Back in the day when revolvers and 1911’s ruled the day this ammo was marketed for use in 1911’s that had problems feeding hollow points. They use to advertise the polymer ball was for reliable feeding in tight 1911’s that jammed on hollow points. In the 80’s I carried it in my 1911’s.
I am always confused when ( i think it was). Hornaday says they are the 1st round with the filler? I also had a box of power- ball. 357? Or 45? I'm not quite sure what it was. Thank you.
Ya I like this "problem caliber" idea. With new technology some of these weaker calibers should at least be sufficiently improved for recoil sensitive and maybe elderly carriers.
Seconding this. Would love to see a test of the .380 version. Always interested in seeing what .380 loads do since it's the main carry cartridge in my house.
@@colt-ss3lw Same, I'd LOVE to see that. These things are getting into .357 magnum velocity levels (although obviously with a smaller bullet. It would be interesting to see if whether they expand even better or if they just fragment into pieces at the higher velocities. But for sure I'm going to order some of these for my Taurus 605 Poly Defender carry revolver. These seme way more consistent and better performing than the Hornady Critical Defense that I currently carry.
Back in the 80s I learned that wad cutter, semi wad cutter, and semi wad cutter hollow point was almost impossible to beat in the old .38 Special for various purposes. Seems as though this hot rod Corbon stuff is getting .38 Super class and or maybe 75% .357 Mag. If you get to 1300 FPS in a .38 Special it's noteworthy if your pressures don't get beyond +P.
Pretty sure he got a hold of some 357 Mag accidently. Can't cheat Science, of physics. 9mm +P is over 40K psi. 38 +P should be around 20K. Should be fine shooting it out of 357, old Chief special, or airweight you'll be playing with fire.
Look ammunition manufacturers, you can exceed the velocity on the box from a reasonable for caliber barrel length, and everything will be OK. We're all still here. We consumers would LOVE IT if you learned from this. Great viddy as usual, thank you!
This ammo has been around for ages. I began using it in 1911’s because it fed so well. Then bought it in other calibers as my carry ammo. Still carry this to this day.
You should try the Federal Punch in 38 +P. It also expands very well out of 2 & 3 in snubs. As for the Corbon stuff the ONLY place that seems to have it is on the Glaser site, and they want 40$ a box of 20. Everybody else says out of stock or discontinued.
Hot damn! That was actually impressive for the finicky.38 special! I’ve always viewed the Power Ball stuff as a gimmick but boy was I wrong. lol Definitely something I would throw in my 642 or the Taurus 85. Awesome test my friend! Surprised me for sure 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thanks for this excellent test. 385 foot-pounds of energy out of the 38 special with a 2 inch barrel is outstanding. 421 foot-pounds out of a 3 inch barrel brings us into the low range for 357 Magnum. This is great stuff. I think I've just found my new EDC ammunition.
I’m very impressed with this!this might be my wife’s new go to in her ruger lcr. I’m telling you I’m blown away by the performance of this brand. Recently I tried out their 165gr 40 and out of a 5” it was over 1250fps. Very interesting video!
That does look like awfully nice performance. It’s so unfortunate that federal stopped producing their 38+p version of the HST, that has been my go-to self defense .38+p (I still have several boxes of it). This stuff might have to be given a try once I run outta that
I use 9mm Pow'RBall in my Bond Stinger derringer. Unfortunately the light 100 grain bullet will not cycle a Luger with complete reliability, but it's a pretty hot load I chronographed at 1,400 fps from a P-38 years ago. I will now add it in .38 Special as well.
I'm at a loss for words..? If you can repeat that with a different lot number that is one impressive round! That velocity is incredible for a snub .38. Not a fan of light weight .38 bullet but if that is the norm for those you have changed my mind. Do they have that in .45?
Looks like they only offer them in 9, 380, 38 spcl, 357 mag and sig, and 38 super. They did have a couple other calibers back when it was different ownership.
Used the Powerball in a couple of 9mm's that refused to feed anything that had a hollow point, and I didn't want to defile a historical piece. Good stuff and great video.
That did great. Hollowpoints normally expand like crap out of .38 snubs, not enough speed. I'm still a fan of the hardcast semi-wadcutter or full wadcutter for .38, personally speaking, but these did good.
