27-3 with extra cylinder

[Snapping Twig]

Just did a deal for a 4" blue 27-3. It comes with an extra cylinder for 357-44 B&D.

I almost didn't go for the 27 because the sideplate is stamped for the 357-44, but after some thought I realized that 4" 27's in blue are more than difficult to find, especially here in California.

It's a sideplate and custom fitting aside, it's possible to replace it if I can't live with it - but I can.

What interests me is the extra custom cylinder, AFAIK, made and fitted by B&D themselves.

Doing some research, I find that the B&D is more and also less powerful than 357 maximum, depending on what you read. You can and can't load 180g bullets. You will and won't have setback from the bottleneck cartridge.

What I read consistently is that 44mag brass is easily formed to the B&D.

What do you know about the B&D? Anyone use it?

All I need are some dies and a few things to make my Dillon work with it like a die plate and a powder bar/die, so it's easy to set up for it. Question is, is it worth doing? Does the B&D treat the topstrap and forcing cone like the 357 maximum? That wouldn't be optimum and if it does. That would make me not use it.

 

[29aholic]

You wont have any trouble with the B&D. I had always planned to have a 27 or 28 converted but never did.


Most of the loads you find for the B&D are Contender loads that I would start at the bottom of and work up. The case doesn't have the set back issue the Jet does so no worries there, but keep the chambers dry just in case.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Thanks for the encouragement.

Now for the $64 question - forcing cone and top strap erosion.

Is this an issue? I understand using W296/H110 might be an issue here and that 4227 might make it easier to live with. 357 maximum was well known for issues here, is this the same for the B&D?

I'd hate to harm the 27. There's little long term information about this.

 

[29aholic]

Flame cutting isn't really an issue with heavy bullets. It really was never an issue with the Max when loaded as intended. The issue with the Max was reloaders running lightweight bullets with as much powder as they could stuff behind them. IPSC shooters tried to do the same thing with 9mm. They tried to make a major caliber out of it and eneded up blowing guns up. Basically with hot rod loads intended for 38 Supers.
Personally, and I don't know how much you shoot, I doubt very seriously you would shoot enough to even remotely become an issue. Stick with what the caliber was intended to be loaded with and you'll be good to go. My original intent was to load 180 and 200gr bullets probably with H110.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Gotcha.

Out of respect for my 357's, I don't shoot anything under 160g for the reason that it was originally designed to shoot bullets of that weight and all the other reasons of a short bullet and a large load of ball powder and erosion.

I have several moulds for 160 through 180g, only one for a 148g WC.

Good to know if used as intended it shouldn't eat parts.

Saw a few pictures of the aftermath of hot rod 357 maximum, not a pretty sight. Like you said, they were light bullets.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Anyone shoot the B&D?

Love to know how you like it.

 

[colt_saa]

I have several 357 B&D firearms. Both revolvers and my T/Cs

I also have two DW 357 Super Mags and a T/C barrel in 357 Max

Then there is the 357 Herret which is T/C only

Finally we come to the BIG Autoloaders, 2 LAR Grizzlies in 357/45 GWM (including one of the 10 1/2" long slides) and my old 357 AutoMag that I just sold to a guy that HAD TO HAVE IT

These days I do not shoot the 357B&D so much because the 357 Supermags are just more versitile being able to chamber the 357 Max as well as the 357 Magnum. Of course the 357 Max rules out shootin the S&Ws

As 29aholic has already posted, the erosion issue on the 357 Maximum revolvers was due to folks playing with 125 and 110 grain projectiles. Smith and Wessons little blast shields like are used on the Scandium framed revolvers would have solved that erosion problem

While I shoot a boat load of 125 JHPs and JSPs out of my 357 Magnums, in all of the other .357 bore cartridges I shoot mostly the 158 FMJs or JHPs. I also like the Remington 180 SJHPs, but I am down to my last case of those and there was no production of them this year. At SHOT I will see if they are going to run them next year or not.

I have various .357 molds up to a nice 180 WFN that I got from NOE, but I only use those in the 357 Magnum since my cast handgun projectiles are all plain base

So YES, I like pushing 357 projectiles FASTER