Bare Necessities for .38 Special

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JayFramer

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Hello friends!

Well, two brand new revolvers just walked into my life: a S&W Model 64 and a Ruger GP100. I absolutely love a good .38, and this brings my total of .38 special/.357 magnum revolvers to 4. The only thing I like more than the revolver themselves, is shooting them.

However, I've come to the conclusion that in order to get my marksmanship up to the level I want to, and to just plain shoot as much as I want to, I'm going to have to start reloading. Let me start off by saying that I'm on a budget, but have plenty of time on my hands to do this.

Basically I am looking to purchase the absolute bare necessities for reloading .38 special 148 grain wadcutters, or other style bullets of .38 special. I will be reloading only for practice ammunition and will not be doing any hot loads or anything of the sort. All I want to be able to do is make a quality box of .38 special target loads as inexpensively as I can.

I am not a reloader, and while I know the general basics behind it, I am not sure as to what would be the best equipment for me to buy. All I know is I have plenty of time, so one of the cheap single stage presses would be fine. I do know I need some dies and stuff... but am not sure exactly what I need.

So I am looking for as low cost and simple a set up as possible for reloading about 300 +/- .38 special target loads per week or so.

Please help me in making a list for the stuff I need! Thanks! :D
 
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It ain't fast, but it is cheap and relatively easy to start with the Lee Loader and just a few tools.
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/51


I would recommend you get a hand priming tool vs. using the Lee Loader for this step.

Otherwise, a nice good condition single stage reloading press will work wonders. Or a used Lee turret.
 
Moe Mentum said:
For reloading on a budget it hard to beat Lee reloading equipment. Single stage press, dies, and a Frankford digital scale will get you going. Add a Harbor Freight digital caliper and your off...
Click to expand...

What he said plus a case tumbler, also a Franklin. You'll be out about $200ish total. Can't go wrong.

Missouri Bullet Co. for lead projectiles, a lb or two of powder, and a box of small pistol primers.
 
Reloading requires one's full attention, patience and dedication. Unlike other pursuits, it is necessary to read and follow instructions to the T.
You need:
(1) reloading manual. Carefully read the front of the manual to get instructions on reloading and adjusting dies, etc.
(2) .38/357 dies with carbide sizer. It costs more, but is worth it. The dies come with instructions.
(3) single stage press
(4) scale (avoid the Lee here) The digital scales are quicker and more straight forward to read, but the balance beams are good. Check weights are a big plus. I've seen some scales (even balance beams) that were a couple of grains off.
(5) powder measure
(6) primer flipper
(7) calipers
(8) loading block
(9) powder funnel
(10) proper shell holder for .38 SPL cases

If you are going to use new brass, then I'd suggest some Imperial sizing wax, even if using a carbide sizing die.

Although not absolutely necessary, most loaders get a brass tumbler of one sort or other and use something like walnut hulls or ground corn cobs to clean and polish their brass. Usually you get what you pay for here. In general, the cheaper models break sooner and more often. The barrel tumblers are generally a little quieter than the vibratory tumblers.

Avoid Smartreloader products. The prices are attractive, but the products are of poor quality. Been there; done that. If you stick with Lee, RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, Redding or Forster products you should be good to go. I personally use mostly RCBS and Lyman products with my single stage press. There are some little features that I like better than some others, but any of the name brands will serve you well.

Of course you'll need cases, small pistol primers and powder. If loading .38 SPL 148 gr. wadcutters, some good powders for light target loads are Alliant Bullseye, Winchester 231, or HP-38. These are accurate and economical powders for target loads.

Welcome aboard!
 
A single stage press is probably the best way to start, although if you can find a good, used turret press (I have a Lyman All-American I use for .38 Special Wadcutter rounds) it allows you to set up all stages of your dies (size/decap; flare the mouth and drop powder; seat bullet; crimp bullet) one time, and not constantly be fiddling with the dies between steps. A turret press can be used initially as a single-stage press, completing a single operation for all your cartridges before rotating the turret and beginning the next stage.