Thank you so much for testing the Cor Bon Pow'r Ball. I keep a 856 beside my recliner with just some Blazer target loads (cheap stuff) but after watching this video I am ready to go buy some CorBon Pa'r Ball if I can find it. I have never seen any .38 special do as well as this stuff. Thank you once again for another fine video. This one sure convienced me COr Bom Pow'r Ball is the way to go.
Ammo seek shows quite a few options. Just type the caliber to do a general search, then modify your results to include the term corbon and set the grain weight to 100 and it'll show you what you're looking for.
from the late 70s to around 2008 my EDC was a 5 shot two inch 38 special. in 2008 I started watching gun channels on YT and discovered I had been risking my life every day for the past 30 year. truth is I still believe if I'm in a spot that five shots of 38 spec. can't save me from it's life choices that put me there not not caliber or capacity choice. good test showing what the Pow'RBall 38 spec can do. love your channel
Never? Never? Is that really what you said here? If a 5 shot revolver was all you had at your disposal at any given time, you'd "never" carry a 5 shot revolver? -PLEASE....
@@robwilson3749yes that's what I said.at my disposal it's always a 6 or 7 shot. A revolver is already limited to the number of rounds to carry, let's not make matters worse.
Nice one TOOLS!!! I swear Great minds think alike I know you did a Cor-bon 9mm Pow’R Ball test some time ago. I seen how good it did and figured I grab a box. Today in the Ballistics gel I just tested the 100 Grain +P corbon Pow’R Ball against the DoubleTap 124 Grain +P Controlled expansion BOTH DID GREAT!!!
Now my official Carry load for my 38 J Frames. My 80 year old Mom has always been a great shooter, trained by my street cop Firearms Instructor Dad. She wouldn't have anything but a J Frame S&W. Got her a Couple of Boxes of them too for her 2" Carry Gun and 3" House Gun. I chrono-ed them and sure enough, same velocity neighborhood as yours. I was wondering if maybe somebody at CorBon didn't get the 357 Load data mixed up and loaded these up extra hot. Because the 357 Mags were slower than these. Doesn't seem to bother my guns at all. I wish all quality 38 defense loads were loaded like this.
I'm legitimately impressed with the velocity out of a 2" barrel. The powder burn seems perfectly made for short barrels. Definitely one of if not the best made for a 2" barrel. It makes for a convincing argument of a 2" barrel .38 special being ample enough for a defense combination. And I usually bash this combo regularly. Very impressed.
An armed security company I worked for once (2015) issued me a S&W .38 Spc K-frame made in the 80s. Basically a bookend. Sent it to the shop for timing issues and they never could fix it. I figured I’d just throw it at the bad guy and run for. cover. 😅
I use .38 Special for a ton of fun at the range with my Chiappa Rhino 3" barrel. But I use a 125gr Barnes TAC-XPD load in .357Mag for actual SHTF stuff
Damn, that's some spicy stuff! Honestly surprised me. But if you can get ahold of some, I'd really love to see you test the Federal HST Micro .38 Special ammo. It didn't have the most impressive speed, but it had the biggest expansion I've ever seen from a .38/.357 bullet while still getting really good penetration. The bullet is seated all the way inside the case and the nose is basically the full width of the bullet. I still have some, but Federal sadly doesn't make it anymore.
Great video tools. If this ammo was hard to find before, going to be impossible now. I carry 158 grain HCLSWC when i carry .38, i know what im getting there
I thought this power ball ammo might be a gimmick but this stuff is the real deal. I wouldn’t hesitate to trust this ammo in any caliber. Going to add this to my trusted ammo collection.
You should add a decimeter to the mix. It would be interesting one caliber to another vs damage threshold of the ears. Since people don't stop to use ear protection in a defensive situation.
The kind of ammo that makes the gains of speed and capacity in .327 fed mag seem marginal when compared with the .38 special, especially considering cost and availability. Then what is left? Weight and cylinder width? Clothing barrier delivers results again!
I believe old tried and true short barreled 38 is 158 hswc @ 800. The 1300+ you got is impressive but not heavy enough. I would rather go with tried and true. Try to find the old fbi carry loading’s instead to test. Great video regardless you do a great job tools!
I was able few months ago find a single box of powerball 10mm. It didn’t feel real snappy for a 10mm. I had no way to confirm the fps or penetration.I shot steel targets with it. The box looked like it had road on some farmers dash of a work truck. I’m sure this guy had on hand for awhile on shelf.
