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Old 11-27-2012, 07:26 AM
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M2MikeGolf M2MikeGolf is offline
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Originally Posted by S&WIowegan View Post
I had a 4" 686 rechambered to .38 Super and also had the cylinder milled to accept moonclips. Works great. Someone has already pointed out the .38 Super has a larger OD than .357 cases, but the bullet specs are the opposite. The .38 Super takes .356" bullets vs. .357 for .38/.357 cartridges. These differences are immaterial if you shoot jacketed bullets. Lead bullets would require trial and error testing.

It is silly to fret about the minor difference in pressure for .38 Super vs. .357 Magnum. That's the kind of comment you get from 'armchair' shooters.
I hope that you are not insinuating that I am an armchair shooter. Minor differences in pressure can result in serious consequences. I've learned that through decades of work as an Infantry Master gunner, in the classroom, on the ranges and in combat zones. I've qualified, fired, worked on or owned a variety of weapons both as a civilian and as a soldier and was highly proficient in military grade weapons to include the 7.62mm machine gun and 25mm cannon. I also worked for two years in a reputable dealership that imported high end hunting rifles and reloaded ammuntion for house designed large caliber belted magnums under the close supervision of a gunsmith that now has his own reputable business. One of the things I learned from him is how important cutting chambers are, and what a slight difference in dimension can make. My job at that factory was test firing (for accuracy) high power rifles, of calibers from .22 LR to .460 Weatherby. I know what I'm talking about, and did not learn it from watching TV or reading magazines. I've seen chambers explode, stocks crack and bolts shatter due to a variety of issues, and was usually invloved in helping determine what caused such issues. Almost all were pressure related in some way shape or form. The M2 .50 is famous for such issues as the headspace must be set by the firer, and is often set incorrectly. It is a similar issue to using ammuntion which does not fit a chamber correctly and can result in serious injury to the firer; the M2 has caused at least one fatality that I know of personally due to incorrect headspace.

Go ahead and chamber ammunition in a chamber not designed for it if you wish, it really doesn't matter to me. Unless you are weapons designer and master gunsmith and work these kinds of dimensions and pressure tests for a living, one should never advise others to undertake a dangerous practice, and firing ammunition in a chamber not designed for it is one of the tops. If silly equals safe, then I've had about thirty years of experience in silliness and no injuries.

In the end, I think having a box of .38 super would either be a good excuse to help out someone who owns one, or finding an old G-man gun for the collection.
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