Possible to load LRD as LWC?

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Teac

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So I have a S&W M52 that can only feed .38 wad cutter loads. I dont have wad cutter bullets though but have lead roundnose and flat nose. Is it possible to seat those bullets flush with the case (so they feed) or is this kaboom territory? Load would obviously not be a normal load compressed but a wad cutter load.

Not concerned about accuracy here just safety.

Teac
 
I could be wrong ... and have never owned a M52

I think the Mold and similar moulds to 358091 would work or and DEWC
I think you need to have No nose so your 2 bullet would be too long

Some reading material ... Maybe not what you need

With the 52 if i remember correct you want the lead/ bullet to stick out of the case... it feeds better
if too long it will not fit .. so you need one with a wc design or one with a button nose

Do not try to hot rod it as those guns will not take it ... all you need is a target load ... just to put a hole in paper

if you have not replaced the recoil spring think about it :)

ht tp://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_11_Wadcutter.htm
ht tp://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?44589-Bullet-diameter-for-S-amp-W-model-52
 
Yes. Just start low and work your way up. People have been using bullets backwords for a long time, in rifles its done to make subsonic loads, in pistols its done to make wadcutters. You will have less case capacity so you will need less powder.
 
Its not clear if your planning to, as Evan suggests, load the slugs backwards.

one thing to consider if not, is that cases get thicker as it gets further from the lip so if you seat a given dia slug base-first past the area that the expander die has sized for you there is less room for the slug dia and it will be "squeezed" a bit. This may affect the bore-slug fit and allow a bit of gas blow-out...not a dangerous situation but one that may allow barrel leading to start.

If the lead is cast hard enough, it also has an equal opportunity to swell/bulge the case and make them impossible to chamber
 
^^ right after rereading i think you are correct as he wants to seat the bullet real deep to make it flush. i though he wanted to make a WC out of a round nose after reading the title. but the post doesn't suggest that

You are correct if he wants to seat them regularly but deep. The brass gets thicker and will bulge the case or size the bullet on a slight taper causing the gas to possibly get around it and cause leading.

Id load backwards my self.
 
Last edited:
just having some fun said:
With the 52 if i remember correct you want the lead/ bullet to stick out of the case... it feeds better if too long it will not fit .. so you need one with a wc design or one with a button nose
Click to expand...
The bullets must be seated absolutely flush with the case mouth. I have a Lyman WC mould that casts a very small button on the bullet nose. When I seated the bullet flush to the case mouth with only the button protruding the rounds would not load in the mags. When the instructions say seat the bullet flush to the case mouth they mean exactly that.
 
If you load the bullet that far down in the case so that it does not protrude, then you will
have very little space left in the case .
Even with a very light powder charge I would suspect that the pressures could be excessive.
 
A 150gr wadcutter and a 150gr round nose will occupy the same volume in the case if the RN is upside down and seated to the same length as the wadcutter. Upside down will hopefully have the curvature of the bullet not interfere with the thickening of the case walls.

Should be good to go using the same loads as recommended for the wadcutter.
 
Don't forget that the cast bullets you are talking about are usually about 10 grs heavier, than a swaged, hollow base, 148 gr wadcutter which allows more volume in the case.

Solid bullets loaded backwards is kind of a guessing game with how much powder being the big question....
Have fun & yes, you are right in thinking about safety first!:)
 
Thanks @ All for the responses.

I might have been unclear... Normally the M52 fires ONLY 38 wadcutter bullets that are flush with the case. So the ammo from the side looks like a spent case.

Since I dont have wadcutter bullets (the ones that are complete cylinders, I could have loaded a semi wadcutter or roundnose seated as deep as the wadcutter so that its nose is also flush with the case end. I did not want to reverse the bullet to fly bottom forward.

Also not interested in load increase.

It is a valid point that the case is not cylindrical inside and the best thing to do is probably to pick up some wad cutters and be done with it


This is what it needs:

wadcutter-bullets.jpg
 
Evanguy said:
Yes. Just start low and work your way up. People have been using bullets backwords for a long time, in rifles its done to make subsonic loads, in pistols its done to make wadcutters. You will have less case capacity so you will need less powder.
Click to expand...

Using a denser powder will leave more room in the case for deep seating bullets. HP38 at 3.1 -3.4 gr. would leave lots of room, and provide a very light, but very functional target load. I am running 3.4 gr behiind LSWC in a Ruger GP 100; soft shooting, quiet and accurate; but barely visible in the bottom of the case... that make it easy to not notice a double charge, so be careful.
 
Teac said:
Thanks @ All for the responses.

I might have been unclear... Normally the M52 fires ONLY 38 wadcutter bullets that are flush with the case. So the ammo from the side looks like a spent case.

Since I dont have wadcutter bullets (the ones that are complete cylinders, I could have loaded a semi wadcutter or roundnose seated as deep as the wadcutter so that its nose is also flush with the case end. I did not want to reverse the bullet to fly bottom forward.

Also not interested in load increase.

It is a valid point that the case is not cylindrical inside and the best thing to do is probably to pick up some wad cutters and be done with it


This is what it needs:

wadcutter-bullets.jpg
Click to expand...
Unless you don't have another 38/357 to shoot the bullets you have the best bet is to just buy some wadcutters. Not sure where you're located but in Ontario DRG makes a nice double ended wadcutter that works just fine in Model 52s
 
I've put thousands of wadcutters thru Model 52's, .....that's what they were designed for as a top grade target pistol. Just pick up some 148 grain wadcutters and seat them flush with the mouth, preferably a taper crimp, and over 2.7 grains Bullseye, the proven load, .............and go shoot good scores or candle flames!!!
 
I would try 125-130gr bullets, with more or less a 148 WC load to start depending on seating depth. This has been done in revolvers, I don't know how the brass will hold during feeding.

Have you considered casting your own?
 
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