Excellent proformance out of a 2" Barrel. I've been using 38sp punch in my 856 2" for years. Which is ok. But, I need to buy 2 boxs of powerball plus p for my new carry ammo. Will you review 380acp in the powerball to see it's proformance in a mouse gun and 3.1/2" Barrel very soon??? Thanks for all you do 😊
My daughter’s new self defense ammo! Thanks for the test! Last time I bought Corbon was back in the 90s when I bought a 9x18 makarov and that stuff was so hot the hair on my left index finger hasn’t grown back but it was some of the best ammo!
Powerball does work, 9mm has some juice. I have to say the Taurus 856 seems like a great gun. How many rounds you got through it? Seems like your getting great velocities out of it also which means tight tolerances on the cylinder.
I gave my wife a sw 442 in 38 special to keep in her purse, its loaded with civil defense rounds. I would love to see you test that round out of a short barrel. See what velocities you get and how it performs!
I would definitely carry this in my LCR 38. Corbon's web sight has this at $34.99 for 20 rounds. Would probably be a great round for winter carry. That ball probably prevents clogging. Energy levels are like a 9mm.
👍👍nice job tools. I carry 38 spl at times and in most of mine I’ve gone to the underwood extreme defenders and in one I use the hornady 110 gr +p jhp. I would have no problem using these.
Those loads would be interesting to shot out of some .357 mag revolvers I have, a Dan Wesson model 15 h with an 8" barrel and a Ruger new model blackhawk in .357 mag with a 6 1/2" barrel.
@@ToolsandTargets ooh! the one you already tested was .40, right? they have it 10mm and 2 loadings for 500 S&W Magnum. Because there's no such thing as overkill, i guess.
Really good performance from these. I really like the format testing from 2” and 3” barrels. I bought a 3” Colt King Cobra for my wife last year so that is helpful info.
My wifey carries Smith 442 in her purse. She'll more than likely shoot through the purse than remove it. Sometimes it's in her coat pocket. I'm wondering what happens to the bullet after it hits the purse and before it hits the bad guy. This might be something I won't know until it happens. Good test. Looks like a good option. She's currently running Federal Punch.
Would be interesting to compare these to 110 grain 357 mag. loads, which are more commonly available. These hot 38 Special loads might be iffy for some people in 2" barrels due to recoil and blast. I'd use them in 3" and 4" barrels for home defense to better take advantage of their higher pressure. Or in 357 mag revolvers if less recoil and blast is desired compared to full power 357 loads. Anyway, powerful ammo that works as advertised, good job Cor-Bon. Thank for another great test !
Fantastic test Tools, can't argue with these results. Have to wonder what they would do out of a PCC? Way to go Pow'RBall. Have a super Sunday and be careful out in this heat. Be vigilant and always be safe my friend.
This is great. Never really carried my snubbie because of what you stated as problem caliber. Now I can get this ammo and be ready with my snubby. Thanks
Well, I might have just found my new carry load for my Titanium S&W Snubbies. Thanks for the short barrel Tests. That matters, because it's what we carry daily. These people who test defensive loads in 6 inch barrels are totally unrealistic for the most part.
Hey Tools, funny I just recently did a test of some Pow'R Ball 10mm. I found it also exceeded the advertised velocity of 1400 FPS by a little over 100 FPS. Bad side was this was the worst ammo I ever fired...key hole zero's at the 15 yard line. Used most of the target for 6 shots...it really under performed in the accuracy department. Of course, now someone will watch that video and say that I don't know how to shoot, lol.
@@ToolsandTargets I think you're right Tools...this stuff didn't say Corbon anywhere on it. I do have some Corbon 10mm in the blue and white boxes...If I can remember where I stashed it i will test some, lol.
The 38 sp is a problem child, but the Buff Bore 110g +p has tested well. The Gold Saber Compact 125g may be a good round, too. My view is that the designers permit too much expansion for the caliber. A limit of .50-.52 expansion pushing a 120g bullet would be ideal. Buff Bore, are you listening?
Great video and performance from a 38. I generally lump calibers like 38 and 380 together as needing the best ammo to be considered for self defense. Ammo like Xtreme Defender or Penetrator ups their effectiveness. But I’d say this ammo is also worth considering for 38.
That’s great, I’ll have to get some for my snub nose pew pews. Nice to have some more good 38s. I’ve been rocking cor con 110 grain copper dpx rounds in my snubs, and Barnes 125grain 357 low recoil in 340pd air lite snub. But I could see these being the ticket, I’ll have to buy and rest from my S&W j frames
This seems like it would make a great defensive round, only downside is that it’s not easy to find. Have you ever tested the Remington 110gr +p sjhp? I don’t see it in your playlist. Gun Sam Revolver has some tests on them but he’s in a rather cold climate.
