9mm cast bullets in .38 special plinking loads

Smith357 · #1 07-16-2009, 10:19 PM

I have about 500 hard cast 110 grain .356 9mm bullets that I hate to just melt down. I'm wondering if they can be used up in some plinking loads for my .38 special. I'm not epecting stellar accuracy from them since they would be undersized, but would they do any harm to me or the S&W model 14 revolver in which I plan on using them.

SW CQB 45 · #2 07-16-2009, 10:34 PM

see if anyone would want to trade in the classified section.

max · #3 07-16-2009, 11:17 PM

Shoot them! Several years ago I was in a similar situation. I loaded them on the light side to shoot in my snub. You might get a bit of leading, but that is a small price to pay. It is way too much work to melt them and then recast. If somebody wanted to trade that would be ok, but not necessary.

LAH · #4 07-17-2009, 09:02 AM

The only trouble you'll have is leading. Undersized hard lead at low pressure is asking for it. You might try coating them with liquid alox before loading.

Landric · #5 07-18-2009, 04:00 AM

I loaded a bunch of Missouri Bullet 125 grain RNL .356 bullets as .38 Special plinkers here recently. I didn't have any leading problems and accuracy was not bad at all (of course I wasn't shooting bullseye targets, so YMMV).

The only real problem I had was that some brands of brass (especially R-P) don't grip the bullets well since they are undersized, and they lack a crimp groove, so I was basically creating my own with a Lee FCD. I saw OAL flux due to this issue, but with my low pressure plinkers it wasn't that much of an issue.

Its not ideal. I did it because I had a bunch of the bullets and I decided to stick with heavier bullets in 9x19mm and I didn't want to waste the 125 grain RNLs (or load them in 9x19). Once the .356 bullets are gone I'll get .358 125 grain bullets for my plinkers.

Now I'm working in the other direction, loading 158 grain .358 RNL bullets in 9x19mm. So far I've had good luck, no over pressure signs, no excessive leading, and good accuracy.

Smith357 · #6 07-18-2009, 07:44 AM

I have loaded up a dozen test rounds and will be heading to the range today to check them out. I also have a few .45acp loads to test and a few 148 WCs to test. Then I have to re-zero my .22lr rifle since the action came out of the stock during the last cleaning.

TSQUARED · #7 07-18-2009, 08:03 AM

A fellow shooters wife had a bunch of 9mm 125 gr. lead truncated cone bullets. He shoots them in 38 Special using a mild load and has not experienced any leading problems.

epj · #8 07-18-2009, 09:55 AM

Not too long back I tried some commercial cast bullets in a 9mm at moderate velocities. Within a few rounds, the barrel was leaded so badly the bullets were keyholing. Upon closer examination, the bullets, which were marked .356, were actually .354-.355. Also were fairly hard. Modest .38 velocities may be enough lower than modest 9mm velocities to preclude leading, but if I could trade those bullets for some the right size, I'd sure do it.

Smith357 · #9 07-18-2009, 07:51 PM

I just returned from the range and the 110 grain .356 hard cast bullets worked perfectly with no signs of leading after 24 rounds using 4 grains of bullseye. They were not as accurate as my normal 148 grain WCs and point of impact was about 2 inches low but all in all I'm pretty satisfied with it for just plinking around with.

sheepman · #10 07-20-2009, 07:18 PM

Have loaded 9mm lead bullets in 38 special to shoot in a derringer,made a nice practice load. Have also shoot 4 or 5 hundred in 38 snub nose with no problem. If you can't trade them, use them in the 38. Good luck : Bill