38 s&w

Yari

Yari

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Found A nice old model 10 that I will be taking home fairly soon.
It is chambered for 38s&w so I will have to start loading my own.
Could anyone recommend a good load to try out.
I heard that the model 10 can take a hotter load then most stuff in 38s&w.
Also I know it has been long discontinued but does anyone know if and/or where i could find a lee loader for this caliber.
Thanks in advance.
 
First you should try to source some lead bullets of the correct diameter. 38S&W is fatter than a 38Spl.

If you tell us what weight of bullets you found and list the pistol powders you happen to have on hand, we can suggest a load.

I got my 38 S&W bullets from the Bullet Barn (near you).

Yes, the M10 can be loaded hotter than what you would load for Saturday Night Special.
 
I can't get to my Lyman manual at the moment so can't look up loads, but as to reloading, site sponsor Budget Shooter Supply can get you Lee dies, powder etc. Rusty Wood Trading Co. out here in Mission has Starline .38 S&W brass (and powdets) For bullets, try Terry ("jethunter" here on CGN) at jetbullets.com. He specializes in bullets for obsolete calibres. :)
 
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I will second the idea of contacting jethunter for bullets. He knows the ins and outs of cartridges such as the 38S&W.
Starline brass can be sourced from the other suppliers mentioned. Rather than a Lee hand loader consider the small Lee press (name escapes me), dies and an inexpensive hand primer. Much easier to use and will be useful if you want to try any other handloading.
Congrats on the new revolver!
 
The 38spl HBWC will work pretty well in these too. They expand easily to seal the bore. Clays is my go to powder for this cartridge.
 
Worth while to slug the bore. One of our guys has one and the barrel slugged out at .357. His was a wartime gun made for the US Army. I suspect there maybe more S&W revolvers out there with barrels made for the 38spl but labelled 38 S&W from the war period. Needless to say it shoots lead bullets cast for the 38 spl very well.

Take Care

Bob
 
.38 S&W is still made I have 6 boxes of Remington target in my ammo room, rusty wood a sponsor has 38 S&W, not sure if it is long or short, pricey too, western metal has it sometimes, I got mine at sail sporting goods in Ontario, but you can find it, just ottacdig a bit, I paid $37. A box for mine, most times I see it for $45-$50. I will be reloading the brass of course!
Oh yea, mine is a webley, with a war finish, looks awesome!
 
Omaproducts sells a 160gr .38 Super lead round nose that works well in my Victory model.

I use 2.3gr of W231, and an OAL of 1.150
 
yomomma said:
38s&w usually 200 grain or 146 grain with .360 diameter.

I've been playing with HS-6.

Commercial ammo can still be found for this caliber. Pricy but it's not that uncommon.

https://www.tradeexcanada.com/content/38-sw-ammunition-remington-146gr-lead-rn
Click to expand...

HS6 is a slow powder very well suited to hot loads in pistol calibers. It is not a good choice for 38S&W, unless it is all you have. Something in the TightGroup to 231 range would be a better choice, if you have that on the shelf.

Canuck - your point about a Smith being 357 sounds like something I should check. I have been shooting 361 bullets in mine and never bothered to slug it. I have other 38s that most probably are the larger diameter, but maybe my Smith is not.
 
I honestly have done no research yet, or have any equipment to support this caliber yet.
I have a reloading manual, which I usually refer too. however, personal experience speaks louder to me then a book.
Thanks guys for the references. Had no idea about these sort of suppliers near me.
 
Ganderite what got me on to it happened by chance. The gun in question was a hand me down for one of our members. Someone in his family had taken a file to the front sight reducing it's height by half. The gun shot about a foot high using 38S&W factory and my initial loads using a 158 gr bullet. Too, the gun mechanically is in great shape, unfortunately the exterior looks like it was left out in the rain for a month. I ended up going to a 125 gr bullet unsized meant for the 9MM. With the load I developed the gun now shoots point of aim. The owner does not want to spend any money on the gun and is happy with the load I developed. The gun grouped well enough which got me thinking about the bore and the rest is history.

I would not be surprised if some of these early guns went out with 38spl barrels due to the need for quantity back in the early 40's.

My problem is I am chasing PPQ's at the moment so my gun funds are dissipating rather quickly I am afraid. If a Model 10 comes up in the spring I maybe tempted. My bucket list contains a Victory Model with a new 38spl cylinder installed. Using 38spl brass I suspect one could have some fun chasing a load using 200 gr Lyman molds. Doesn't make much sense but then our hobby hardly needs to make sense.LOL

Take Care

Bob
 
gewehr76 said:
Op you don't have to buy 38sw dies, 9x19 dies can be used or set up to reloas 38sw. Only have to buy proper shell holder for rimmed case, 38 special will work. Otherwise Titan reloading carry them.
Click to expand...

I use my 9mm carbide die to resize, and a proper .38 S&W seating die.
 
Some revolver chambers are bored straight through. Others have a chamber lip inside. If the chamber has a lip, it will hold a 9mm case perfectly. A 9mm is a rimless 38 S&W.

Just decap the 9mm. no need to size it. Stick in a 38 bullet and you have good plinking ammo. Poke the empties out with a pencil.

Just be careful to NEVER load your 38S&W with 9mm ammo. That is, don't put 35,000 psi ammo in a 12,000 psi gun.

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