With these actually outperforming the 357 Mag loads you tested, I'm wondering if somebody at Corbon didn't mix up the Load Data. I'm going to order some of these for my snubbies and I hope they perform as well as these did.
Damn this stuff is pretty impressive. Those energy numbers are no joke! I’d def be curious to see some accuracy testing. Also gonna do some searching to see if they make the same round in 357 mag?!
Back in the day when revolvers and 1911’s ruled the day this ammo was marketed for use in 1911’s that had problems feeding hollow points. They use to advertise the polymer ball was for reliable feeding in tight 1911’s that jammed on hollow points. In the 80’s I carried it in my 1911’s.
I carried it in a temperamental 380, it ran like FMJ
I am always confused when ( i think it was). Hornaday says they are the 1st round with the filler? I also had a box of power- ball. 357? Or 45? I'm not quite sure what it was. Thank you.
If you haven’t tested .380 Pow’rBall, could you? Maybe an all “problem caliber” feature with the best ammo choices? Thanks for all you do!
I'll see if I can get a hold of some.😎👍
The 380 is notorious for not expanding. I have had good luck with Critical Defense though. Cor-Bon's 380 would be a very interesting and useful test.
That is an excellent idea!
Ya I like this "problem caliber" idea. With new technology some of these weaker calibers should at least be sufficiently improved for recoil sensitive and maybe elderly carriers.
Seconding this. Would love to see a test of the .380 version. Always interested in seeing what .380 loads do since it's the main carry cartridge in my house.
Trust Cor Bon to actually deliver a true +P 38 Special loads that delivers. Honestly those may, indeed, be the best 38 Special carry loads ever.
That's some of the best 38spl I've seen for a short barrel 🔫
Same. Really good stuff.
@@ToolsandTargets What does it do from a lever action rifle? 🤔
@@colt-ss3lw Same, I'd LOVE to see that. These things are getting into .357 magnum velocity levels (although obviously with a smaller bullet. It would be interesting to see if whether they expand even better or if they just fragment into pieces at the higher velocities. But for sure I'm going to order some of these for my Taurus 605 Poly Defender carry revolver. These seme way more consistent and better performing than the Hornady Critical Defense that I currently carry.
Back in the 80s I learned that wad cutter, semi wad cutter, and semi wad cutter hollow point was almost impossible to beat in the old .38 Special for various purposes. Seems as though this hot rod Corbon stuff is getting .38 Super class and or maybe 75% .357 Mag. If you get to 1300 FPS in a .38 Special it's noteworthy if your pressures don't get beyond +P.
385ft lbs of energy even out of a 2" rivals 9mm +P out a 3" subcompact. Impressive terminal ballistics too.
Yeah, I was glad to see it.
Better sectional density too.
@@jasonashley4579 Nope, 9mm is smaller in dia, and much heavier.
Pretty sure he got a hold of some 357 Mag accidently. Can't cheat Science, of physics. 9mm +P is over 40K psi. 38 +P should be around 20K. Should be fine shooting it out of 357, old Chief special, or airweight you'll be playing with fire.
The box listed 1150 seems right to me.
Look ammunition manufacturers, you can exceed the velocity on the box from a reasonable for caliber barrel length, and everything will be OK. We're all still here. We consumers would LOVE IT if you learned from this. Great viddy as usual, thank you!
Amen!😎👊
This ammo has been around for ages. I began using it in 1911’s because it fed so well. Then bought it in other calibers as my carry ammo. Still carry this to this day.
😎👊
My wife is a revolver gal, definitely need to keep my eyes open for this. Very nice performance, thanks for the jelly test Tools!
😎👊
38 special used to be loaded to near 357 mag ballistics before there was a 357 magnum. That's the origin for the 357 mag.
By far the best 38 special I have ever seen tested...with performance and energy dump.
Dang! I've never considered carrying .38 special but if I could guarantee the ammo would perform like this it definitely makes it an option!
Mhmm
Same here!
I've been looking for some 10 with no luck
If you can handle the recoil and blast, it would serve you well.
You should try the Federal Punch in 38 +P. It also expands very well out of 2 & 3 in snubs. As for the Corbon stuff the ONLY place that seems to have it is on the Glaser site, and they want 40$ a box of 20. Everybody else says out of stock or discontinued.