But as BE Mike says (above), a good (or, preferably several good) loading manual is absolutely essential. And until you develop some experience and a "feel" for what seems right, cross-check all loading data with another source. Hand loading is tedious and requires meticulous attention to detail, but the reward is shooting better groups at lower cost than buying your ammunition. And by the way, reloading really doesn't save money - it allows you to shoot more for the same money.














0
 
Here is Richard Lee using the Lee Loader.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeEl9wZyabc

The link in post 3 says to never dip the powder, but rather to scoop backwards, and let the powder flow in, to keep consistent loads. Richard Lee does just the opposite. He "scoops" the powder. I think the loads meant for scoop use, without a scale, are midrange enough that it doesn't matter.
I enjoy occasional use of the Reloader, and its useful for portable use. A primer tool might be the first tool that I would add, then a scale. The scale will give a lot more flexibility in loads. It lets you work up to just the load thats wanted.
I now have an RCBS Partner press for .357, my only caliber. I have used it for 44 SPL and 45 COLT, it the past, and it worked fine.

Best,
Rick
 
I AGREE WITH JD Boardman. I WOULD LOOK AROUND FOR A GOOD USED TURRET PRESS. THINK OF IT AS AN INVESTMENT. I SEE THEM FOR SALE WITH REGULARITY AT GUN SHOWS. TAKE A BUDDY WITH YOU THAT RELOADS, SO HE CAN MAKE A JUDGEMENT ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE CONTEMPLATING. ONCE SET UP PROPERLY, THE TURRET PRESS WILL ADD GREATLY TO THE SIMPLICITY AND PLEASURE OF RELOADING. QUALITY CONTROL IS STILL PARAMOUNT, WHETHER YOU USE THE MOST BASIC OF LEE HAND TOOLS, OR THE MOST SOPHISTICATED OF TURRET MACHINES. STAY SAFE, AND ENJOY YOURSELF……..
 
38 is a good caliber to start on. Simple straight wall. Mistakes, like crushing the case or stretching the mouth to fit a 45, are cheap and you'll make some at the beginning.
 
The old Lee Loader has every thing you need except one to make safe reloads. However it is very and I do mean very time consuming, the one other thing you need is a good reloading manual. Sure the manual will show use of more conventional loading equipment but the main thing is how and why things work and how to be safe. I would heartily recommend a inexpensive single stage press, Lee dies and products work very well, their powder measures not so much, get a nice used beam style scale, the electronic ones are a bit too fussy. The absolute best thing you can do is find a mentor to help you out, if you have a friend that loads see if he can help you out.
 
Save some extra and get the RCBS Rockchucker kit. You won't regret it ever.
 
Skip the Lee Loader

Probably more of us than care to admit it have dipped our toes in the water with this inexpensive tool. I will confess that I did way back in the days when you could buy one of these rigs for about $10. It has everything you need except primers, powder, bullets and a hammer. Therein lies one of the problems. The Loader works by hammering cases into a sizing die that only neck sizes. You would think this wouldn't be too hard, but it takes several lusty whacks to drive a .38 case into the die, and you end up with a neck sized case that can be difficult or impossible to chamber. The other annoying feature is that the tool seats primers when the neck sized case is driven out of the sizing die with a hammer and punch. I managed to fire off more than one primer, scaring the snot out everyone in the room. I gave mine away after a few long and tedious sessions. The Loader is a marvel of minimalism, but I doubt many are used past a few boxes before moving on to a real press. I moved up to a single stage C-press, then to a progressive, then back to a C-press to simplify things. If I shot more I would run a progressive, but a C-press with carbide dies, a powder measure, and a good priming tool make the process sufficiently efficient for occasional loading sessions. I suspect this is where the majority of handloading hobbyists end up. I load 50 or 100 handgun cartridges at a time, completing each stage of the progression before changing dies, thereby achieving about the same overall speed as using a turret press.
 
Most digital scales are trouble...

There are a lot of problems with a digital scale. My Lee balance cost about $25 and it works great, just got to make sure it isn't hung up when reading. If you really want to shoot just wadcutters, target style, you can get by with Lee scoops. I use them after checking the weight on the scale and sometimes throw a charge on the scale and trickle up to a precise level.

