.38 s&w

jc2cdo

jc2cdo

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I have tried the search function on the subject of reloading .38 S&W and have had no luck.

Do any of you reload for this calibre? I have just been on the phone looking for ammunition and reloading dies.

I have been told that I can use .38 Special dies but the dimensions don't match, bullet and neck size diameters are different.

Thanks in advance
 
Hi. Dies will likely be a special order thing in most shops. Finding the .360" bullets will likely give you grief too. Some guys use Hollow Base bullets though.
Shooter's Choice, in Waterloo, lists Remington ammo. Site says they keep it in stock. $37.95 per 50 for 147 grain RN's. They do ship.
Epp's, oddly enough, doesn't list it. Usually the first place to look. They might have dies though.
 
Thanks sunray, I have received an email back from Epps and they have it in stock, I'm going to visit them tomorrow and look for dies.
 
If you cast, right now there is a group buy on at castboolitis.com that is going to close Aug 15th.It is for a 200 grn. .364 bullet that is very close to the 38/200 that the british used in their revolvers.
 
Use a .38 Super resizing die rather than a steel .38 S&W resizing die, and do away with the lub process. Excellent little guns with a lot of history behind them.
 
I use a carbide RCBS 9mm sizer die, and an old set of RCBS .38 S&W expander and seater dies. Mine is a Victory model, and I use 2.2gr W231 under a 160gr RN from Omaproducts here in BC.
 
I went to Epps this morning, only 40 min up the road and bought 2 boxes of .38 S&W, 146 gr LRN. I also found an old set of carbide dies as well.

After getting home and looking at the dies, the full length sizer die is stamped 38 AUTO while the other two are stamped 38 S&W. Anyone see any problems there?
 
jc2cdo said:
I went to Epps this morning, only 40 min up the road and bought 2 boxes of .38 S&W, 146 gr LRN. I also found an old set of carbide dies as well.

After getting home and looking at the dies, the full length sizer die is stamped 38 AUTO while the other two are stamped 38 S&W. Anyone see any problems there?
Click to expand...

Never tried it myself, but lots of people say they have done so. The pressure on those things is not that high and I can't see it being a problem.
 
38 auto sizing die is proper,my victory s&w likes 2.7 gr unique, webley keyholes with this load,but shoots well with 3.4 unique looser bore than s&w so needs more bullet upset I use wheelweights with just a touch of solder Lee 158 gr. s/w tumble lube style or lyman 158 S/w . blunt round nose work well but the pointier round nose dont
 
You didn't mention type of handgun, very low pressures recommended for US break actions. Enfield and Webley are reputed to be stronger, but use hardest primer available(the strong hammer spring on my surplus Brit's will perforate primers). I use home-cast 200 grain .360 size.
 
It's a S&W Mod 10. I don't actually have the gun yet. The Gunnut I traded with has not sent it yet. Any day now I hope.
 
I got a chance today to take my revolver out to the range today, it was really fun to shoot and my wife enjoyed it as much as I did, very little recoil and very accurate.

I have a question that maybe someone more knowledgable can help me with.

The fired casings show carbon all the way to the rim. Is this a sign that the commercial cartridges are too under powered to cause the casings to form a seal in the chamber or is this common in the .38 s&w?
 
mr.e moose said:
If you cast, right now there is a group buy on at castboolitis.com that is going to close Aug 15th.It is for a 200 grn. .364 bullet that is very close to the 38/200 that the british used in their revolvers.
Click to expand...

I got in on this one and it doesn't close until september 1 now.

Apparently NOE is behind. if you get in on the group buy be patient, custom made anything takes time.

Lee makes carbide dies for 38 S&W. and yes the 380 auto die is the correct one.

suprizingly enough Wholsale Sports in Calgary had 38 S&W commercial ammo in stock when I was there the other day.
 
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