bluetopper
Member
Has anyone ever cut 38 brass to 9mm length and then load them up to 9mm data and pressure and shot them in 38 or 357 revolvers? I’m thinking about doing it and bench resting them at 25yds and seeing the results.
Cut 38 brass to 9mm
- Thread starter bluetopper
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Not sure why you'd want to. Just load .38 case to same level. No cutting.
9mm data is over pressure for .38, even +P, and less than the limits for .357.
Hodgdon Landing | Hodgdon
Follow published data. Anybody can blow up an old .38 revolver by increasing the pressure enough. What's the point?
Hodgdon Landing | Hodgdon
Follow published data. Anybody can blow up an old .38 revolver by increasing the pressure enough. What's the point?
AJ
US Veteran
When there are these ( Best 9mm Revolvers (2020) - Complete Buying Guide | Peak Firearms ) out there would there be a need to cut down a .38 Special and shoot it out of a .38 Special? Covid-Bored?
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Some shooters will load .38 Colt to use with moon clips to speed ejection and reloading with the short case. Might work with a .357 chambered gun.
That pressure is higher than I would want to put in a 38 Special firearm that was in less than good operating condition
So mark those rounds in some obvious way and be careful where you use them
Presuming that you want the shorter cases to reduce the speed loader wobble so that you can do timed reloads faster . . . just use 38 Colt short brass like many competitors do and be done with it
Or go full board and get a second cylinder that is chambered for 9MM and use that on your revolver.
I have two of my 627s setup with cylinders chambered for 9x23 Winchester. Just like any 357 Magnum revolver will fire the shorter 38 Special, 38 Long Colt and 38 Short Colt cartridges my 627s will fire all the shorter cartridges like 38 SUPER, 38 ACP, 9x21, 356TSW, 9MM, 380 ACP and others
So mark those rounds in some obvious way and be careful where you use them
Presuming that you want the shorter cases to reduce the speed loader wobble so that you can do timed reloads faster . . . just use 38 Colt short brass like many competitors do and be done with it
Or go full board and get a second cylinder that is chambered for 9MM and use that on your revolver.
I have two of my 627s setup with cylinders chambered for 9x23 Winchester. Just like any 357 Magnum revolver will fire the shorter 38 Special, 38 Long Colt and 38 Short Colt cartridges my 627s will fire all the shorter cartridges like 38 SUPER, 38 ACP, 9x21, 356TSW, 9MM, 380 ACP and others
Colt SAA, you should be able to find something those will shoot just about anywhere. Gotta love those non-picky eaters!
Why waste your time triming down a 38 case for a 9mm type load when you can just add or adjust a powder load to get what you want ?
A 38 case will never get 9mm speeds.
You have too much time on your hands............
A 38 case will never get 9mm speeds.
You have too much time on your hands............
keithhagan
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There's a lot of folks here taking a long walk out of their own way to come tell OP his question is wrong while avoiding providing a good faith response.
If you don't have a response to the question asked, try keeping your mouth shut instead off flooding the thread with nonsense posts.
Future users of the search feature thank you.
If you don't have a response to the question asked, try keeping your mouth shut instead off flooding the thread with nonsense posts.
Future users of the search feature thank you.
OP
bluetopper
Member
One suggested I just buy a 9mm revolver; I think cutting and making about 24 cases to experiment with would be a lot less expensive and you then would literally have a 9mm revolver that the brass headspaced on the rim as a revolver should.
Some suggested I should just load 38 brass to 9mm pressures; well how would you know what charge that was? No data. And I wouldn’t want to get those loadings mixed up with other 38 loadings. I’m just wondering how much the longer jump to the throat would affect accuracy benching it at 25 yds. Anyway, I just thought it would be a neat experiment.
Some suggested I should just load 38 brass to 9mm pressures; well how would you know what charge that was? No data. And I wouldn’t want to get those loadings mixed up with other 38 loadings. I’m just wondering how much the longer jump to the throat would affect accuracy benching it at 25 yds. Anyway, I just thought it would be a neat experiment.
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I've never done it and it sounds interesting, but the bullet will be that much further from the forcing cone leaving more distance to travel and more variation. I would think that even if done within safe pressures the accuracy might suffer. Let us know how you make out. Good luck.
AJ
US Veteran
You might just get some .38 S&W cases and try it. Haven't done the math on the case length comparison. But visually look about the same.