I have used the Lee Hand Loaders, they work and can be fast, but an inexpensive press is better. There is a hand press, but I'm not sure how well it works. Other people here use them. One think I liked about my .38 Lee Hand Loader was that the scoop that was included measured exactly 2.7 grains of Bullseye as measured on a lab scale. I still use it for my target wadcutter loads. Fast and easy.

I got started loading .38 with the handloaders and if you want, you don't need anything else to start except a mallet The scoops and tables they provide give conservative loads, so all you have to do is scoop and throw, after learning a little technique. There is a video on youtube of a guy making a .38 cartridge in about 45 seconds in these. The key is to get everything in front of you organized to save movement. Primer, powder, bullets with the loader right in front of you.
Loading blocks are a big plus and help prevent the DREADED DOUBLE CHARGE of fast powder which is like a hand grenade.

If you REALLY want to get into reloading, get a good manual, a press and dies with a few accessories and you'll be in business.

Even if you start with the lee hand loaders I'd get a reloading manual and start studying thoroughly and in detail about loading.

Here is a youtube vid of the the Lee hand press which I think is better than the hand loaders because it's REAL reloading in spite of its small size.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toeYh_fuWbI

Here is an excellent list of beginning equipment:

http://www.midwayusa.com/general.mvc/index/appcharts~guide-beginning-reloader


After all those options that I just laid out, if you can I recommend that you just go with a single stage bench press and grow from there.
 
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That Frankfort Arsenal Digital Scale, FORGETABOUTIT. I have one and they don't hold the zero setting for more than about 5 minutes. Nothing to make your day worse than finding out an hour into your loading session that the scale lost zero and your powder charges are now 1/2 grain off.

Spend about 60-70 dollars and get an RCBS 505. It's an all mechanical scale and the zero won't shift unless you knock it off your bench.

Powder measure. You can get a Leaky Lee for about 28 bucks and put up with it's tendency to jam with small particle powders and inconsistent metering with large particle powders or spend about 130 bucks for an RCBS Handgun Competition powder measure. BTW, I started out with the Lee and wouldn't sell my RCBS for all the tea in China. As you spend more the convenience of your tools increases geometrically.

Dies. Here I actually like the Lee products, his 4 die sets are simply excellent and separating the crimp from the bullet seating is something I've found to be essential with 38 special and 357 Magnum loads. The reason for this is that these cases are long enough that they will buckle if you try and put on too much of a crimp while you are seating the bullet. What happens is the case edge digs into the bullet and then the case will buckle. Unless you trim every single case to length you WILL buckle cases when using a combined seat and crimp. So make sure to put together a 4 die set of some description, even if it's an RCBS 3 die set with an extra seat and crimp die.

Priming tool. RCBS Universal Hand Primer, 60 bucks or so. Nuff said. Has plenty of leverage and the universal jaws means you don't need inserts for each caliber you want to load. BTW, like the first enough to buy a second so I have one set up for small primers and the other for large.

Case cleaning. You can get a Harbor Freight vibrator for about 55 bucks or so and it will work. However, after about 5 or 6 thousand cases you'll need to get another, because they don't last that long. I have a Thumlers Tumbler set up for Stainless Steel pins and think it's fantastic. However they are NOT cheap at about 225 dollars but by all accounts they should last for 30 or 40 years with the only expense being new drive belts.

Press. My choice was the RCBS Rockchucker Supreme and I don't regret it one bit. While not the cheapest single stage press out there it's not terribly expensive and it is put together for the long haul.

Manuals. You can never have too many. I started with the Lee 2nd and it's a useful manual. Since that start I've added the Lyman 49th, the Speer 14, and the latest Hornady manual. I also have a collection of the One Book/One Caliber manuals that incorporate data from a bunch of different sources. Finally, most of the powder manufacturers will have load data available on the net or for download in PDF format. Note, once you have a bunch of sources to look at you'll find there are times when they just don't seem to agree. Don't get too worked up by that, just be conservative and start light and work up to a point wher you find a load that shoots well for you. BTW, most of my loads tend to run towards the midrange because I'm a bit of a cheapskate and they seem to be more accurate. An additional benefit is that when you are pushing hte limits your brass will last for more reloads, which also appeals to the cheapskate in me.
 