Hot damn! That was actually impressive for the finicky.38 special! I’ve always viewed the Power Ball stuff as a gimmick but boy was I wrong. lol Definitely something I would throw in my 642 or the Taurus 85. Awesome test my friend! Surprised me for sure 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸
I would have said it was a gimmick too, before testing some of it.🤷♂️
Thanks for this excellent test. 385 foot-pounds of energy out of the 38 special with a 2 inch barrel is outstanding. 421 foot-pounds out of a 3 inch barrel brings us into the low range for 357 Magnum. This is great stuff. I think I've just found my new EDC ammunition.
I am very grateful that you test ammo and test it so often. Cheers!
Appreciate that.😎👊
Wow I don’t recall seeing a 38 special rocking the gelato that hard 👍
Slapped it good.
@@ToolsandTargetsI been waiting for a good 38 special test
I’m very impressed with this!this might be my wife’s new go to in her ruger lcr. I’m telling you I’m blown away by the performance of this brand. Recently I tried out their 165gr 40 and out of a 5” it was over 1250fps. Very interesting video!
That does look like awfully nice performance. It’s so unfortunate that federal stopped producing their 38+p version of the HST, that has been my go-to self defense .38+p (I still have several boxes of it). This stuff might have to be given a try once I run outta that
I use 9mm Pow'RBall in my Bond Stinger derringer. Unfortunately the light 100 grain bullet will not cycle a Luger with complete reliability, but it's a pretty hot load I chronographed at 1,400 fps from a P-38 years ago. I will now add it in .38 Special as well.
Nice
Impressive energy / velocity out of a 2 inch barrel. Very good performance in the gel also.
😎👍
I'm at a loss for words..? If you can repeat that with a different lot number that is one impressive round! That velocity is incredible for a snub .38. Not a fan of light weight .38 bullet but if that is the norm for those you have changed my mind.
Do they have that in .45?
Looks like they only offer them in 9, 380, 38 spcl, 357 mag and sig, and 38 super. They did have a couple other calibers back when it was different ownership.
I am so glad I discovered this channel. Thanks for the info!
Used the Powerball in a couple of 9mm's that refused to feed anything that had a hollow point, and I didn't want to defile a historical piece.
Good stuff and great video.
Thank you sir.😎👊
Glad to see that corbon is still kicking it old school.
Thanks brian for all you do ✌️
Thanks for doing a great job with these tests...always very informative! We really do appreciate it!
Appreciate that.😎👊
Unicorn 🦄 Ball......might as well be called Saqwatch ammo, everyone knows about it but never seen it 1:37
💥👽💥
I’ve always been able to get this in 9mm…
Try google them and they are available even from CorBon itself
That's the best 38spc velocity I have ever seen tested. Similar yet better than The Silvertips
@@christopherbishop4927try the “treasury load” from the 1980’s.
That did great. Hollowpoints normally expand like crap out of .38 snubs, not enough speed. I'm still a fan of the hardcast semi-wadcutter or full wadcutter for .38, personally speaking, but these did good.
38 special loaded proper is awesome, good test.
That’s the best 38+P so far I guess, in both speed and energy as well as the expansion especially coming from a 2” barrel
Thank you so much for testing the Cor Bon Pow'r Ball. I keep a 856 beside my recliner with just some Blazer target loads (cheap stuff) but after watching this video I am ready to go buy some CorBon Pa'r Ball if I can find it. I have never seen any .38 special do as well as this stuff. Thank you once again for another fine video. This one sure convienced me COr Bom Pow'r Ball is the way to go.
Definitely some good ones here.😎👍
Thanks. Hard to find? I would try a box for certain. I use Critical Defense for consistency.
I know they have em on their site but not sure where all else.
Ammo seek shows quite a few options. Just type the caliber to do a general search, then modify your results to include the term corbon and set the grain weight to 100 and it'll show you what you're looking for.
from the late 70s to around 2008 my EDC was a 5 shot two inch 38 special. in 2008 I started watching gun channels on YT and discovered I had been risking my life every day for the past 30 year. truth is I still believe if I'm in a spot that five shots of 38 spec. can't save me from it's life choices that put me there not not caliber or capacity choice. good test showing what the Pow'RBall 38 spec can do. love your channel
I will never carry a 5 shot revolver.that last six round just may save your life.
