The Taurus Model 605... Snubby Part 2

Looking at the table above I found conclusively, that I did not have enough information to determine what ammunition would best serve self defense duty in concert with the 2″ barrel Taurus. It’s a lot like solving an algebra problem with an insufficient number of variables defined. Peak velocity information was available, but penetration and expansion information was not so I went in search of proper test medium to see if the latter two variable could be collected.

Clear Ballistics 16″ FBI Blocks Vs. Jell-O Shots

Jell-O and wet newsprint do not simulate terminal ballistic results in human tissue, they just present undefined resistance to, and contain, fired bullets. Within a test session based on this type of material, relative expansion information amongst a population of firearms and ammunition types can be expressed, but it has no relevance. However, it just so happens that human tissue does have the same general  density of 10% professional ballistic & ordnance gelatin mix.

Why not use organic ballistic spec gelatin? Ballistic gelatin is expensive, it is difficult to mix to spec,  and difficult to maintain and recover. No matter how well it is made, it has a shelf life, it is not reusable and it must be maintained within a narrow temperature range to yield valid results. When used on controlled conditions to provide credible results, each batch of ballistic gel must be tested for consistency by firing a standard .177 caliber steel BB at 590 fps, plus or minus +/- 10 fps, into the ballistic gelatin. The penetration of the steel BB must result in 2.95″ to 3.74″ of penetration or the gelatin must be discarded.

Quick recipes for gelatin made with substitute products or short cut methods often found on the Internet come no closer to soft tissue simulation than wet newspaper. So this time, because self defense and not paper targets hole punching are the objective, we spent our annual budget on Clear Ballistics, a synthetic certified substitute for 240A ballistic gelatin. Clear Ballistics product requires no preparation, it doesn’t deteriorate, does not require refrigeration and it can be recast and reused. Why doesn’t it see general use in publications? Because it cost approximately $140 per 16″x6″x6″ FBI block and it takes a minimum of two blocks to test magnum caliber handguns at close range. A 20″x10″x10″ block suitable for longer range rifle testing runs $345.

We may have underestimated….

The circled bullet was launched from the 2″ barrel Taurus 605 357 Magnum. Instead of magnum rounds, it was loaded with 110 grain SJHP Remington High Terminal Performance ammunition. Leaving the muzzle at 873 fps, the bullet generated little target shock, left a straight and very narrow “wound channel” and penetrated 12″ of gelatin. The bullet tumbled as it neared end of its journey and came to an abrupt stop. How do we know? Because the expanded cavity in the block caused by tumbling was also where the bullet came to rest. The collected bullet weight was 109.6 grains. The nose expanded to 0.455″ from the original 0.357″ shank diameter and 0.245″ meplat diameter.

The same round fired from a 4″ barrel revolver passed completely through the block, as did all 357 Magnum loads fired from either 2″ or 4″ revolvers. Notable was that 357 Mag rounds that penetrated the block, shocked the target heavily on impact and each left two 6″ long, 1″ open wound channels along its respective bullet path. The 38 Special +P fired from a 4″ barrel revolver that also penetrated the block left one very small channel along the bullet path that closed behind the bullet, suggesting little or no expansion. Another block of Clear Ballistic was added to permit recovery within the 32″ of medium.

Focusing on the 2″ barrel Taurus Model 605 revolver…

Below, embedded in Clear Ballistic, #1 and #3 are 180 grain Remington HTP +P ammo #1 fired from the 2″ barrel Taurus, #3 fired from a 4″ barrel Ruger. #2 and #4 are 158 grain are Hornady Custom XTP ammo, 2″ and 4″ respectively. Note that in 357 Magnum, the longer barrel revolver with higher velocity expanded more, but penetrated less.

While either the 158 grain, left set, or 180 grain bullets would be acceptable for 357 Mag 4″ barrel use where penetration and expansion were desired, I would pass on their use in a 2″ barrel gun due to lack of expansion. Yes, with proper shot placement all would no doubt be lethal.

Below, the first two rows, factory ammo, the second are handloads. The 4″ check on the handloads were omitted as the 2″ to 4″ relationship has already been established and the subject firearm is the 2″ barrel Taurus.

Below, the 110 grain and, right, 125 grain bullets used in handloads. The drop in bullet weight cut penetration significantly, but also sharply increased expansion and bullet weight loss was less than with heavier bullets tested. Ultimately, the 125 grain bullets went into handloads that became the ammunition of choice for my own firearm.

A little handload detail…

I went ahead and listed all of the loads on the table below. While I only selected one for my personal use, other may see something else in there they perceive to be useful and all worked well in 4″ barrel guns. Some provided greater penetration which tops the performance priority list for some folks.

Only one load is listed for the 110 grain Hornady. For me, it proved to be a bit finicky, topping out in pressure ahead of velocity with most powder types. AA7 and AA9 gave up too much in short barrel velocity and did not prove to be particularly accurate.