dmy
Member
I've read other posts where some believe the 929 uses a .357 barrel which makes the 929 inherently less accurate. Does anyone have reliable information whether the 5" 986 barrels use .357 barrels rather than ones which have a .356" bore?
986 barrel question
- Thread starter dmy
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I have a 929, but I have never slugged the bore but, it does shoot .357 dia bullets quite accurately.
With that said, I would venture to guess that if S&W is using .357 dia barrels on a 9mm revolver, they are most likely putting them on 357 cal revolver.
With that said, I would venture to guess that if S&W is using .357 dia barrels on a 9mm revolver, they are most likely putting them on 357 cal revolver.
MWC2068
Member
I have both and they both like .357/.358 dia. bullets and they are quite accurate using bullets that are at those dimensions..
Thank you for your responses. I have a couple of follow up questions if you don't mind.
Do your revolvers shoot .356" diameter 9mm projectiles with the same accuracy as the .357/.358" diameter bullets and
When you seat .357/.358" diameter bullets, is there a noticeable skirt around the case mouth which makes the rounds tight when loading?
Do your revolvers shoot .356" diameter 9mm projectiles with the same accuracy as the .357/.358" diameter bullets and
When you seat .357/.358" diameter bullets, is there a noticeable skirt around the case mouth which makes the rounds tight when loading?
My 929 shoots .356 dia bullets good but it shoots the .357 better. .355 not so good.
I'm not sure what you mean by "skirt" but the bullets do go in tight. All non crimp bullets go in tight. That's what holds them in the case.
I'm not sure what you mean by "skirt" but the bullets do go in tight. All non crimp bullets go in tight. That's what holds them in the case.
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The chamber throats on my 986 are .357+. If I shoot .356 coated bullets, accuracy is off, and I get leading at the forcing cone.
I started to load .358 coated bullets. Accuracy improved and leading was greatly reduced.
I struggled at first seating the .358 bullets in the 9 mm case with a standard 9 mm expander. I switched to a Lyman M die that I had on hand for loading my 357 Mag and the problem was solved. There is no problem with chambering the rounds in the gun.
Looks like S&W took the cheap way out using 38/357 tooling for the 986 and its cousin the 929. This makes them handloader's guns if you want acceptable performance.
So disappointing and unacceptable in such high price guns.
I started to load .358 coated bullets. Accuracy improved and leading was greatly reduced.
I struggled at first seating the .358 bullets in the 9 mm case with a standard 9 mm expander. I switched to a Lyman M die that I had on hand for loading my 357 Mag and the problem was solved. There is no problem with chambering the rounds in the gun.
Looks like S&W took the cheap way out using 38/357 tooling for the 986 and its cousin the 929. This makes them handloader's guns if you want acceptable performance.
So disappointing and unacceptable in such high price guns.
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Lou_the_welder
Member
.001-.002" is not much. I wouldn't worry.
Sent from my broken phone
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My reloads look just fine. The M die for the 357 mag makes all the difference.
I'm not sure what type of bullets you want to use. I've only loaded .358 coated bullets in 9 mm. I would be reluctant loading other than coated or cast .358 bullets in a 9 mm. Plated bullets are also OK but I never used them. I would, however, be concerned about a pressure spike with even .357 jacked bullets in a 9 mm. Even though they may be OK in the oversize 986 they may not be in another gun. Others with more experience than I can comment on the impact of different bullet types.
I would test chamber a dummy to make sure they chamber in your gun. Probably not a problem for the 986 but other 9 mm guns may be more particular.
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Protocall_Design
Vendor
I built a custom Bianchi Open revolver with a Walther barrel blank. All of their barrels are .355. including the .38/.357 ones in the catalog. Mine shoots .357 jacketed and .358 lead and coated lead very accurately. In a ransom rest it will shoot 125 gr. JHP to 3/8" groups at 25 yd. and 1-1/4" at 50 yd. If I could shoot those groups while holding it, I would win every match. Sadly, I'm the weak link in that chain. Of course, it also shoots .355 and .356 bullets just fine, as well.
The main drama isn't the barrel so much as the cylinder throat diameter. Running 0.357-0.358" bullets keeps them going straight and reduces gas cutting with lead projectiles.
Ole' Jerry Miculek said that these were "true 9mms" but maybe he was just referring to the chambers and not anything "downstream"?
Both my 929 and 986 have the "large" throats. Short corporate memory of similiar situations with the .44s and .45s in the past....
Ole' Jerry Miculek said that these were "true 9mms" but maybe he was just referring to the chambers and not anything "downstream"?
Both my 929 and 986 have the "large" throats. Short corporate memory of similiar situations with the .44s and .45s in the past....
.001-.002" is not much. I wouldn't worry.
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Sorry, l have to disagree. Two thousandths of an inch is the
difference between groups and ''patterns''... Esp at longer distances..
Lou_the_welder
Member
Hey es dubya!
If you read the post before, the man wanted to know if 357 bullets in a 9mm case would bulge or skirt or anything. The caption says it all, those are my bullets! They come out fine! Hence .001-.002" of an inch , putting it in the case , is no problem. Putting it in my press and loading it is fine.
Now if we're talking barrel dimensions vs. Bullet diameter at any and long distances, that's something else. A spread could be a pattern and vice a versa.
Read the posts again. Context is everything they say.
If I said in general, .002 thousandths is nothing. Then call me on it. Loading it in a case, not so much.
Lou
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3rdgeargrndrr
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I believe Lou was responding to the post asking if the .357 bulges the 9mm case mouth.
Actually, I went back and read my original question. Several of the posts provided the answer I suspected which is that the 986 and 929 barrels seem to work well with .357 or .358 bullets from a functional standpoint.
Switching my question a little given the last couple of posts, how do your .356 bullets group compared to .357 or .358 diameter bullets, other things being equal?
Switching my question a little given the last couple of posts, how do your .356 bullets group compared to .357 or .358 diameter bullets, other things being equal?
Protocall_Design
Vendor
Where size matters is the cylinder throats. The front end of the cylinder needs to be bullet size for good groups. Here, .002 matters. This is where the bullet gets lined up to enter the barrel straight, and gas gets sealed off behind the bullet. You can load .357 or .358 in a 9mm case with no problems, the case doesn't care. A good barrel won't be too picky, either.
