Folks, I recently picked up an unfired 1895 DA Top-Break. It has finish issues (wish the previous owner(s) had wiped it down with an oily rag every decade or so) but mechanically perfect. I'd like to shoot it a little. Rather than trying to find the rather scarce and expensive factory cartridges, I thought I would try to make some.

My old Speer reloading manual shows the S&W cartridge using the same diameter bullet as the 38 Special/357 (.356 or thereabouts). I have quite a few differently branded fired .357 cases so sectioned a selection of them at the .773" S&W case length to see how thick the brass walls were at that height. Some of the brands were too thick at that height but I found some that seem thin enough to load (thick walls at that height would bulge the case out enough after bullet seating so that the loaded round would not chamber).

I plan on using a very light charge of Unique or Bullseye as directed by the Speer manual. I realize the gun I have was made for blackpowder but I know these guns are often shot with modern smokeless loads.

I have always heard that when they reamed out the 38S&W "Victory" model revolvers to take 38 Special rounds that the Special cases would bulge because the S&W chambers were larger in diameter than the Special's. But my Speer manual shows both cases to have about the same diameter.

Anyway, does anyone have any comments/warnings? Thanks, Ralph Boineau in central South Carolina