Reloading 38 Special and 357 magnum

[Lebauffe]

Hi !

I'm reloading since about 17 - 20 years now. This is the first time i will reload these calibers. My concerns are about case lenght, primers and powder loads...

I mean, can these options be possible :

- light load of 357 mag into a 38 spl case ?
- Heavy load of 38 spl in a 357 case ?
- A standard 38 spl load in a 357 mag case ?

Of course, i already know that loads listed by bullets mfg. are safe, according to their recommendations. So regular 38 spl and 357 mag is not trouble... i will just follow the loads data.

Thanks !

 

[Mistered]

Well all are possible but I would NEVER load .357 mag level in a .38 case - Someone could get ahold of them and load them in a .38 Special gun. Keep loads commensurate with the caliber/case.

 

[rwsmith]

No but.......

Light .357 in a .38 case. NO! But the opposite, a light load of .38 in a .357 case is perfectly fine. I use these to keep from having to clean the 'crud ring' in the chamber before loading 'real' .357s.

Yes, heavy loads of .38 in .357 cases is acceptable.

Also, standard .38 is acceptable in .357.

In fact any load from the lightest .38 special to the heaviest .357 can be loaded for use in a .357 pistol. It's versatile and fun to play with.

What kind of gun are you using? I wouldn't want to use a lot of full .357s in J or K frame Smiths.

Yes indeed. Just stay in the books and you'll be fine. it's good not to load max in a new load without 'working up' from a lower charge.

Any faster powders around the Alliant Bullseye range to somewhat slower than Unique can be used in .38 and slower powders as well as light to medium .357 loads. Alliant Blue Dot, 2400, Accurate #9 are good magnum powders that are best with medium to full magnum loads.

Welcome and a Hound Dawg Howdy from SC.

PS: Any case length within .38 limits is ok and bullet seating is very forgiving. You can seat from start of the ogive to near to the base of the bullet as long as your cylinder will turn.

Primers - Small pistol primers for most everything. Some slow powders, like H110 and Winchester 296 will require a magnum primer to light off well. You CAN use magnum primers for everything, if you adjust the loads down a few tenths of a grain in recipes that don't call for a magnun primer.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Any loadings can be done but for safety sake.........

NEVER put a 357 magnum type load in any 38 special case.

A 38 special is a 38 special, nothing more except a +P loading.

Any 38 special loading can be made to fit a 357 case.......
but this is actually, just down loading.

Most 357 starting loads are close to a 38 special +P loading.

38 special ammo in a 357 can be very accurate along with reduced recoil but.......
Some do not like the extra fowling in the longer cylinder and the wear and tear on the metal,
where the longer 357 case, would protect such things, from happening.

Safe loading.

 

[Wise_A]

It has been said several times, but cannot be repeated enough--no .357-level loads in .38 Spl cases. Either you or somebody else will eventually forget.

The one exception I would make is when using a .38 Spl case, in conjunction with an over-length bullet (for instance, the old silhouette standby, a .35 Remington bullet), to make a .357 Magnum cartridge. In such a load, the OAL of the finished cartridge is so long that it won't chamber in a .38 Spl, and a .357 Magnum case is too long to be usable.

Everything else is fine. If you only have .357 Magnums, then there's no need to futz around with .38 Spl cases, unless it's for practical reasons like brass availability.

 

[just plain joe]

I have been reloading pistol/revolver/rifle cartridges since 1974. During that time I have had no "mishaps". The reason for this is that I adhere to reloading data published by reputable manufacturers.

I am no ballistic expert but once you begin changing case length and attendant capacity, as well as powder charge, primer type (standard vs. magnum), seating depth, and bullet weight, the pressure/velocity changes and you are in uncharted territory. There are other variables that I am not even qualified nor knowledgeable enough to speak about.

Ask yourself, "Is my safety as well as the risk to my firearm worth it?"

I always err on the side of safety. Then again, I'm the kind of guy that wears a belt AND suspenders.

