reloading .38 special rounds

[revolverrandy]

what equipment is needed to reload .38 special rounds?

How difficult and dangerous is it?

How much money do you save over buying from the store?

 

[Evil One]

I dont reload .38 any more, only .44 and .45.
However... With my .44s, I can reload them for around $6 a box of 50.
And if I cast my own bullets and shopped around more I could drop the price.
When I was doing 38s it was about $4 a box of 50... again.. it can be done cheaper.
I have an inexpensive Lee turret press... I have less than $150 in my reloading equipment.
Measure your charges properly, use a powder that makes it hard to double charge... I use Unique... and just use care in assembling your rounds... and it is safe.
Use reliable reloading information, start at a lower charge, and be careful.


Jim

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

The 38 Special is very reloader friendly, first round I (and I suspect, many others) reloaded was a 38 WC. Using a lee Loader on the old kitchen table.
General rule of thumb is you do perhaps 3x as much shooting when you reload, depending on the caliber, load, etc.
First items you get are reloading manuals, read the relevant sections carefully-understand how each step of the reloading process works and why it is important to proceed systematically. Some of the manuals are put out by companies such as Lyman, Lee, Hornady that also produce reloading equipment, so naturally they push their brand, other are more independent.
Only real danger is if you like to smoke while handling gunpowder. Also pay close attention when charging each case, to avoid a double load.
Equipment:
1. Reloading manual
2. Correct dies, preferably carbide
3. Reloading press, properly mounted. Or a hand press.
4. Scale to check your powder measure
5. Powder measure
6. Eye protection

 

[OKFC05]

1. A Lee turret kit with a few extra goodies. About $200
2. It is as safe as the person doing it. The NRA reloading course or a good mentor is the way to learn, not guessing. Some people should not use tools or reload. Most do OK.
3. Depends on what you want to make and how much time you want to spend vs $$. I load many thousands of .38 158gr Berry bullets each year for IDPA, and the bullets are most of the cost. If you want to cast your own lead bullets, the bullets are cheaper, but you work more.

Reloading is a hobby itself, and most people who only do it to save money quit. The rest of us really get into it, and enjoy making just the load we want.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

The 38 Special is very reloader friendly, first round I (and I suspect, many others) reloaded was a 38 WC. Using a lee Loader on the old kitchen table.
General rule of thumb is you do perhaps 3x as much shooting when you reload, depending on the caliber, load, etc.
First items you get are reloading manuals, read the relevant sections carefully-understand how each step of the reloading process works and why it is important to proceed systematically. Some of the manuals are put out by companies such as Lyman, Lee, Hornady that also produce reloading equipment, so naturally they push their brand, other are more independent.
Only real danger is if you like to smoke while handling gunpowder. Also pay close attention when charging each case, to avoid a double load.
Equipment:
1. Reloading manual
2. Correct dies, preferably carbide
3. Reloading press, properly mounted. Or a hand press.
4. Scale to check your powder measure
5. Powder measure
6. Eye protection

Very well explained and highly accurate information.

 

[Landric]

The basic equipment necessary isn't much, nor is it very expensive. There are all sorts of bells and whistles that one can buy that cost a lot of money, but make production time faster. A basic Lee single stage press kit is about $90 and includes most of what you need except calipers, a manual, a loading block, and a few other small items. A three die set is less than $30. All told between $150 and $200 would get you outfited with the necessary equipment for bench handloading. Other methods are available, and cheaper, but they are painfully slow.

As for savings, not counting the cost of brass, and using purchased cast lead bullets from somewhere like Missouri Bullet ( Missouri Bullet Company ) you can expect about $0.09-$0.12 per round, depending on exactly what you pay for components. Buying in bulk reduces cost per round significantly but increases the initial cash outlay. Never mail order less than 5000 primers, for instance, to save on hazmat charges.

If you want to cast your own bullets you can get into that, again with Lee equipment, for less than $100 not counting the cost of lead (if you can't get it free somewhere).

I cast my own. I got into it because my preference in .38 Special is for a 200 grain RN, which is tough to find and expensive. On the other hand, the mold cost the same as much more common bullet molds. I've since started casting for everything I shoot. My cost per round, mostly dependant on what I paid for primers and how much powder I use is between $0.03-$0.05 per round for handgun, and less than $0.10 for rifle.

 

[srgvaz]

Have fun hunting for primers...

 

[Lomax Anderson]

Easily pays for itself...I used to spend about 100$ a week on ammo...
I bought a used dillon 550 and some extras and now shooting is so much cheaper...it is good for those days when you can't go out and shoot...

Buy your components in the largest available form...

Primer Hunting ain't so bad...just gotta sneak up on them ...

 

[Last of the Mohicans]

.38spl was the first round I started reloading for. It was easy, and economical...and it still is, even here in Canuckistan. As others have said, it is very safe as long as one follows the rules and is sensible about it. Those who are not willing to follow the rules should get another pastime. Right now, there is no primer shortage here, and, I can still reload 50 .38s for about $7...the cheapest factory loads I come across up here, run about double that.

It is a hobby unto itself...I really don't save any money by reloading since I just turn the equivalent amount of money into smoke and noise by virtue of more pulls of the trigger.

 

[PDL]

Like everyone said, the main thing is to pay attention and watch what you're doing when you're reloading. No txting or drinking. With a .38 you'll find a lot of loading data here and all over the net - it's been reloaded forever. But the light target loads don't take up a lot of room in the case so you can double charge if you're not paying attention. That will change your fun range gun into a grenade.
An inexpensive press with dies to match the caliber - carbide to save you time and energy. Some powder, primer and bullets. A powder measure, and a scale. You can get by with out the measure, but it will be time consuming dumping powder onto the scale for every round - for target ammo anyway. Of course you'll need brass. Save yourself some energy and keep any different brands of factory brass you shoot separate while you're collecting them for reloads. Read the whole reloading manual, (the info part, not the charge tables). Ask questions and the RCBS site as well as others can give you the basics.
My first mistake was about 20 years ago and I didn't know the bullet shown in the manual was jacketed. The load for jacketed was about 1/2 again as much as should have been in the lead round I was loading. Good thing I had a good gun.
It would help if you had someone to go thru it with you the first time anyway.
Also, start small. Small quatities till you find the loads you like. Stay back from the highest listed loads till you've got a good handle on what you're doing.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Once you have some brass, you can figure on it costing about 15 cents per round or so if you buy your (cast) bullets, primers and powder mailorder in lots of a few thousand or so.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Also a reloading log-a properly kept notebook will do-and labels for every box of ammunition listing date' caliber, powder charge, etc.

 

[Nightowl]

I just figured up the cost of the components I recently purchased and figure I can reload at a cost of $7.60 per hundred after buying bullets, primers and powder for .38 Special at todays prices. You can pay for the best reloading equipment with the savings from the cost of factory ammunition in short order if you do much shooting at all. The last time I looked, Federal 130 grain .38 Special at Walmart was about $18 per box of 50. Buying the components is a savings of almost $30 per hundred.