Overloading 38sp?

[Wheeler57]

Is there anything wrong with loading 38sp to 357 levels if I am using a 357 to shoot it in. It looks like there is enough room in the casing.

 

[arjay]

I'd do it in an L or N frame only after reading up on the 38/44 and working my way up carefully.

 

[OKFC05]

Several Problems:
1. By putting the load in a smaller case, you change the expansion ratio and raise the pressure an unknown amount.
2. The heads of .357 cases are not identical to .38 cases internally.
3. When someone puts your overlaod in a .38 chamber, guess what? That's WHEN , not if.

 

[arjay]

There is quite a bit of information from various posters who have played with this (I haven't),so do a search and proceed with caution.

 

[gwpercle]

Is there anything wrong with loading 38sp to 357 levels if I am using a 357 to shoot it in. It looks like there is enough room in the casing.

When I bought a Ruger Blackhawk 357 magnum in 1967, 38 special cases could be picked up by the bucket full at the local range. Not many 357 mag. cases were left lying around. We would use the Lyman #358156 bullet, seated in the lower crimp groove, which is why there were two crimp grooves . It was designed for loading 357 loads in 38 spcl. cases , it sounds like a dangerous thing to do but back then I didn't see ( or experience) any problems. Worked OK back then. Never did try to see if a round so loaded would fit in a 38 special chamber...Must keep them out of 38 specials.

Gary

 

[KLYDE]

Some of my numerous reloading manuals specifically caution against trying to achieve .357 magnum loads in .38 Spl cases. They warn that excessively high pressures will result. I'd guess that it has to do with the shorter case.

 

[oberon]

I would ask 'what's the point?'.

 

[Wheeler57]

I would ask 'what's the point?'.

I already have plenty of 38 cases and mostly 357 revolvers so I was just wondering if there was any harm loading those same cases to higher energy loads.

 

[noylj]

Why would any one want to do something that has no benefits and lots of possible problems?
As stated, the case insides are not the same. The .38 Special was a black powder cartridge, so it has lots of room for black powder. The .357 Mag had to be expanded so it wouldn't fit in even sloppy .38 Specials. The case volume is not a challenge for you to try to fill.
If one uses .38 Special cases in a .357 Mag, then at the very least you will build up powder reside in the chamber that will interfere with .357 Mag cases fitting.
I MUCH prefer to download .357 Mag to .38 Spl in my .357s then to even consider putting a .38 case in one.

 

[rwsmith]

I feel the say way, but.......

I MUCH prefer to download .357 Mag to .38 Spl in my .357s then to even consider putting a .38 case in one.

I want to have all .357 cases to do just that. Problem is that for the last year .357 brass is very hard to find and darn expensive when you do.

I'm saving my .38 spec brass, though, just in case I need it in adverse conditions.

 

[*chris*]

Is there anything wrong with loading 38sp to 357 levels if I am using a 357 to shoot it in. It looks like there is enough room in the casing.

How about looking at 38+P loads before going straight to 357 MAG loading? That should give you a good idea of the pressure differences between the two cartridges.

Chris

 

[Wheeler57]

How about looking at 38+P loads before going straight to 357 MAG loading? That should give you a good idea of the pressure differences between the two cartridges.

Chris

That is certainly a good choice

 

[riverrat38]

I would ask 'what's the point?'.

Probably only of academic interest to most of us, but, according to a book "Pin Shooting" by Mitchell Ota, by Wolfe Publishing, 1991, Jerry Miculek did just what we are talking about.
He was using an 8-3/8 in M27 to clear a 5 pin table in 2.8 seconds.
He loaded the 200 gr bullets in 38 Special cases, presumably so he could use the crimping grove, and still be able to chamber the long cartridges in the N frame cylinder.
I think he uses .45 ACP in a M625 these days, to do the same.

Best,
Rick

 

[blujax01]

Just for fun, I put 15 grains of 2400 in a 38 Special case. I did not try it, but I guarantee you would be compressing the load if you seated a bullet in that round.

 

[Bohica793]

I regularly load 12.0 grains of 2400 under a 358429 170 grain Keith in 38 special cases for my Dan Wesson Model 15-2 357. Produces 1300 fps and is deadly accurate.

 

[spad124]

I already have plenty of 38 cases and mostly 357 revolvers so I was just wondering if there was any harm loading those same cases to higher energy loads.

To reduce bullet jump you are probably better off loading .357 cases to .38 or .38+P levels. The topic was discussed in Handloader within the last two years. .38 power levels in .357 cases gave better accuracy. Tried it- it works in my L frame.

Trade your .38 cases for .357s at a gun show. Or pick up a M10 or M15 for your .38s.

 

[358156hp]

Some of the 38-44 loads now test at .357 mag proof load levels. I think the 13.5/2400 with a 358156 is supposed to be around this level. That said, I've always gotten better accuracy out of hot loaded 38 spl with heavy bullets. As a disclaimer, I only shoot them in L frames and GP100s any more. N frames would be okay too, but K frames need to get back on the porch for this project. It's too bad in a way. I have a 38 Spl load that shoots like a laser with Coopers load, but it is wayyy off the charts.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I load all my cases to the Head Stamp spec's..........
That way if they get dropped on the floor, mixed up or some one grabs the wrong box of ammo, there is no problems.

Even if I am robbed, and that ammo taken, I would not want that on my mind...............

 

[mikld]

I already have plenty of 38 cases and mostly 357 revolvers so I was just wondering if there was any harm loading those same cases to higher energy loads.

If you want "hotter .38s" for your .357, just stay within +P loads.

For a new reloader, I suggest you stay with proven, well documented load data. After you gain experience and want to make "mini bombs" you'll have a better idea of where to go (hospital emergency room? ). I've always heard "...if a .357 magnum ain't "hot" enough, get yerself a .44 Magnum!").

Here's an area where my "logic" comes into play; I don't pay much (none) attention to any load data from any forum expert, gun shop guru, gun counter clerk, or "pet loads" web site. In 30 years of reloading, I have been able to get plenty of reloading data from my printed reloading manuals. I have checked with powder manufacturer's web sites, but always check the data against on of my manuals...

 

[Maximumbob54]

There is so much misinformation in this thread that it’s getting hard to keep fiction from reality.

Threads like this give forums the bad reputation for finding information.

Bottom line, the modern .38 special case is shorter than the modern .357 magnum case and that is the only serious difference between the two.

It's little wonder that the older names here are hardly posting anymore.