HTH

Joe

 

[Mehutch]

I always err on the side of safety. Then again, I'm the kind of guy that wears a belt AND suspenders.

HTH

Joe

"“How can you trust a man who wears both a belt and suspenders? The man can't even trust his own pants.” Once Upon a Time in the West · 1968 · Henry Fonda ...

 

[cowboy4evr]

I just like to keep my 38spl loads in 38spl brass , 357 magnum loads in 357 brass , Keeps it real simple . I have found that a 180 gr cast bullet in a 357 is about max in weight , for my shooting . Its loaded in 357 mag brass .

 

[VaTom]

Here is what reloading too hot a load can do. (Sorry no pictures - just a true story).
Back in 1976 I was in Basic Law Enforcement Training. We carried S&W Model 10's with 4" barrells. We would go to the range about once a week. Shot department supplied wadcutters during traing and qualification. One day one of the recruits (not me) had gotten into reloading and decided to shoot some of his reloads. Apparently he got one too hot. It blew the cylinder of his service revolver apart as well as blew apart the top strap of the frame.

The guy had the price of the revolver deducted from his pay! Luckily no one on the firing line was injured.

Be careful out there!

 

[OKFC05]

There is no excuse for mixing .357 loads into .38 cases, and no necessity to put .38 loads into .357 cases( although that is worlds safer).
Loading data abound for any realistic velocity load with dozens of powders in both calibers, and there is no need to "mix n' match" or "invent". Anything safe has already been done.
This is a particularly sensitive topic for me as a range official, having watched guns blown and people hurt many times with unwise unloading practices, including the current fad of "major 9" in ordinary handguns.

 

[Lebauffe]

Hi guys !

Thanks for these replies.

Actually the only pistol i am reloading are 9mm and 45 acp. I do it on a progressive press and it's set for mid charge of powder, as there is always some little variation in powder charge dispensed, so in the middle i remain safe even if there is a little more or a little less powder in the case.

I do have .22LR pistol too, but i don't reload it.

I just bought a used S&W 686, just like my very first handgun when i was 19... I do not intend to buy a 38 special gun, neither give ammo to someone else. I am reloading for myself only.

The comments you wrote about mixing loads in cases, can cause a safety issue that i didn't figure out yesterday, so thanks for making me be aware of this dangerous possibility.

As you said, minimum 357 loads are pretty much like the 38 spl+P load... So i may find something funny to shoot out of the bunch of loads available, remaining on the safe side.


Thanks !

 

[MAJPATT]

Lebauffe,

I'm not going to contradict what has been posted here.

If you are an advanced reloader, I do recommend you do some research into .38-44 loads. Some great articles out there including handloader #243. I can't recommend you load these as .38-44 loads could be dangerous if fired in some .38 special revolvers. Fun to read about from a historical perspective, even if it does contradict generally accepted reloading practices.

 

[robertrwalsh]

I usually wear both a belt and suspenders. The suspenders hold my pants up. The belt holds my holster where I want it to be without doing bad things to my sciatic nerve.

 

[rwsmith]

Hi guys !

Thanks for these replies.

Actually the only pistol i am reloading are 9mm and 45 acp. I do it on a progressive press and it's set for mid charge of powder, as there is always some little variation in powder charge dispensed, so in the middle i remain safe even if there is a little more or a little less powder in the case.

***The real danger is in loading fast powders that only take a few grains for a target load. But because they barely cover the bottom of the case, it's very easy to double charge a case. With a fast powder this will blow your gun to bits. So, get a flashlight or some rig and check your case levels.

I do have .22LR pistol too, but i don't reload it.

*** You CAN reload .22 LR. They sell a tool set to do it. But I wouldn't unless we were put back into the stone age.

I just bought a used S&W 686, just like my very first handgun when i was 19... I do not intend to buy a 38 special gun, neither give ammo to someone else. I am reloading for myself only.