Never? Never? Is that really what you said here? If a 5 shot revolver was all you had at your disposal at any given time, you'd "never" carry a 5 shot revolver? -PLEASE....
@@robwilson3749yes that's what I said.at my disposal it's always a 6 or 7 shot. A revolver is already limited to the number of rounds to carry, let's not make matters worse.
Nice one TOOLS!!! I swear Great minds think alike I know you did a Cor-bon 9mm Pow’R Ball test some time ago. I seen how good it did and figured I grab a box. Today in the Ballistics gel I just tested the 100 Grain +P corbon Pow’R Ball against the DoubleTap 124 Grain +P Controlled expansion BOTH DID GREAT!!!
Nice.😎👊
That will be one of my go-to rounds for my Taurus Protector Poly. Good test, thank you.
More. 38 special snubbie testing please! Speer gold dot short barrel vs federal punch, ect.
😎👍
Critical Defence (38 Spl. +P). Thanks for the share!!
Now my official Carry load for my 38 J Frames. My 80 year old Mom has always been a great shooter, trained by my street cop Firearms Instructor Dad. She wouldn't have anything but a J Frame S&W. Got her a Couple of Boxes of them too for her 2" Carry Gun and 3" House Gun.
I chrono-ed them and sure enough, same velocity neighborhood as yours. I was wondering if maybe somebody at CorBon didn't get the 357 Load data mixed up and loaded these up extra hot. Because the 357 Mags were slower than these. Doesn't seem to bother my guns at all. I wish all quality 38 defense loads were loaded like this.
I'm legitimately impressed with the velocity out of a 2" barrel. The powder burn seems perfectly made for short barrels. Definitely one of if not the best made for a 2" barrel. It makes for a convincing argument of a 2" barrel .38 special being ample enough for a defense combination. And I usually bash this combo regularly. Very impressed.
It really is some smokin .38.
Think I just found the perfect carry ammo for my pocket gun. Thanks a bunch, bud! I always love your tests.
Great test tools as usual. Thanks for the valuable information and keep up the good work!
Thank you sir.😎👊
This may challenge my Underwood SWCHP hard casts I usually carry. And those things will shoot through you, the wall, the tree outside...
An armed security company I worked for once (2015) issued me a S&W .38 Spc K-frame made in the 80s. Basically a bookend. Sent it to the shop for timing issues and they never could fix it. I figured I’d just throw it at the bad guy and run for. cover. 😅
😆
I carry the powerball in my edc/back up RIA M200. I test fired the powerball during qualification for my depart and man that is some loud 38 ammo.
Great performance! I don’t think I’ve seen any better 38 special! Thanks Tools👍🏻
Yessir. I expected it to do good but it was great.😎👍
I'm not sure why YT doesn't like me saying anything about magsafe!✌️
Sweet! Cor Bon comes through again! Thanks Tools!
😎👊
Love the specials 38 and 44 are great.
Hey! That is some great ammo.. I am gonna get some of this. Thank you for this and ALL of your educational videos. Rev
I use .38 Special for a ton of fun at the range with my Chiappa Rhino 3" barrel. But I use a 125gr Barnes TAC-XPD load in .357Mag for actual SHTF stuff
Great Video Tools God bless from Kentucky
Thank you sir.😎👊
Look at the top of the canopy when it goes off.
Sendin some waves.💥💨
Damn, that's some spicy stuff! Honestly surprised me. But if you can get ahold of some, I'd really love to see you test the Federal HST Micro .38 Special ammo. It didn't have the most impressive speed, but it had the biggest expansion I've ever seen from a .38/.357 bullet while still getting really good penetration. The bullet is seated all the way inside the case and the nose is basically the full width of the bullet. I still have some, but Federal sadly doesn't make it anymore.
Great video tools. If this ammo was hard to find before, going to be impossible now. I carry 158 grain HCLSWC when i carry .38, i know what im getting there
Thank you sir.😎👊
I thought this power ball ammo might be a gimmick but this stuff is the real deal. I wouldn’t hesitate to trust this ammo in any caliber. Going to add this to my trusted ammo collection.
Same here.
With the new pow'r ball design it is giving the Hornady Critical defense or even the XTP a run for its money.
Gettin it done.😎👊
I carry a Smith and Wesson model 36 chief special. Loaded with 5 rounds of Underwood standard pressure Soft lead Hollow point Blackcherry.
💥😎👊💥
This is some good stuff Tools love this for a 38 stay safe and God Bless.
