Does anyone have Elmer Keith’s .38 special load data?
For background, and since it’s been awhile, I have a 4 inch 10-6, I love it, It’s not my primary carry (although it’s filling that role at the moment due to a variety of circumstances), but I love it for pocket carry (yes I have deep cargo pockets, for context, a full size 1911A1 also fits), it just sits right without moving around and doesn’t feel like I have a brick in my pocket like some of my other options, and I’m just fond of it. However I lack confidence in .38 special, especially given that I have only 6 shots, I would feel much more confident with .357 magnum and previous researched the possibility of doing a conversion as their WAS a .357 version of the 10-6 and the model 13 used the same frame but I ruled that out due to a lack of drop in conversion cylinders and an inability to find a gunsmith willing to modify a .38 special cylinder. My next thought was to develop a hand load but due to only finding SAAMI load data I eventually gave up on that as my ability to properly test is limited testing ability (all I have is a chronograph) and continued difficulty scrounging reloading components in this never ending shortage. It took me 6 months just to find a single box of primers, (I flatly refuse to pay a scalper a single penny) prior to that I was having to cannibalize other .38 special rounds for components.
So now I have a new idea, history. I know the .357 magnum came from Elmer Keith hot loading .38 special and that most of his loads were indeed what we would call .357 magnum loads today, only in a .38 special case, what I don’t know is his load data and I’m not sure where to find it.
I do know the 10-6 can handle the pressure though, given that Smith and Wesson did it themselves, and I also have heard from any sources that the .38 special and .357 magnum cylinders used a common blank and were simply cut differently, and that gunsmiths decades ago did conversions fairly regularly with good results so I do not doubt that the cylinder can handle .357 magnum pressure levels but I do NOT know how to avoid exceeding them, that’s where old Elmer Keith comes in. Does anyone have his load data or can point me to where I can find it?
My gun, my hands, if nothing else it will be an interesting history project, recreating Elmer’s old loads that spawned the .357 Magnum.
For background, and since it’s been awhile, I have a 4 inch 10-6, I love it, It’s not my primary carry (although it’s filling that role at the moment due to a variety of circumstances), but I love it for pocket carry (yes I have deep cargo pockets, for context, a full size 1911A1 also fits), it just sits right without moving around and doesn’t feel like I have a brick in my pocket like some of my other options, and I’m just fond of it. However I lack confidence in .38 special, especially given that I have only 6 shots, I would feel much more confident with .357 magnum and previous researched the possibility of doing a conversion as their WAS a .357 version of the 10-6 and the model 13 used the same frame but I ruled that out due to a lack of drop in conversion cylinders and an inability to find a gunsmith willing to modify a .38 special cylinder. My next thought was to develop a hand load but due to only finding SAAMI load data I eventually gave up on that as my ability to properly test is limited testing ability (all I have is a chronograph) and continued difficulty scrounging reloading components in this never ending shortage. It took me 6 months just to find a single box of primers, (I flatly refuse to pay a scalper a single penny) prior to that I was having to cannibalize other .38 special rounds for components.
So now I have a new idea, history. I know the .357 magnum came from Elmer Keith hot loading .38 special and that most of his loads were indeed what we would call .357 magnum loads today, only in a .38 special case, what I don’t know is his load data and I’m not sure where to find it.
I do know the 10-6 can handle the pressure though, given that Smith and Wesson did it themselves, and I also have heard from any sources that the .38 special and .357 magnum cylinders used a common blank and were simply cut differently, and that gunsmiths decades ago did conversions fairly regularly with good results so I do not doubt that the cylinder can handle .357 magnum pressure levels but I do NOT know how to avoid exceeding them, that’s where old Elmer Keith comes in. Does anyone have his load data or can point me to where I can find it?
My gun, my hands, if nothing else it will be an interesting history project, recreating Elmer’s old loads that spawned the .357 Magnum.
