.38 Special reloads
- Thread starter Opinated
- Start date
longranger
New member
.
I have never seen any factory loaded new or remanufactured ever have listed powder used,amount used,bullet used(maker) or a O.A.L.Custom reloaded stuff I have seen at gun shows has this info on it and would use before "commercial" remanufactured with scant info. Factory ammo has no more info. on the box other than cartridge and bullet weight no other particulars except if a premium bullet is used.
g.willikers
New member
Even when the reloads are perfectly safe, they might not be at all useful.
There's no telling if the point of impact is anywhere near right.
Not helpful with fixed sights, and having to change adjustable sights for this one load is a pain.
I once bought some gun show reloads that had so little powder that the bullets could clearly be seen in flight.
They all made it downrange, but it was like shooting a pellet gun.
Kind of fun, but a complete waste of money.
There's no telling if the point of impact is anywhere near right.
Not helpful with fixed sights, and having to change adjustable sights for this one load is a pain.
I once bought some gun show reloads that had so little powder that the bullets could clearly be seen in flight.
They all made it downrange, but it was like shooting a pellet gun.
Kind of fun, but a complete waste of money.
Bob Wright
New member
longranger said:
O.K. By identified, I meant as to manufacturer, not specifics as to powder charge and/or components. Commercial will not list powder and charge as it varies from lot to lot. The ammo makers, i.e. Remington, Winchester, Federal, et. al, buy powder in carload lots and load cartridges to velocity/pressure levels, not according to any loading receipe. Presumably, the manufacturers use bullets of their own manufacture.
The most important information is who made the ammunition.
Bob Wright
O.K. By identified, I meant as to manufacturer, not specifics as to powder charge and/or components. Commercial will not list powder and charge as it varies from lot to lot. The ammo makers, i.e. Remington, Winchester, Federal, et. al, buy powder in carload lots and load cartridges to velocity/pressure levels, not according to any loading receipe. Presumably, the manufacturers use bullets of their own manufacture.
The most important information is who made the ammunition.
Bob Wright
bedbugbilly
New member
Please correct me if I'm wrong . . .
Yes, some companies have made a success of reloading ammunition . . . in fact, I've used quite a bit of it in my 38s prior to reloading/handloading myself . . .
BUT . . . and that's a BIG BUT . . .
I don't think those companies package their reloads in zip loc bags with no information on them. BUT . . if there ARE companies who reload and package their ammo in zip loc bags with no information on them . . . then personally, I'd walk right on by . . . especially if they put as much effort into their reloads as they do their packaging . . but that's just me.
Anyone can shoot "reloads" such as the OP describes . . it's their gun, it's their hands, it's their eyes . . . but you still have no idea of "what" the reloads are . .
you have no idea if they are some super hot loads some idiot has loaded up "just to see if they will work".
In reality, most folks go to a LGS and buy ammo with the expectation that it is "good ammo" to shoot in their pistol/rifle/shotgun. They don't really know the ins and outs of cartridges - all they want is something that will work in their firearm and go bang. I'm not knocking them . . I just don't think a lot of folks get in to the "ins and outs" of it. They have no idea of "increased pressure", the damage it can cause, double charges, weak charges, squibs, using Mag primers in place of standard primers and the increase in pressures that can result - not to mention the types and differences there are in powders and the minimum and maximum charges. That's why I only shoot what I reload . . and why when friends ask me if I will reload for them, I say no.
So . . . call me a "pantywaist"
LOL . . . I'll answer to it! But as I type this, I have all ten digits on my hands, can see to type it and none of my handguns have had their barrels "remodeled" so that they look like a blunderbuss. 
Yes, some companies have made a success of reloading ammunition . . . in fact, I've used quite a bit of it in my 38s prior to reloading/handloading myself . . .
BUT . . . and that's a BIG BUT . . .
I don't think those companies package their reloads in zip loc bags with no information on them. BUT . . if there ARE companies who reload and package their ammo in zip loc bags with no information on them . . . then personally, I'd walk right on by . . . especially if they put as much effort into their reloads as they do their packaging . . but that's just me.
Anyone can shoot "reloads" such as the OP describes . . it's their gun, it's their hands, it's their eyes . . . but you still have no idea of "what" the reloads are . .
you have no idea if they are some super hot loads some idiot has loaded up "just to see if they will work".
In reality, most folks go to a LGS and buy ammo with the expectation that it is "good ammo" to shoot in their pistol/rifle/shotgun. They don't really know the ins and outs of cartridges - all they want is something that will work in their firearm and go bang. I'm not knocking them . . I just don't think a lot of folks get in to the "ins and outs" of it. They have no idea of "increased pressure", the damage it can cause, double charges, weak charges, squibs, using Mag primers in place of standard primers and the increase in pressures that can result - not to mention the types and differences there are in powders and the minimum and maximum charges. That's why I only shoot what I reload . . and why when friends ask me if I will reload for them, I say no.
So . . . call me a "pantywaist"
LOL . . . I'll answer to it! But as I type this, I have all ten digits on my hands, can see to type it and none of my handguns have had their barrels "remodeled" so that they look like a blunderbuss. I recently shot 150 rounds of reloaded .38 special wad cutters that I bought from this company Georgia Arms ( http://georgia-arms.com/ ). Really dirty ammo.Lots of smoke and residue. All of my fingers on both hand were completely black when I got done . I had to literally bath my gun to clean it when I got home.
They were cheap though. Cheaper than any other target ammo I have seen anywhere. I didn't have a single problem with any of them.
