Got a gift at the range on Monday. The range officers know what I shoot as I let them shoot whatever I have with me at the time. When I got ready to leave on Monday, one of the walked up and handed me a couple of larger ammo boxes. In them were once fired .357 cases, about 200+. I take anything they want to give as it all helps the cause. I can remember back in the day when money was tight and the cost of .357 ammo was above my pay grade. We made do with .38 Special cases loaded a tad on the warm side. So I will definitely take .357 cases that folks offer.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Ain't been but a few years since I could easily pick up a few hundred cases a day of most anything that was not a rare or semi rare case in a trip to the local public range.

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun

I can pick up whatever I want at the range. They usually have six 55 gallon drums of brass sitting around on the rifle and the pistol ranges. Just thought it was nice they thought enough of me to save the ,357 for me. Most folks will shoot .38 Special before they go to the "higher priced spread" for just shootem' up range ammo.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

AJ,

I would load the Thompson bullet, 358156, in the lower crimp groove in 38 S&W Special brass, over whatever Skeeter Skelton suggested. I still have a bunch and they are great to shoot in my Heavy Duty. Even after magnum brass became plentiful, I preferred the Skeeter load.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Ahhh!! The good old days!!

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I have the opposite problem at my local indoor range...the employees are often sweeping up brass behind me as I am shooting. I have gotten to the point of picking up my brass between reloads. Usually new employees...after I address the issue, they will just sweep my stuff towards me. The range does not allow retrieving brass that falls in front of the firing line...I get that...but I sometimes wonder if they are doing it to prevent a potential slipping hazard or just adding to their remelt pot...

When you put a .38 special load into a .357 Mag case HOW DOES that CHANGE the pressure ?

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V/r,
Markham

[QUOTE=Claymore33;141984212]When you put a .38 special load into a .357 Mag case HOW DOES that CHANGE the pressure ?[/QUOTE


What we loaded in our younger days would be considered not to smart nowadays. In a revolver chambered for .38 Special it would be a dangerous load. In a revolver chambered for .357 Magnum, it would be acceptable. I ran the two loads through my loading program "Quickload" and the chamber pressure in the .38 Special would be 17709 PSI, which is a dangerous load. In the .357 Magnum the chamber pressure would be 17911 PSI which is a safe load. I was using a 125 grain bullet with 11.5 grains of 2400 as a load. Back in the day I was using a Colt Trooper .357 magnum, never would have tried it is a revolver chambered for .38 Special. Now the guys with .33/44's might be more adventurous.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

[quote=AJ;141984242]SAAMI pressure limit for .38 Special is 17K psi, so the load you describe in a medium or large frame .38 would be a limited use/harder on the gun round. And probably really unpleasant to use in any J frame or Airweight.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

[quote=murphydog;141984254]Alan,

In a Colt Trooper (Basically about the size of a K Frame) the load I mentioned is stout. Both in a .38 Special or a .357 Magnum case. Not the upper limit for the .357 yet.

AJ

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

At the indoor range I go to there's a guy who knows I reload, so he makes sure to sweep frequently in order to prevent me from grabbing my cases....

At the DNR range one of the RSO's used to save brass for me if he knew it was something I'd want. I'd bring him sample packs of cast bullets occasionally so it worked out well.