Over all length importance?

[MattE93]

I am loading 200 gr SWC .38 S&W, my manual calls for an overall length of 1.175 inches for this load. Problem I am having is at this length the rounds won’t chamber in the cylinder on my enfield revolver. If I cut the OAL to 1.11 inches they chamber just fine. Is it okay to run a 1.11 inch round when the manual calls for 1.175?

If not what are my options. I have already a size the bullets to .359” as the manual calls for.

 

[Ganderite]

OAL in a manual does not mean much. It tells you what they used in their gun.

If you use a shorter OAL, your pressures will be a bit higher.

But since you start at the Start load, no problem. Work up from there.

 

[MattE93]

Awesome thanks. I am planning on using the lower end anyway. Don’t need high velocity out of an old war horse. Just some paper punching fun

 

[MattE93]

On inspection it looks like each chamber has ring of build up in it. A cleaning of each chamber might extended my OAL