End of an era....

[rjm52]

One of all time favorite bullets were the original Speer Jacketed Semi-wadcutters...they were made in .357, .41 and .44...never in .45 unfortunately... In 2003 I visited with Allan Jones who was an old friend from Dallas and then editor of the Speer Reloading Manual. He showed me the machine that had been used to produce those bullets since the 1960s and said the machine was on it's last legs and once it could no longer be repaired that would be end of the bullets...and so a few years later it came to pass.

Had a small stash of .357s and .41s...last year I loaded up the remainder of the .41s with 9.0 grains of Unique that produced 1080 fps from a 4" barrel with the 220 grain soft point. Yesterday I started loading up the last few boxes of .357s for use in a 5.5" Freedom Arms 97 .357 Magnum... Both the 146 grain HP and 160 grain soft point got the same load of 16.0 grains of H110. Velocity for the HP was 1395 and 1355 for the soft point...accuracy was stellar.... Have one or two boxes left of the .44s and they will get 10.0 grains of Unique for use in a 4 5/8" Ruger Super Blackhawk...

Have shot those bullets into several different test media... They don't really "expand"... The nose of the bullets kinda melts off and the little ashcan that is left just keeps on going... Once shot one of the .41 HPs through 6 jugs of water...it exited, went through a 1/2" piece of concrete form plywood and then stuck 1/2 way into a 4x4" post...

...will miss them when they are gone...

Bob

[Odin]

When my father brought the Python out to Kansas to hand down, a couple boxes of 160 grain Speer half-jackets came along for the ride. I use a Miha cast slug for practice with the little snake, the Speers are for field use only. Blazingly accurate in front of H110. I absolutely love 'em. Wonderful on whitetail.

[nicholst55]

You can still buy half-jackets and swage your own bullets. That's the expensive, time consuming way to get them.

[x101airborne]

I would just keep an eye out for anyone selling old stock. That is how I got my supply. Amazing what comes up for sale sometimes.

[stevegr]

I have a box of 44 half jackets if anyone is interested.

[taffin]

SPEER'S WERE NOT HALF-JACKETS WHICH LEADED TERRIBLY--SPEER WENT WITH A 3/4 Jacket with no exposed lead- very good bullet and I still have a very few .38s, 41s, and .44s. Especially like(d) the 225 HP in .44 Special.

postimg.cc/47bWnRH2

[bula]

Oh, I clicked "like" to SteveGR's offer. I am not wanting them though. Occurred to me, may have sent wrong impression.

[markwell]

I still buy the .357 146gr HPs whenever I see them on a gun show table. Used to have a 8 3/8" Model 27 that shot those like a rifle. Driven by an unmentionable charge of 2400 they were pretty tough on the local white tails and woodchucks as well as the gun. Our 5" model 27s love these also.

[rjm52]

Well I'm done...about 350 of each... The HPs were put in new Starline brass (that I had no clue I had) and the SPs in once fired nickel cases...

At the rate I shoot .357s that should last a few years...