You should add a decimeter to the mix. It would be interesting one caliber to another vs damage threshold of the ears. Since people don't stop to use ear protection in a defensive situation.
The kind of ammo that makes the gains of speed and capacity in .327 fed mag seem marginal when compared with the .38 special, especially considering cost and availability. Then what is left? Weight and cylinder width? Clothing barrier delivers results again!
I believe old tried and true short barreled 38 is 158 hswc @ 800. The 1300+ you got is impressive but not heavy enough. I would rather go with tried and true. Try to find the old fbi carry loading’s instead to test. Great video regardless you do a great job tools!
I was able few months ago find a single box of powerball 10mm. It didn’t feel real snappy for a 10mm. I had no way to confirm the fps or penetration.I shot steel targets with it. The box looked like it had road on some farmers dash of a work truck. I’m sure this guy had on hand for awhile on shelf.
Btw, I too have tent at my range and shooting under does seem to make the felt sound louder
Excellent test with excellent results ! my wife carries a lcr in 38 special , she will be getting some of this ! Thanks Tools !
Excellent proformance out of a 2" Barrel. I've been using 38sp punch in my 856 2" for years. Which is ok. But, I need to buy 2 boxs of powerball plus p for my new carry ammo. Will you review 380acp in the powerball to see it's proformance in a mouse gun and 3.1/2" Barrel very soon??? Thanks for all you do 😊
My daughter’s new self defense ammo! Thanks for the test! Last time I bought Corbon was back in the 90s when I bought a 9x18 makarov and that stuff was so hot the hair on my left index finger hasn’t grown back but it was some of the best ammo!
😂 Nice!
I remember back in the day my dad used to carry these in 45 acp and it was some mean stuff back in the day.
Powerball does work, 9mm has some juice. I have to say the Taurus 856 seems like a great gun. How many rounds you got through it? Seems like your getting great velocities out of it also which means tight tolerances on the cylinder.
I gave my wife a sw 442 in 38 special to keep in her purse, its loaded with civil defense rounds. I would love to see you test that round out of a short barrel. See what velocities you get and how it performs!
Pow'R Ball looks legit! Gotta try it in 45acp +p. I believe it uses a 165gr and is listed at 1,225 fps. Should be interesting 🤔
I’d like to see that also.
Hmmm
I would definitely carry this in my LCR 38. Corbon's web sight has this at $34.99 for 20 rounds. Would probably be a great round for winter carry. That ball probably prevents clogging. Energy levels are like a 9mm.
Yeah, looks like it does the job.😎👍
Thanks Tools, Another great vid. Ain't no problem child here! I wonder if those speeds are consistant box-to-box?
I was thinking the same thing. Yes it is only 100 gr but dang that was spicy!
Thank you sir. Maybe I'll order another box with some 380 to test that.
Wow! That was impressive. I thought that weight at that surprising velocity would surely underpenetrate but I am pleasantly surprised!
Yeah, I expected it to come apart bigtime.
I have the same 856 and I have trouble with finding ammo that groups with any consistency. I will look for powr ball next. Thanks for the great video!
Great video dude!!
Thank you sir.😎👊
👍👍nice job tools. I carry 38 spl at times and in most of mine I’ve gone to the underwood extreme defenders and in one I use the hornady 110 gr +p jhp. I would have no problem using these.
Good test Tools. Would like to see you test some Underwood 38 spcl + P LSWCHP. 158 gr. I believe it's Underwood item # 733. Old school FBI load.
Imma have to try this in my M&P 340 J-frame.
Those loads would be interesting to shot out of some .357 mag revolvers I have, a Dan Wesson model 15 h with an 8" barrel and a Ruger new model blackhawk in .357 mag with a 6 1/2" barrel.
I have a little concern about rid bone fragmentation. it would still be a good self defense round. papa wishing you well. 😊
i still think my fav from corbon is the DPX stuff
Got some 9mm of that I gotta test.
@@ToolsandTargets ooh! the one you already tested was .40, right? they have it 10mm and 2 loadings for 500 S&W Magnum. Because there's no such thing as overkill, i guess.
Really good performance from these. I really like the format testing from 2” and 3” barrels. I bought a 3” Colt King Cobra for my wife last year so that is helpful info.
Nice. I figure most folks running .38 Special would be using barrels on the shorter end.😎👊
My wifey carries Smith 442 in her purse. She'll more than likely shoot through the purse than remove it. Sometimes it's in her coat pocket. I'm wondering what happens to the bullet after it hits the purse and before it hits the bad guy. This might be something I won't know until it happens.
