using 9mm dies to load for .38 Short Colt

[growr]

Seems like I have read on the forum of people using their 9mm Luger dies to seat and crimp bullets for this cartridge.....

Am I dreaming or do any of you do this instead of buying a set of Short Colt Dies?

Randy

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

You have a 38 Special shell holder?

You have 9mm die set?

You have 38 SC brass?

Don't ask questions, just do it.

You will have the answer in about 45 seconds of trying.

Ivan

I might prefer a 380 crimp die, but everything else should work.

 

[growr]

found the older thread I was referring to.....

Thanks Ivan!

 

[DWalt]

You can resize .38 SC with .38 Special FL die, but for neck expansion and bullet seating the .38 Special dies are too long. 9mm dies will work fine for neck expansion and bullet seating for .38 SC and also .38 S&W. I would not suggest using a 9mm FL die for resizing .38 SC or .38 S&W.

I like to use .38 SC in my .38 Special snubbies for better case extraction. It is an under-appreciated cartridge which deserves more popularity. And it can be used in .38 S&W revolvers in a pinch.

 

[Me239]

I wouldn’t use a 9mm die to resize or crimp since it’s meant for a tapered cartridge and crimps as such. With a 38, you want a roll crimp not taper. Just pick up a cheap 38 special die set from Lee. It’s what I’ve used for all my 38/357 cartridges, including my ultra experimental 9mm special…

 

[DWalt]

I wouldn’t use a 9mm die to resize or crimp since it’s meant for a tapered cartridge and crimps as such. With a 38, you want a roll crimp not taper. Just pick up a cheap 38 special die set from Lee. It’s what I’ve used for all my 38/357 cartridges, including my ultra experimental 9mm special…

My .38 Special mouth expansion and seating dies will not handle .38 SC. The case is too short. Maybe some .38 Special die brands will do the expanding and seating job. My .38 Special sizing die is OK, I would not use a 9mm sizing die. As I previously said, my 9mm expanding and seating dies work just fine for .38 SC. I have been using them with .38 SC for many years. They also work well for .38 S&W which I size with a .38 Super sizing die. It is possible that .380 dies may work OK for .38 SC, but I have not tried that. No crimp of any kind is needed for the .38 SC.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm not sure piecing together all those different dies is worth all the effort. Then you have to put them back in the sets they belong to when you need those sets.

FS Reloading has a set of 38 Short/Long Colt Carbine dies for only $38.99.
Carbide 3-Die Sets : Lee Precision Carbide 3-Die Set .38 ...

That isn't a lot of money, especially in today's world, for a set of carbide dies.

 

[DWalt]

What does it take, maybe 5 minutes extra?

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

About 42 years ago I got my first 380, a W. German PPKs. I bought Pacific Carbide die set, 500 Speer 95 gr. HP bullets and tried to find brass. I have a coffee can of 380 brass now and have yet to load any ammo!

I used the die set as "fill-ins" and spare parts. The Taper Crimp die is with the 9mm sizer on a Dillon tool plate. The seating die, is with 38S&W tools and the carbide sizer (Minus decaping stem) is in the box. The stem is in a set of Pacific 38 Special dies, that I gave a Missionary 30 years ago and are in the mountains of Paraguay somewhere. The bullets are still on the shelf. The price is $5.99/100 and you got 10% off 10 or more boxes (mix and Match)

Those dies cost 18.99 and I can still load 380 anytime the mood strikes. But that die set has been hard at work all these years, as the kids say, doing a "Side Hustle".

Ivan

 

[DWalt]

Over the years I have used dies for loading calibers other than what they are stamped for. You can load .45 Colt with .45 ACP dies, and I did that for years, until I found a used .45 Colt set at a gun show for $10. Likewise, I use .32 ACP dies for loading .32 S&W and .32 S&W Long. I have always loaded .38 S&W using .38 Super and 9mm dies. .30-30 dies can be used for loading .30 Remington, not quite right but close enough. At one time I loaded .303 British, 7.7 Jap and 7.5 French MAS using .308 Win dies, also 7.62 Russian with some other die set, I think 7.5x55 Swiss dies. And .280 Remington with 7mm Mauser dies. But those rifles are long gone.

 

[smithra_66]

Remember 9mm Luger is not just a short 38 special (or Long Colt).

It is a tapered cartridge that is thicker at the base than either the Special or LC. You can confirm this by trying to insert a 9mm into the chambers of your 38 LC or Special revolver. It's a no go. Not even close.

9mm has no relation to the 38 revolver cartridges at all. They don't even use the same diameter bullets.

 

[DWalt]

As I mentioned several times previously, the 9mm mouth expansion and seating dies will work well for .38 SC and .38 S&W. But it is not a good idea to use a 9mm resizing die for either one.