Primer for loading up hot 38 specials?

B

Big Caliber

New member
I use WLP's in my 44's, so special or magnum loads get the same primer. But now I'm loading what will probably amount to 38+p's, somewhere 1/2 way between 38 special max loads and the mildest 357 load. The gun is a 357 revolver. The brass is 357. The bullet will be a 158 LSWC. I have not decided on the powder, but it won't be W296 or similar. I will likely use a powder listed for both calibers with the same bullet. (Which is what I did with the 44 cal loads.) The manual says small pistol primer for the 38, and small pistol magnum primers for the 357. Anyone care to offer an opinion as to which primer would be better?
 
Check with a couple of manuals. Follow what they recommend. Keep it safe.
For my .38spl +P loads, I use CCI SP primers #500.
 
Re read your manual. It should list the powder weights up to a certain weight with a standard primer and then shift to magnum primers for more weight of powder and different brands of powder.
 
You mentioned you're not going to use W296, so standard primers will be sufficient. While I don't have a manual in front of me, I believe even +P loads listed use standard small pistol primers...
 
Magnum primers have nothing do to with the cartridge name. Absolutely no need for magnum primers for all .357 loads. Despite that manufacturers, like Hodgdon, show otherwise, on their site and in their manuals. They're about the powder used only.
You cannot drive a cast bullet terribly fast without causing leading anyway. Fastest .357 max load listed by Hodgdon runs 1247 fps. However, +P .38 loads (that's about pressure, not velocity) velocities very likely preclude using a cast bullet. No .38 +P cast bullet data on Hodgdon's site.
 
Starting to think there's some wrong with the Hodgdon website. Especially with their recommended primers. Every 'magnum' says use magnum primers regardless of the powder. HP38, for example, in .357 and .38 Special with the same cast 158. Magnum primers for .357. Regular SP's for .38.
They do the same thing with H110 and .30 Carbine on the rifle side. Magnum's for .357 rifle loads, but not the Carbine. Hmmm.
 
Magnum primers have nothing do to with the cartridge name. Absolutely no need for magnum primers for all .357 loads. Despite that manufacturers, like Hodgdon, show otherwise, on their site and in their manuals. They're about the powder used only.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Powder used determines whether a magnum primer is needed. To make it even more simple, according to Alliant, none of their powders require a magnum primer.
 
Thank you Salmoneye - ^^ that's exactly what I was thinking. ^^

If the brass is 357 Magnum, then you're not loading "hot 38 Special's." You're loading 357 - be it light or otherwise.

At any rate, the primer (magnum or standard) is mostly dependent on the propellant being used. With only a few exceptions (and W296 is one of them - HS-6 being another), a standard primer will work just fine.
 
The brass case is a 357 magnum case, (magnum length), NOT a standard 38 special case. I wanted to load 38+p rounds using 357 magnum brass. A +p load is "hotter" than a standard load. But I did not want to load up into magnum velocities. The magnum cases are longer than the 38 special cases. If you want to call it a light 357 magnum load then so be it. A rose by any other name. All I'm trying to do, SAFELY, is find a load that "bridges" the gap between the highest velocity 38 special load and the lowest 357 magnum load. This is what I did, very successfully with the 44 caliber. Does that make sense now?
My question stems from the fact the the Winchester large pistol primer is used for BOTH 44 special and 44 magnum loads. That perk is not available for small pistol loadings, magnum or otherwise.
I appreciate the input and will certainly research my powders before choosing the primer. If a lead bullet is not appropriate then I will find a jacketed bullet.
 
Which LSWC?? Swaged lead like Hornady / Speer or Hard Cast?

Which powder?

Standard SP primers will be fine in most circumstances. Only a few powders really call for Manum primers and even then they are not REQUIRED in all but a narrow set of circumstances.
 
Have not decided on powder yet. Using hard cast 158LSWC. NOTE: there are NO 38+p loads listed in either my Hornady or Speer manuals.
 
Unless you are going to use a "Magnum" powder then use a standard primer. I've loaded many maximum charges of unique with a 125gn bullet at about 1300+ fps with a standard primer. They all went bang and burned very cleanly.
 
The swaged lead loads in Speer and Hornady are barely more than 38 +P velocity and pressure levels. They are kept below 1000 fps for a reason. If a +P equivelent load is what you are after.. look at THOSE loads for guidance.

BTW.. hard cast and lower pressure is asking for leading. But that is a different subject.
 
I've done this a lot; load .38 Special loads in .357 Magnum brass. No big deal really. I used .38 Special data, including primers, right out of the book (up to +P and nearing low .357 loads), but I realize the velocities listed for the .38 will be higher than those in 357 brass.

Mebbe this is why I understood the OP's
Primer for loading up hot 38 specials? The brass is 357.
Click to expand...
. :p
 
Either primer will work just fine. I often just use CCI 550's on press because it's kind of a pain to switch. I use them for everything from light 38 special loads, to 9mm, to hot .357's.

The average velocity differences I've seen posted online are around 10 to 20 fps. This is often a smaller difference than the slight velocity differences due to variations in powder drops from round to round.

If i'm loading 32 ACP or 38 S&W rounds i'll switch to regular primers because all my guns are around 100 years old and regular primers will be more than sufficient for either of those cartridges.
 
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