1911_Hardball
New member
that's 75 tenthousandthsCase head diameters:
.38 S&W = 0.3865"
.38 S&W Special = 0.3790".
Depending on your cylinder.....75 thousandths might be too much.
Pete
0.3865
0.3790
---------
0.0075
that's 75 tenthousandthsCase head diameters:
.38 S&W = 0.3865"
.38 S&W Special = 0.3790".
Depending on your cylinder.....75 thousandths might be too much.
Pete
I was told by a shooting bud but didn’t actually see it. He claimed he shot up and old box of 38 S&W in his Model 10 38 Special. After running all the 38 S&W loaded cartridges through his Lee Factory Crimp Die. He claimed the 38 Special die’s carbide ring gave the cartridge a slight squeeze and easily chambered in his revolver.
That's right. 7.5 thousandths; not 75 thousandths as the post I was replying to stated."that's 75 tenthousandths
0.3865
0.3790
---------
0.0075 "
aka 7.5 thousandths
You may want to measure the throat diameter and slug the bore. I have the same revolver. The best bullet for it is actually 9mm (0.355"). I still have most of the 0.361" cast bullets I bought trying to handload for it.I'm just going through the other end of this.
A Friend's Grandfather died and she inherited his Colt Police Positive in 38 New Police. Essentially,the same cartidge as 38 S+W.
My crotchety Old Gunsmith LGS showed "Permanently Closed" on the web page
when I looked up the phone number. That was the only shop old enough for hope for old stock.
So much for that. New factory ammo? I don't think they will tear down a 9mm line to make a run of 38 S+W anytime soon.Especially since Remington,Partisan Pervi and Buffalo Bore are the only loads I found current.The Buffalo Bore is advertised as abot 1100 or 1200 fps.Definitely too hot to provide for Grandpas near 100 yr old gun.Loading data shows about 650 fps.
The path I chose to help her with a source of ammo for Grandpa's gun involvd buying 200 PPU brass from Gafs...Starline shows a 500 rd minimum.They do make it.
I found an old Ideal .360 mold. and some Pacific dies.
Its all arrived lately. Scrounging this stuff up is neither cheap nor easy.
I'm getting at this: IMO,don't try to "make do" with rare and valuable old ammo.It won't serve you all that well,and it really valuable to someone who has a gun that only shoots that ammo.
I don't know if h is still active,but "The Old Western Scrounger might be interested in it.
And .32 S&W, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R magnum, .327 FederalIt never ceases to amaze me why so many people are willing to try and shoot ammunition, not in the proper caliber and never intended to be fired in some particular firearm.
44 Mag/44 Spc/44 Rus and 357 Mag/38 Spc/38 Long & Short aside, they are all based on the same parent cartridge, just longer and longer versions. People try shooting 380s in 9mms. They try shooting 38 Super in 357s. And here we have people shooting or trying to shoot 38 S&W cartridges in 38 S&W Special revolvers.
Since the .38 Special is smaller in diameter than the .38 S&W, I wonder what they were thinking.....numbers of the British S&W 380/200 revolvers became available dealers would ream out the chambers and sell them as 38 Specials. That led to bulged and cracked 38 Special
$$$$I wonder what they were thinking.