I believe Mr. Venomballistics nailed it. I started with a similar kit myself.

Admittedly, you would also be just fine the Lee Hand Press that Mr. Rwsmith suggested. I bought one of those to escape Arizona's summer heat in the garage and hardly use anything else for 38 special these days. It offers the advantage of NOT needing a sturdy bench or a dedicated work room. I use my nicely air conditioned home office most of the time.

Now, if you get into rifle cartridges, like the 30-06 that I also load, you will want something with more leverage, which is why I have a Lee Turret Press, but take your time with a minimum investment first. It won't slow your learning process down significantly. Experience always takes time.

Oh, and if you can find an old hand who lives nearby, he probably has some entry level equipment that needs a new home and his experience will be invaluable.

Just a suggestion from a guy who didn't start so long ago that he has forgotten the "entertaining" parts of the initial learning experience. Yeah, there are better choices if you have the funds, but until you are sure you want to spend the money, stick to your guns and stay on the low road. ;)

Best of luck to you, sir!
 
The main thing......

riverrat38 said:
Here is Richard Lee using the Lee Loader.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeEl9wZyabc

The link in post 3 says to never dip the powder, but rather to scoop backwards, and let the powder flow in, to keep consistent loads. Richard Lee does just the opposite. He "scoops" the powder. I think the loads meant for scoop use, without a scale, are midrange enough that it doesn't matter.
I enjoy occasional use of the Reloader, and its useful for portable use. A primer tool might be the first tool that I would add, then a scale. The scale will give a lot more flexibility in loads. It lets you work up to just the load thats wanted.
I now have an RCBS Partner press for .357, my only caliber. I have used it for 44 SPL and 45 COLT, it the past, and it worked fine.

Best,
Rick
Click to expand...

The main thing is doing it a consistent way and checking on the scale. To tell the truth, I've never heard the 'backwards dipping' thing, but people have to make up something to be more complicated that it really is.

Oh, I'd lke to point out that I was recommending a balance beam scale as being simpler and cheaper.:)
 
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Lots of good advice here. First, get a manual.

I wouldn't cheap out too much on a press. Yes, you can load on a Lee hand loader. It will frustrate after a while. A Lee single stage, or Lee classic turret runs about $100 new. FS reloading has them every day at that price. If you go the single stage route, the breech lock model will keep you from having to adjust the die every die change. The turret press will also keep you from having to adjust every time, and can either be used in batch mode, like a single stage, or in continuous mode, which will save you time reloading. The classic series from Lee is heavier built than the challenger series made with aluminum castings and weaker linkage. I would recommend spending the few dollars more for the classic.

You will need a scale. The Lee works. It's pain, but it works. I have had good luck with the Frankfort Arsenal digital myself. You don't need a tumbler, in fact you don't need to clean your cases at all. If you want to, they can be cleaned by hand using stuff you already have around the house. Calipers are a must, but again, a $15 - $20 Harbor Freight model will do the job.

A powder measure is not a necessity, but for the money, they come close. I have both a Lee perfect powder measure and the auto disc pro. The perfect measure works well IMO, although it is prone to leaking with some powders. The auto disc pro is very convenient, as it drops powder at the same time you expand the case. Saves a lot of time. A loading block is another item you will want. You can either get a commercial model, or make your own. At some point a bullet puller will be something you want. Both the block and bullet puller are under $20 items.

If you get into reloading, you will spend more in the future, but you can get started for a couple hundred or so with decent, albeit not top notch, equipment.
 
Lee pro 1000 already set for set up with dies shop around. a digital scale Frankfort is just as good. your not weighing every load just when you put the powder disk in. good luck finding titegroup or bullseye. I find them best for inexpensive target load. a load Manuel probably the lee one. It has every thing you need and wont brake the bank. You will have people telling you to stay away from all of them because there cheap or dangerous NOT TRUE pay attention and have fun. I used mine for 20 plus years till I wore out the aluminum base.
 
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