Lee 4 die set

[Maximumbob54]

That's a good point. I just assumed he means .38 S&W Special...

It could very well be a .38 SW which is a VERY different animal.

 

[kd5exp]

Oh Lord. How can I tell. Thats the only bullets I have ever shot in this pistol.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I have already used up my luck with using wrong die on these and have been very carefull loading what I have done.

This is a clue!

 

[Skip Sackett]

KD,
Can you do pictures?
Do you have a scanner?

If so, you can do one of two things. Take a picture of the bottom of the case so we can read it OR, you can set them on a scanner and take a picture of the bottom that way. Please do not load anything until we can help with the right caliber in mind.

 

[Maximumbob54]

How well does a .38 special fit in the chambers?

Does it have any room for wiggle? As you seat it in does it have any gap around it? Or does it slide right in with nearly zero room around it?

Sadly, it's not uncommon to have chambers reamed out in the front for a .38 special to fit in a .38 S&W and while it has been done to many guns it is highly thought to be very unsafe no matter how many people get away with it.

 

[kd5exp]

I posted what it says on the barrel above. "38 S & W CTG"
The bullets DO fit the cylinder, now weather it's a special or not it doesn't say. The bullets fit snug with no wiggle. It came from a city police officer that was a friend of the family, sense long gone. I know another retired officer lives near by, I might take it to him and see what he thinks. The bullets say 38 SP on them at lest the ones I have shot in it. Can anyone tell by the serial number?

 

[Skip Sackett]

Okay, there are several things possible here.

#1: The revolver was originally chambered for the short and bigger 38 S&W CTG and has been since changed to be a 38SPL.

#2: The revolver is still chambered in 38 S&W and those bullet heads will work well enough.

#3: The revolver is a 38SPL. (Which I highly doubt)

Take some measurements of the case you are fitting in your cylinder. If the longer 38Spl fits, then make sure you stay on the low side of any data when you load for it.

If the 38SPL case does not fit in it, it is a 38 S&W and you can load that as much as you want, because there isn't enough case there to hold enough powder to do any real damage, in my opinion.

Hope this helps! Let us know!

 

[Maximumbob54]

This is the barrel stamp on my Model of 1905 for .38 special:

If the "special" is missing then you have a .38 S&W which once again is a very different cartridge.

 

[kd5exp]

I just got back from Smokey's and had him look at it. He said it looks like a british S&W 38 that has been modified to a 38 SP. He is a very experinced reloader that used to load for the Lawton Police dept. Because of the front sight being so large gives him a clue to what it was origanily, can't say for sure but would bet money on it. The 38 is about 1/4 inch shorter and the chamber is cut for that, this one has been modified to take the 38 SP but the 357 won't go all the way in. Said as long as I keep the loads to 38 sp and not 38+P it should be fine. I have shot enough 38 SP (maybe 200 rounds of factory)in it that I think it will be OK. I posted a few pics on another thread but the icon is gone for that now and don't know how to upload a pic any more. I will hold off on shooting this till I get more info on it.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I just got back from Smokey's and had him look at it. He said it looks like a british S&W 38 that has been modified to a 38 SP. He is a very experinced reloader that used to load for the Lawton Police dept. Because of the front sight being so large gives him a clue to what it was origanily, can't say for sure but would bet money on it. The 38 is about 1/4 inch shorter and the chamber is cut for that, this one has been modified to take the 38 SP but the 357 won't go all the way in. Said as long as I keep the loads to 38 sp and not 38+P it should be fine. I have shot enough 38 SP (maybe 200 rounds of factory)in it that I think it will be OK. I posted a few pics on another thread but the icon is gone for that now and don't know how to upload a pic any more. I will hold off on shooting this till I get more info on it.

Does the sight say "Parker" or something like that on it?

Your buddy gave you some good advice and I was almost sure that is what you had.

I have a thread around here where I did some testing on a friend's S&W conversion.......Might have been a while ago though!

 

[kd5exp]

I see nothing on the front sight. If I could find out how to upload some pics I would. There was an icon for that but now I don't see it. Is there a limit to how many I can upload?

 

[Skip Sackett]

No, go to the advanced entry. On there there is a way to manage attachments.

 

[kd5exp]

pics of my S & W

I found out how to do it but thats not how I did the frist ones. LOL. Also one of my cases after resizing with the 223 die and shooting/

 

[Maximumbob54]

Case life pretty much gone from brass being over worked by .223 die and then being shot in a hogged out chamber that was made to hold a fatter case. So the already brittle brass over expanded and split. You need to load at the bottom end with some thing in the medium burn rate if you hope to reuse any of your cases. And they still won't last long in that gun.

 

[kd5exp]

I think I will just trash the brass. I had a very nice guy on here send me some brass if I would donate to the Salvation Army. I have a little brass left that I have't messed up yet also. Been cleaning up and getting things in order in my room so maybe I can prevent this mess up from happening again.

 

[kd5exp]

I am having trouble finding load data using this titegroup powder on 38 SP and 357 Mag with 140 gr hardened bullets. Can't wait to get some different powder. My neighbor (Little Bit) has a full can of hercules 2400, wounder if he will let me have it till I can replace it. What is the rule for changing over form jacketed to hardened lead bullets. I saw it somewhere online but can't find it. I dug my chronograph out and will see if it still works this weekend when it warms up a little. It was 14 degrees this morning. Too cold for this old man.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I live in Northern Indiana and have kids in Amber, Oklahoma and they had it colder there over the last few days than we had it here! hahaha

 

[kd5exp]

We went from record highs to this **** in a few days. Hard to get used to it that quick.

 

[kd5exp]

Ok so I'm looking in a reloading book at the data and 38 SP in 135 gr lead starts at 3.1 gr and max is 3.6 and the 158 gr starts 3.2 and max is 3.8. These are all with 158 gr cast LSWC.
Now the 357 mag is listed at 3.5 gr starting and 5.2 max for the 135 lead and 3.5gr starting and 5.0 max for the 158 gr.
I have been loading satrting at 3.4 and up to 3.8 gr for the 38 SP and that comes from the data on the powder bottle. Now the bottle says 7.5 gr for the 357 mag. These are with 125 gr Horndy XTP.
The more I read the more confused I am. The 38 Sp I am all right with but the 357 mag I am a little worried about. My book is all Cowboy action data and that might be why so much difference in the data. I don't know who published this book but it is "Basic Reloading Manual" with a pic of an AR15 and jug of CFE 223 on the front. Has hodgdon, IMR and Winchester on the front page also. Should I start at 3.5 gr and work my way up with the 140 lead in 357 mag?
Sorry to say but this is all with Titegroup.

 

[jimkim]

I'd take it to a smith and have him check the revolver out. I'd probably replace the cyl with one chambered for 38 special. If not, and you decide to continue shooting 38 spcl handloads in it, try sizing only the top part(just to the point where the base of the bullet would be as in post number 2) of the case. That should save some wear and tear on the brass.

Until you take the revolver to a gunsmith stick to low end 38 special loads. There's no way I'd shoot ANYTHING HOTTER than that until I had it checked out. To be completely honest, I probably wouldn't shoot it at all until a smith looked it over. If you're up for a drive or are in the area give Olde Navy a call in Jay, OK. Tell Scotty JimKim sent you. He will probably even help you pick out a manual or two. I suggest grabbing a Lyman 49 and reading it several times.
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