I have another 150 rounds to shoot. I'm thinking I might wear some latex gloves when I shoot them .... as odd as that will look.
They were cheap though. Cheaper than any other target ammo I have seen anywhere. I didn't have a single problem with any of them.
I have another 150 rounds to shoot. I'm thinking I might wear some latex gloves when I shoot them .... as odd as that will look.
Georgia Arms makes horribly dirty rounds. They are probably the cheapest of commercial reloads, but it's not worth it (IMO). They will also lead your barrel , if you shoot enough of them. I made a mistake of buying 1000 round can. Still remember nightmare cleaning the gun after them.
Obviously the least risky choice, as it relates to being injured by your own firearm, is to never fire it at all. But we assume risks in order to pursue perceived benefits, every day, in many ways.
Caution and reasoning help minimize the risks.
The idea of using a precision scale for weighting completed rounds sounds good to me. If I was reloading, I would do that for my own reloads.
On YouTube video shows one fellow using that technique to sort .22 rimfire rounds into more precise groups.
Caution and reasoning help minimize the risks.
The idea of using a precision scale for weighting completed rounds sounds good to me. If I was reloading, I would do that for my own reloads.
On YouTube video shows one fellow using that technique to sort .22 rimfire rounds into more precise groups.
On a slightly different topic, I decided to weigh some various ammo to see how consistent the weights would be. My scale is a cheapo digital readout from eBay that has proven to weight consistently. great repeatability, even though I do not know if those weights are accurate. Weighed 25 cartridges of Hornady Critical Defense in 9x 18 MAK and found 4 grains spread from the lightest to heaviest. Weighed 10 rounds of Tulammo .380 and again found 4 grains spread. Yes, I know that those are not revolver calibers but I plan to check some other stuff from my supply. Seems to me that this is one indication of quality.
With reloads, I now wonder if the mixture of casings from different manufacturers would make such weight comparisons less meaningful. I do not have a supply of mixed empty casings to weigh to check for variations.
With reloads, I now wonder if the mixture of casings from different manufacturers would make such weight comparisons less meaningful. I do not have a supply of mixed empty casings to weigh to check for variations.
With 50 years of hand loading my own ammunition behind me, I will not shoot anyone else's loads...I've made more than enough errors on my own and will not trust anyone else.
As to commercially manufactured ammunition, I'd conservatively estimate that I've had over a two dozen "bad" rounds in that period of time. No kabooms thank goodness, but a bunch of squibs, etc. If you think a squib is no big deal, try double taps with the squib as the first round in a revolver....it's no pretty picture, believe me.
In your case, I'd pull the rounds apart with an impact bullet remover; dispose of the powder as you don't know what kind it is, de-cap the cases, then safe the cases and bullets for your own use, down the road.
As to weighing completed rounds as a measure of uniformity...maybe, but 4 grains of difference can be found in a single batch of identical headstamps from the same lot #. And that's the brass only. If you're using the weighing method to assess the powder charge uniformity or as a means of checking for safety of the charge weigh...a 4 grain difference is an enormous anomaly in any caliber let alone the two you mentioned...I'd opine that you're wasting your time weighing them.
Keep safe, it's your eyes and hands you're gambling with. Rod
As to commercially manufactured ammunition, I'd conservatively estimate that I've had over a two dozen "bad" rounds in that period of time. No kabooms thank goodness, but a bunch of squibs, etc. If you think a squib is no big deal, try double taps with the squib as the first round in a revolver....it's no pretty picture, believe me.
In your case, I'd pull the rounds apart with an impact bullet remover; dispose of the powder as you don't know what kind it is, de-cap the cases, then safe the cases and bullets for your own use, down the road.
As to weighing completed rounds as a measure of uniformity...maybe, but 4 grains of difference can be found in a single batch of identical headstamps from the same lot #. And that's the brass only. If you're using the weighing method to assess the powder charge uniformity or as a means of checking for safety of the charge weigh...a 4 grain difference is an enormous anomaly in any caliber let alone the two you mentioned...I'd opine that you're wasting your time weighing them.
Keep safe, it's your eyes and hands you're gambling with. Rod
Last edited:
armoredman
New member
$20 for 100 reloads? Yikes. I'd give you 100 38 Spl reloads for free, if you were local, and yes, mine are mostly in ziploc baggies, but that's how I package them for my own personal use. I don't have an ammunition manufacturing license, and if I did I think I'd invest in the paper boxes from Midway for a slightly more professional look. This also means I can't sell any of me loads, but do give some away to people who trust me.
Gonna go shoot some of them in an hour or so, too.
Gonna go shoot some of them in an hour or so, too.
I am not an expert on this part of the law, but I understand it is illegal to make ammo for sale, reloaded or not, without a federal license of some kind. I think anyone who had such a license would probably put their company name on the package. Without a company name, I would be highly suspicious.
armoredman
New member
See my post right above yours - yes, there is a Federal ammunition manufacturing license required to sell reloads, and I don't have one.
Not just with ANY reload, but ANY load! Factory ammo isn't 100% perfect 100% of the time.
I shoot my own .38 reloads, with home cast bullets, and they are cheaper than rimfire rounds. There are commercial reloaders, with tons of insurance; but, I'll pass on unlabeled gun show baggies.
DannyB1954
New member
Reloads
I just shot some factory reloads from a trusted company.
Reloads in a zip lock bag with no accountability, No way.
I just shot some factory reloads from a trusted company.
Reloads in a zip lock bag with no accountability, No way.