Arcosdad: Photos of the reloaded rounds would help in diagnosing the problem. If not available though, this info may be useful.
Do the reloaded rounds only go part way in, then stick? To the point where you have to push them into the chamber to make them seat?
When this happens, it's usually the crimp that's at fault
Do you see a noticeable bulge in the case body, just beyond the crimp? If so, the case is over-crimped. This is a fairly common occurrence, with combination bullet seating/crimp dies. Where bullet seating and crimp are carried out in the same operation. That's why it's often recommended to crimp cartridge cases in a separate operation.
Note: If the bulge is not uniform around the entire circumference of the case and appears on one side only, then the bullet was seated crooked.
Which can also cause difficulty in chambering.
The cure: If your reloader friend has access to a Lee Factory Crimp Die(For .38/.357), simply have him run the cartridges through the Lee crimp die, again. Of course, he will need to set up the die to re-crimp the cartridge. Afterwards, check whether the re-crimped rounds will chamber easily. They should.
The Lee Factory Crimp Die has a carbide ring that acts to smooth out any irregularities in the cases..ie: bulges. Leaving behind a nice, smooth crimp.
Hope this helps.
Al
ps: it's also possible that the chamber dimensions of your S&W are slightly more generous, than the Uberti. So, one might accept the over-crimped reloaded round, where the other might not. Something that doesn't occur with factory ammo.
. I have the same gun in 7.5 inch, a .36 cap and ball that I do want to sell.
