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Post by yumastepside on Sept 23, 2022 17:12:59 GMT -5
First timer poster, so be gentle....I was thinking about cutting down some 38/357 cases to hold the same capacity as a 38 super to use in a single action 357mag.
My general idea was to have light loads/38 spl...medium loads/38 super rimmed and heavier loads/357 mag without getting cases/loads mixed up.
Has anyone done a 38 super rimmed for a revolver? I don't think its a new idea, but I cant find any info on it.
Roger
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Post by Encore64 on Sept 23, 2022 17:20:05 GMT -5
The 38 Super is rimmed, or semi rimmed.
I'd just buy 38 Long Colt from Starline and call it a done deal...
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Post by taffin on Sept 23, 2022 17:49:42 GMT -5
Some .357 Magnum sixguns will shoot shorter brass such as .38 Special and .38 Long Colt while others perform like the proverbial shotgun pattern. So before making up a big batch of ammo with short brass it would be a good idea to check to see if your .357 Magnum will shoot them well.
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Post by leadhound on Sept 23, 2022 18:53:00 GMT -5
Could always just use a certain bullet to differentiate the loads, or 38+p brass for your middle loads. Depending upon the single action you have on hand, a cylinder could be chambered for 38 super.
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Post by AxeHandle on Sept 23, 2022 22:08:24 GMT -5
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Post by yumastepside on Sept 24, 2022 2:46:57 GMT -5
First up, thanks for the replies, secondly, in the above pics the 38 short has a moon clip....do they need them, if so its no good for a single action. The 38 short and long are shorter and longer respectively than a 38 super....could you load a 38 long with a standard 38 super load or would I be better off cutting a 38 special case to get the same capacity and load using 38 super load data?  Roger |
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Post by AxeHandle on Sept 24, 2022 5:38:28 GMT -5
No moon clip required for Short Colt. You could trim 38 Special to whatever length you wanted. Maybe cut it to 38 Super length and use 38 Super dies with a 38 Special shell holder. Play with 38 Super loading data. Should be fun!
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woody
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,116
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Post by woody on Sept 24, 2022 6:18:32 GMT -5
Sounds like a lot of work to accomplish a way to tell the difference between your 2 loads. I would Just load the light loads in nickel brass and hotter .357’s in brass or vis versa. Or as mentioned buy some .38 Colt brass to load lighter loads.
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Post by rjm52 on Sept 24, 2022 6:19:58 GMT -5
Have to say you would be better off just sticking with .38 Special and .357 Magnum brass.
I have three loadings for .38/.357...
Target velocity .38 special
.38-44 loads
.357 Loads
The .38 Special runs mostly 158 grain SWC bullets in the 800 fps range from a 4" revolver and loaded in brass cases.
.38-44 loads run 125-158 grain lead bullets in the 1150-1350 fps range and try to use only nickel cases.
.357s get 125-160 jacketed or 158-180 grain hardcast lead and only full loads.
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Post by Encore64 on Sept 24, 2022 7:49:59 GMT -5
Have to say you would be better off just sticking with .38 Special and .357 Magnum brass. I have three loadings for .38/.357... Target velocity .38 special .38-44 loads .357 Loads The .38 Special runs mostly 158 grain SWC bullets in the 800 fps range from a 4" revolver and loaded in brass cases. .38-44 loads run 125-158 grain lead bullets in the 1150-1350 fps range and try to use only nickel cases. .357s get 125-160 jacketed or 158-180 grain hardcast lead and only full loads. You've sized it up nicely. That's exactly why I went with a Heavy Duty 38 Special. It can be loaded to almost duplicate the 357 Magnum, but reduces easier than the Magnum Length Case... I will be trying 38 Long Colt in it. Hopefully, the shorter bullet jump to the throats will produce better accuracy... |
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Post by taffin on Sept 24, 2022 9:36:46 GMT -5
The .38 Super has enough of a rim it can be used in most .38/.357 cylinders. I Have Shot A Lot Of .38 Super this way.
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Post by leadhound on Sept 24, 2022 12:13:11 GMT -5
First up, thanks for the replies, secondly, in the above pics the 38 short has a moon clip....do they need them, if so its no good for a single action. The 38 short and long are shorter and longer respectively than a 38 super....could you load a 38 long with a standard 38 super load or would I be better off cutting a 38 special case to get the same capacity and load using 38 super load data? Roger As far as the brass, unless Starline went out of their way to form the brass differently from the 38's and 357's, the main factor will be the firearms strength. Most would be leary of it finding its way into a weak older firearm. The whole purpose of the past magnums being longer than the specials was to prevent firing in an older model. They were developed on the previous cases and then lengthened for safety. |
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Post by bigbore5 on Sept 24, 2022 12:16:06 GMT -5
Look closely at the third pic. They are in a moon clip.
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Post by leadhound on Sept 24, 2022 12:17:15 GMT -5
Look closely at the third pic. They are in a moon clip. Thank you, I caught it after a few times! |
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Post by handloadingnotes on Sept 24, 2022 12:54:44 GMT -5
First off, trying something is the best way to learn! Trimming brass can be a way to salvage cases with split necks. A single action 357 Magnum should be a pretty tough gun with a big safety margin. No harm in experimenting.
That said, there are a few things about the idea I'm not a fan of. The 38 Super (0.895" long, 17.6 grains H20) is smaller than the 38 Special (1.155" long 24.3 grains H20), but out performs it by running at higher pressure (more powder). I prefer having less powerful cartridges being smaller. It just makes since to have the smaller cartridge to have less "BOOM!" than the bigger ones. It's also a safety feature since smaller cartridges can find their way into more guns — so best if they can't destroy anything they physically fit into. And it's more efficient to have a smaller boiler-room when burning less powder.
Using nickel plated cases, different ammo boxes, colored powder-coated bullets, different primer brands, etc. might be a better way to keep loads separate. I've been loading 38 Special and 357 for an 1873 lever action recently. It flings them out everywhere and truthfully, I have a trouble separating the 38 Special and 357 Magnum cases when picking them up. Length alone isn't enough of a cue. One 38 Special is hard to spot in a pile of 357 cases. Indoors it's easier for me to tell cases apart by their color (brass vs nickel plated). But nothing is foolproof. In bright sunlight it's harder to tell if a case is nickel plated or well-cleaned brass. You may need to experiment to find what works best for you.
I also found that 357 Magnum cases always came out of the gun cleaner than 38 Special cases. They fit the chamber better so there's less carbon fouling blown round the case mouth. This means less work for me because I can skip cleaning the cases for longer. So I've started down-loading 357 Magnum instead of using 38 Special for lighter loads in the gun. It's worked OK. Trailboss powder, and deep-seating bullets helps. Your gun may behave differently. But just something to keep an eye on — a bag of nickel plated 357 Magnum may be a better investment than 38 Short Colt or a trimming session in the end.
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