***Great choice. And you can shoot anything from bunny poots to barn burners in that.



The comments you wrote about mixing loads in cases, can cause a safety issue that i didn't figure out yesterday, so thanks for making me be aware of this dangerous possibility.

As you said, minimum 357 loads are pretty much like the 38 spl+P load... So i may find something funny to shoot out of the bunch of loads available, remaining on the safe side.

***I experiment all over the place, but stay in the books.


Thanks !

9mm and .45 are much different animals than revolver cartridges. They are very sensitive to bullet seating depth and overall length. In fact, the 9mm, being a high pressure cartridge can rapidly exceed allowable pressure if the bullet is too deep. They also utilize taper crimps rather than roll crimps.

 

[cowboy4evr]

If you're looking for lighter loads in 357 cases , the faster burning powders would serve you well , ex: " bullseye , titegroup , HP38 , Ramshot Zip , Acc #2 , Red dot etc . I found , yrs ago that 7.0 grs of Unique was a great , " carry / shoot all day load " using a 158 gr bullet . I'm sure Universal would work well also . Good Luck , Have Fun !

 

[mikld]

For a new reloader, just load the calibers from your reloading manual; 38 Special loads in 38 Special brass, 357 Mag. in 357 Mag. brass. At least until you get the hang of reloading and understand more about pressures, calibers, what fits where, etc.

I've got 30+ years experience (starting with 38 Special in '69) and have loaded all the examples you gave. But, I am the only one that shoots ammo I make and I label them clearly, so nobody will fire my "hot" .38s except me. But in reality there is no reason to load to 357 levels in a 38 Special...

 

[Lebauffe]

At the beginning, i did note my reloads on paper sheets, in binders... Then one day i decided to make it more accessible... i started to note them in an Excel file.

Too bad i can't upload it... you'd be amazed !

 

[Jupiter01]

It has been said several times, but cannot be repeated enough--no .357-level loads in .38 Spl cases. Either you or somebody else will eventually forget.
Everything else is fine. If you only have .357 Magnums, then there's no need to futz around with .38 Spl cases, unless it's for practical reasons like brass availability.

It can be done, and safely, too! Iirc, one of the most read gun editors of the '50s and '60s was a Texan named Skeeter Skelton. His "medium" load, shot in a 4"model 19, and probably others, was 13.5 gr. 2400 with a 158 gr. bullet in a .38 special case. He was a Border Patrolman, on their pistol team, and could get all the free .38 special brass he could use. I suspect he used .38 brass for his loads.

Recently, HANDLOADER magazine ran an article about 38-44 loads, and they used .38 Special brass. Some of the loads were well above +P levels, and could be used in 357 magnum revolvers.

After 5 or so reloads, the price differential between .38 and .357 brass is all but insignificant. I had a bunch of 38 brass that I tried to shoot to failure, but gave it up as a bad job, so longevity isn't a real problem unless you load to max.

 

[Wise_A]

I just bought a used S&W 686, just like my very first handgun when i was 19... I do not intend to buy a 38 special gun, neither give ammo to someone else. I am reloading for myself only.

You can easily load some mild .357s, right down to the level of .38 Spl target loads.

 

[Wise_A]

It can be done, and safely, too! Iirc, one of the most read gun editors of the '50s and '60s was a Texan named Skeeter Skelton. His "medium" load, shot in a 4"model 19, and probably others, was 13.5 gr. 2400 with a 158 gr. bullet in a .38 special case. He was a Border Patrolman, on their pistol team, and could get all the free .38 special brass he could use. I suspect he used .38 brass for his loads.

You can do all sorts of stuff that's not a good idea. Just like I do a bunch of stuff that I wouldn't recommend to strangers on the internet.

Just the same, Skeeter was a great reloader and a good shooter. He also did some stuff that, in retrospect, wasn't the greatest idea in the world. Ditto for Elmer Keith, and just about anybody else you might mention. Pobody's nerfect.

Also, you should look up "argument from authority".