Keep us posted and don't hurt yourself or the gun.
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I look forward to your tests. What's the purpose of your tests?
9mm equivalent loads should work in a .357 rated revolver. But, will your shortened .38 special brass be any different than .38 Short Colt brass?
I know several shooters that run .38 SC in their clips to speed revolver reloads for USPSA matches. Those loads tend to be USPSA minor power factor and well with in .38 Special loads.
Good luck,
- Dave
9mm equivalent loads should work in a .357 rated revolver. But, will your shortened .38 special brass be any different than .38 Short Colt brass?
I know several shooters that run .38 SC in their clips to speed revolver reloads for USPSA matches. Those loads tend to be USPSA minor power factor and well with in .38 Special loads.
Good luck,
- Dave
This!
I did some experimenting about 30 years ago along these lines.
I used 135 Grn LRNFP and at the time I was using a lot of W231. I don't recall anything remarkable in speed of reloads or accuracy and lost interest due to the volume of shooting I was doing!
Smiles,
I did some experimenting about 30 years ago along these lines.
I used 135 Grn LRNFP and at the time I was using a lot of W231. I don't recall anything remarkable in speed of reloads or accuracy and lost interest due to the volume of shooting I was doing!
Smiles,
Why not just get a revolver that fires 9mm and .38 spec./.357? I've been doing that for many years with this old model Ruger Blackhawk from 1970. Cylinder changeout is easy and quick, and one can get ammo for it anywhere in the world.
John
John
gwpercle
Member
Do a search on the term 9mm Federal Rimmed . Introduced in 1989 . Charter Arms and S&W made revolvers until it was discovered they could be fired in 38S&W revolvers with unpleasant results, lots of S&W top breaks out there ... can we say the word "Liability" ... a lawyer could have a field day with this case ...so ...
Both firearms and ammo have been obsolete for a good 25 years .
A single round now sells for $5.00 on the bullet collector market .
Gary
Both firearms and ammo have been obsolete for a good 25 years .
A single round now sells for $5.00 on the bullet collector market .
Gary
Gwpercle beat me to it. 9mm Federal - Roberson Cartridge Company
Over my reloading "career" I have done a lot of experiments, many "jes cuz I wanna know". I have reloaded more 44 Magnums than any other caliber and I played with different components, different loads in both 44 Magnum and 44 Special brass and even some "custom length" 44 Magnum brass for feeding in a specific levergun. (I did some testing of reloading 209 battery cups with large pistol, large rifle and magnum primers too. Of any great importance? Probably not, but now I know). I doubt if my experiments would have gotten many good replies, but I wanted to know (I thought about what I was doing beforehand and kept my experiments fairly safe).
I don't see any practical use for the OP's experiment, and may potentially dangerous in some guns, but all knowledge is good and sometime a guy just wants to know...
Over my reloading "career" I have done a lot of experiments, many "jes cuz I wanna know". I have reloaded more 44 Magnums than any other caliber and I played with different components, different loads in both 44 Magnum and 44 Special brass and even some "custom length" 44 Magnum brass for feeding in a specific levergun. (I did some testing of reloading 209 battery cups with large pistol, large rifle and magnum primers too. Of any great importance? Probably not, but now I know). I doubt if my experiments would have gotten many good replies, but I wanted to know (I thought about what I was doing beforehand and kept my experiments fairly safe).
I don't see any practical use for the OP's experiment, and may potentially dangerous in some guns, but all knowledge is good and sometime a guy just wants to know...
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Pardon the clipped quote, but your last point sums up my thoughts exactly. I've read, but not confirmed that at one time a high mucky muck at the US Patent Office claimed "all things that can be invented have already been invented." Much the same as Bill Gates saying "540k should be enough for anyone."
If we fail to do things just because of the naysayers we're in tough shape. Curiosity and wonder are great things in my book. I don't want to derail the thread, but: What is at the end of the universe? What's out there??? That always gets my curiosity and wonder in a spin.
BlackTalonJHP
Member
No, but I've trimmed many, many cases to .38 short Colt length and loaded them to .380 ACP levels. They are lower recoil and quicker to eject with the short ejector rods on 2" J frames.
BlackTalonJHP
Member
BTW my method is to use a tubing cutter to cut 3/16" or so off and then the LEE .38 short colt trimmer chucked in a drill motor.
