also worked well and was very clean in medium strength .357 loads. One of my favorites is 6.2gr Universal under a 140gr lead truncated cone bullet that provided 1,200fps in a 6" GP100. 5.8gr under a 158gr lead bullet made major PF and was very consistent. It also has a fairly low muzzle flash and a mild report. Universal also shoots well in 9mm under 115gr and 124gr jacketed bullets. 4.4 to 4.6gr under a Winchester 124gr jacketed bullet shou;d reach 120-135PF. BTW, the Hodgdon Annual Manual says that 5.5gr Universal is the maximum load under a 115gr Hornady XTP jacketed bullet. I haven't tried Universal in .45acp. It may be acceptable for 200gr or lighter bullets but there are better powders out there for that application.

4.9gr WSF gets about 1,050fps with 124gr FMJ bullets in my CZ85. (WSP primers WIN cases) For softer plated bullets you should try 4.5 to 4.7gr. WSF.

Here's some data for N310: 230gr Billy Bullet moly-coated lead round nose Federal Cases and Primers OAL = 1.270' Crimp = .471" Weapon = SW 625-8 revolver, 5" barrel 3.8 gr. N310 - 6 shot strings String 1 String 2 Low 742 749 High 774 769 Average 758 756 ES 31.62 20.01 SD 11.66 7.81 This load is soft-shooting, clean, and accurate. I use 4.0gr N310 with 230gr Frontier platad round nose bullets and get similar velocities. If anything, this load shoots a little softer and cleaner than the load listed above. I use N320 (and WST) for 200gr 45acp loads. Hope this helps. Chris

Production 9mm Loads 9mm 115gr FMJ = Winchester Super Field (5.3gr), backup VV N340 9mm 124gr FMJ = N320 (4.1gr) backup WSF (4.9gr.) or Universal (4.6gr) 9mm 135gr lead = N320 9mm 147gr lead = N320, backup WST _____________________________________________________________ .357 mag, 140gr lead truncated cone = Universal (6.2gr), backup N340 ____________________________________________________________ Loads for SW625 Revolver 45acp 200gr lead or moly coated= WST (5.0gr), backup = N320 45acp 200gr plated = N320 (5.1gr), backup WST 45acp 230gr lead or moly coated = N310 (3.8gr), backup for practice loads - Clays (3.8gr) 45acp 230gr plated = N-310 (4.0gr), backup - Clays (4.0gr) Chris

Joe D. IIRC American Select is a double base powder but has only 2% nitroglycerine. I haven't used is but others say it works well with lead and moly-coated bullets. Winchester Super Target does not burn hot and is also a good choice for these bullets. Chris

Are you shooting a revolver? If all your fingers are black, it is due to handling the bullets while loading your moonclips. If the ends of your thumbs are black, it is due to crud from the barrel-cylinder gap. Clays shoots reasonably clean with moly-coated bullets. For cleanest results w/230gr bullets in .45 acp, use N-310. Chris

The last three pounds (14oz.) of Clays I used have these markers. The latest batch seems to have more than are shown on your picture.

I love the magazine. It explains both the art and science of cooking. For a birthday present I gave my wife a series of cooking classes at Cook Street in Denver. The instructors there highly recommended it. A family friend who is head chef at a leading Italian restaurant swears by it. Chris

Hello: 4.6gr Universal with Winchester 124gr FMJ bullets and Winchester SP primers yielded 136 PF in my CZ 85 Combat. I think that 4.4gr Universal should easily make minor PF with your plated bullets. Chris

I generally use the stock grips for the SW 500 with shims added to the inside for a snug fit on the grip frame. I have large hands with long fingers and the Miculek grip felt like I was holding a pencil. My second choice is a Hogue wood grip, slightly oversized. I reload left handed. Chris

A Master level revolver shooter here in Colo. uses Berry's 185gr plated in his 625. He uses Winchester Super Target and gets very good results. Chris

Universal is very similar to Unique in burn speed and charge weights. It provides good results with 9mm 124gr FMJ bullets (4.4 to 4.6gr) and mid-range .357 magnum. One of my favorites is 6.2gr Universal under a 140gr lead truncated cone bullet. It burns clean, especially in higher pressure loads. Muzzle flash and report are fairly low. It does not meter quite as well as ball powders in my Uniflow. It burns somewhat hot and makes some smoke with lead bullets. I haven't noticed inordinate extreme spreads in 9mm, .38 spl, or .357mag. It can spike pressures quickly at just over maximum loads; follow Hodgdon's instructions carefully. Chris

VV N340 is a good choice for 124 and 115gr bullets. I loaded a thousand 124 plated bullets with N340 for my CZ and was pleased with the results. It meters extremely well, is consistent, clean, and doesn't burn too hot. Better shooters than me have also observed that it is a very accurate powder for 9mm. N-340 also gave good velocities and accuracy in .357 magnum with 140gr lead bullets. N-320 is my current choice for 124gr FMJ rounds as it has a bit less recoil than N-340 at similar velocities. Chris

Rudy delivered some 200gr. and 230gr bullets very quickly to me last week. I sampled 15 each of the 200gr and 230 bullets. 200gr. - Average weight = 201.35gr. Standard Deviation = 1.0 230gr. Average weight = 231.35gr Standard Deviation = .66 The bullets appears to be well made with even coating and very consistent diameters and lengths. Haven't shot them yet, though. Chris