Good test. Looks like a good option. She's currently running Federal Punch.
Im glad you tested these. I have some and now I know they will work.
The Corbon DPX in the 38 special expand pretty good too. I have tested those.
😎👊
Would be interesting to compare these to 110 grain 357 mag. loads, which are more commonly available. These hot 38 Special loads might be iffy for some people in 2" barrels due to recoil and blast. I'd use them in 3" and 4" barrels for home defense to better take advantage of their higher pressure. Or in 357 mag revolvers if less recoil and blast is desired compared to full power 357 loads. Anyway, powerful ammo that works as advertised, good job Cor-Bon. Thank for another great test !
straight 9mm levels of energy, love it.
Looks like CorBon is back. Makes me want to pick some 357 & 10mm to test.
Great work as always!
Fantastic test Tools, can't argue with these results. Have to wonder what they would do out of a PCC? Way to go Pow'RBall.
Have a super Sunday and be careful out in this heat.
Be vigilant and always be safe my friend.
Thank you sir. You too!😎👊
Disintegrate?
Excellent test! Loaded like .357 mag.
This is great. Never really carried my snubbie because of what you stated as problem caliber. Now I can get this ammo and be ready with my snubby. Thanks
Sure surprised me.
Well, I might have just found my new carry load for my Titanium S&W Snubbies. Thanks for the short barrel Tests. That matters, because it's what we carry daily. These people who test defensive loads in 6 inch barrels are totally unrealistic for the most part.
Yeah, I think short barrel is the way to go for testing defensive stuff.😎👊
I carry a S&W 442, I've been looking for SD ammo. I was carrying Winchester Ranger +P but it's time for new stock, going to try P-Ball.
it will be a little snappy out of your 14 oz 442
Hey Tools, funny I just recently did a test of some Pow'R Ball 10mm. I found it also exceeded the advertised velocity of 1400 FPS by a little over 100 FPS. Bad side was this was the worst ammo I ever fired...key hole zero's at the 15 yard line. Used most of the target for 6 shots...it really under performed in the accuracy department. Of course, now someone will watch that video and say that I don't know how to shoot, lol.
Must have been old stock. They don't offer any .40S&W or 10mm Pow'RBall under the current ownership/offerings.🤷♂️
@@ToolsandTargets I think you're right Tools...this stuff didn't say Corbon anywhere on it. I do have some Corbon 10mm in the blue and white boxes...If I can remember where I stashed it i will test some, lol.
The 38 sp is a problem child, but the Buff Bore 110g +p has tested well. The Gold Saber Compact 125g may be a good round, too. My view is that the designers permit too much expansion for the caliber. A limit of .50-.52 expansion pushing a 120g bullet would be ideal. Buff Bore, are you listening?
Looks like I may have a new carry round for my .38 snubby (that is, when I carry it). If I can find some...
Great video and performance from a 38. I generally lump calibers like 38 and 380 together as needing the best ammo to be considered for self defense. Ammo like Xtreme Defender or Penetrator ups their effectiveness. But I’d say this ammo is also worth considering for 38.
Agreed. Surprisingly good.
That’s great, I’ll have to get some for my snub nose pew pews. Nice to have some more good 38s. I’ve been rocking cor con 110 grain copper dpx rounds in my snubs, and Barnes 125grain 357 low recoil in 340pd air lite snub. But I could see these being the ticket, I’ll have to buy and rest from my S&W j frames
Options are always good.😎👊
@@ToolsandTargets thanks for all you do tools
This seems like it would make a great defensive round, only downside is that it’s not easy to find. Have you ever tested the Remington 110gr +p sjhp? I don’t see it in your playlist. Gun Sam Revolver has some tests on them but he’s in a rather cold climate.
I'll have to take a look.😎👍
With these actually outperforming the 357 Mag loads you tested, I'm wondering if somebody at Corbon didn't mix up the Load Data. I'm going to order some of these for my snubbies and I hope they perform as well as these did.
Damn this stuff is pretty impressive. Those energy numbers are no joke! I’d def be curious to see some accuracy testing. Also gonna do some searching to see if they make the same round in 357 mag?!
Looks like a great round for my Rock Island 38. Great test Tools!
Thank you sir.😎👊
These CorBons, are straight "BEASTS" for .38's caliber loads 💯💯