New to reloading...should I get a "test gun"?

But if interested in getting a second gun, do as Hammerhead suggested and get a lever action carbine. These lever actions are a completely different fun gun, but be aware, they can become addictive as you are building up your caliber collection. Got one, just for the hell of it, a .44 mag for casual plinking between bolt guns, and ended up with a total of 15. But otherwise, a .357 test handgun would not be warranted.
 
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Getting another gun will not help as working up a safe max load for it may not work in any of the others. Different chamber dimensions, cylinder to barrel gap, and bore dimensions and finish all make for a different load workup.
 
not to be harsh but, if you're not doubly sure of the servicability of your loads, a test face and hands might be in order.
 
I have overloaded guns to see what happens.
38 specials have more safety factory than most guns.
1) But when they blow up, they send pieces of the cylinder to the right and/or left. The top strap breaks half the time.
I have never been hurt in splitting at least (3) 38 special cylinders, as I stand behind the revolver, but I have put holes in the walls I was standing next to with the flying cylinder pieces. Some will blow up this side of sticky cases and some will not. If they did it was always in excess of max published 357 mag loads.
2) They can shoot rotationally loose. To quote Dfariswheel that knows more than me:
evolvers that lock with some designed in looseness are the S&W, Ruger, Dan Wesson, Taurus, and the later Colt's like the Mark III, Mark V, King Cobra, and Anaconda.
The only modern DA revolvers that lock tightly with the trigger held back are the original Colt action gun like the Python, Diamondback, Detective Special, original Trooper, etc.
I would add, Rugers are loose from the factory, Smiths take some shooting to get loose.
Those revolvers with some looseness can get a lot more with just a little wimpy shooting or it might take super hot loads or may not shoot any looser. It is an unpredictable hazard. The worst design: I have a minty 1901 Colt New Navy Commercial 41 Colt that is still rotationally tight. It would not stay tight if I ever fired it, even with wimpy loads. By 1901 Colt had the good lock up system in the New Service, New Police, Army special, etc, and never should have kept making that wimpy New Navy Commercial.
 
Follow the recipe in the loading manuals, check then re-check you scales for weight of charge. Load a few and feed them to the GP100. I have (by mistake) fed mine some overloaded .38's that I had to beat on the ejector to get them to dump out. Sadly they were superbly accurate too. What is your planned load?
 
DirtyHarold,You counting all the -silly to buy another gun- responses?
Bet you didn't think you were gonna find that here.
 
The 38spl/357 mag was the first cartridge I started reloading about a decade ago. Never had an issue, checked and rechecked everything and if I was ever in doubt of a load, I pulled it down. I then moved on to reloading 40 S&W and 9mm and Ibought a couple of Hi Points as test guns for that loading. The Hi Points are some tough mambojambo's for sure and I learned a lot reloading for them.

I now reload over 25 calibers for handgun and rifle and very much enjoy it.

Have fun, be safe and share the hobby with a friend.

JSF
 
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