I was recently reading through the June 2010 Handloader and the article on the Registered Magnum's and the use of the old cast bullet #358429. Brian Pearce stated that in order to make it fit (Since it was designed for .38 Specials) you need to seat and crimp the bullet over the forward driving band. But I read another article in Handloader on .357's and that bullet that says you need to trim your brass way back, to 1.200. So I am going to do both with a moderate load of 2400. Has anyone tried any of these in the old N-frame .357's with the recessed cylinders? I used to just trim the brass back to trim length in my earlier Model 27, but that won't work with the one I have now, and I don't want to take any chances.

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Vaya con Dios

or just use .38 Special brass...

If you read Skeeter and others, they used the 38 brass.

Fortunately it can be seated to the crimp groove in .357 brass in my guns. Keith recommended crimping over the front band. Shortening .357 mag brass is also an acceptable method for obtaining a good crimp with an OAL that will fit. Seating to the crimp groove in .38 special brass or crimping over the front band in .357 yields nearly identical OAL but I do not like putting magnum loads in.38 brass-I own too many 38's.

It's about the only bullet I use in .357 anymore For my 27's/28's I just seat a little deeper and crimp into the front driving band.

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S&W Accumulator

I would also, and do use .38 Special brass instead of trimming back expensive .357 Magnum brass. One suggestion though, I suggest using a magic marker to color in the primer so you can easily identify the "hot" magnum loads so as to minimize the chance of using them in a .38 Special. By coloring in the primer you can't miss the marking and when you remove the primer the mark is gone if you choose to load the brass back to .38 Special pressures. (which I don't do)

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

38 brass and 5.0 of Unique nice all around load.

I use 15.0 gr of Alliant 2400 (2004 vintage) with the 358429 seated deep enough (in .357 brass) to chamber in my M28-2. Since I use a taper crimp, I don't go all the way to the end of the front driving band. It clocks at 1380 fps average and 1420 fps MV with 775 ft lbs of ME. I also use a CCI 400 primer and with a standard mainspring, shooting single action, it'll shoot every time.

Refer to my response this thread:

Smith and Wesson Forums • View topic - The .357 Magnum and Lyman bullet #358429



Bruce

I messed with the 358429 bullet for a few years. Unless you crimp over the front driving band or use .38 Spl brass you're going to have problems in N frame S&W's.

That bullet was designed for the .38 Spl case, not the .357 magnum. I've had no problems with accuracy crimping over the front band so that's what I do in mag brass.

Even Elmer Keith admitted he made that bullet to long. But it's still a great bullet.