Bullet mold and gas checks .38 S&W
- Thread starter ltcajh
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BUFF
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I wouldn't use a gas check mould for that cartridge. Recommended velocities are low enough that you run the risk of one dislodging and sticking in the bore, possibly ringing it on the next shot.
11e40
Member
.358 lead bullets work just fine in my .38 s&w victory models. hth.
kimporter
Member
matts bullets in ark has 361 dia bullets,in 148 gn and 200 gn,cheap prices too
Most early Ideal moulds drop .360 or so. I have a couple like that. Guys can't seem to give away Lyman 360271 moulds on the auction sites. If you want 200 grainers, try Lyman 358430 and juggle alloys a bit. This moulds a favorite of some of the gun rag 'riters. And lastly, NOE has quite a lot of .360 moulds in stock, and has a copy of the original 380-200 British mould scheduled for a group buy in a couple of months. Where have you been looking? They're all over the place.
I looked up Lee moulds on Midway, Cabellas, Ebay, AuctionArms, Gunbroker, and Track of the Wolf. In my old breaktop I read not to use 200 grain. I'll look at the Lyman you suggested. You folks have given some good leads, thank you.
imashooter2
Member
Night Owl Enterprises sells a number of molds at a nominal .360. The one I had dropped .362. I wanted it for .38 Special and .357 magnum and traded it off. They also sell a 200 grain mold at .364 nominal just for .38 S&W. NOE molds are not inexpensive, but they are pretty good quality. Link:
.364, NOE Bullet Moulds
.364, NOE Bullet Moulds
ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I agree, especially if you're using Black Powder. Actually, you should use a soft alloy when using Black Powder to be sure you can seal off the gasses when using a powder that generates such low pressures.
I suggest a plane base bullet and an alloy that will drop 10 BHN or even lower.
A new production mould would be like finding a hens tooth, but as I mentioned, the 360271 is a specific .360+ bullet, and Even my old 358311 Lymans drop at 360. Look for moulds marked "Ideal". I wouldn't use 200 gr in a breaktop either. Remember to cast bullets soft for black powder. 1:20 or 1:16 tops. Don't use wheelweights either, but you probably already know that.
