with loading .38 Special brass to .357 Magnum levels if the only gun I have is a .357 and I'm the only one who shoots it? I use only Accurate Number 5 powder. It fills the .38 case to less than half its depth for the 5.6 grain charge I use with 158 grain lead roundnose bullets. I could easily get 8.5 grains of powder in the case and then shoot the many, many hundreds of .38 cases I have in my .357 Taurus. Does anybody have any intelligent objections to my idea and why?

I guess the obvious answer is that the wrong person may get ahold of your loads and put them thru a 38. Flame cuts and powder deposits come to mind also, on a steady diet of what you are contemplating.

Personally, I would give the brass to someone with a 38 who reloads.

As always, JMHO.

Been there and didn't do that.....someplace somewhere someone will get hold of one or more of those .38 specials and shoot them in an old .38 special.....

I know where you're coming from.....but brass is not that expensive.....if it's your desire to shoot .357 Mag loads use the .357 Mag brass.

Hey rootbeer, I have a bit more time now, so I can add a few more things for you to ponder.

If you are shooting "Lead" bullets, just Seat them out as far as they would be in a 357Mag and Roll Crimp into the side of the Lead. That should keep the pressure somewhat equivalent between the cases - depends on the "Internal Volume" and Internal Shape.

It you plan to use Jacketed Bullets, you will have to Seat them out beyond the "cannelure" which means when you "Roll Crimp" them, it won't hold them as well. So, you could possibly have the Bullet work it's way forward due to recoil and eventually bind the cylinder.

You also have the build-up of residue ahead of the casemouth in the cylinder. If you do not get it scrubbed completely out, it has the potential to cause extremely difficult extraction of your 357Mag cases when you use them. I saw a buddy's nephew with this problem years ago. The best tool to scrub the "cylinders" clean I've found is the Hoppe's Tornado Brush. Not real good in the barrel, but great in a cylinder or smooth shotgun barrel.

Best of luck to you.

I hope you are NOT thinking of using full .357 Magnum powder charges in .38 SP cases?? If you are only talking about loading to .357 velocity levels, you could do this with less powder than is required in a .357 case with the same bullet. However, I don't consider .38 Special brass to be strong enough to achieve full .357 velocities with the same bullet. Some of it may be, but not all brands!

I would be content with regular .38 Special +P velocties from .38 Special cases, and then only with once-fired brass.

Rootbeer,

I think you have an obligation not to do this.

Life is unpredictable, and if you die suddenly your petty possessions such as ammo will be disposed of without your supervision. It becomes a booby trap for an unsuspecting shooter.

My 38 special shpeal:

I trimmed some 357 mag cases to 38 sp length, so I could make some real hot 38 sp loads.

I told Randy Ketchum about this, [he has come up with dozens of wildcats and builds 50BMGs and 20mm rifles for his gunsmthing customers], and he said to me, "Why? 38 special brass is plenty strong for anything."



I felt so stupid. I realized immediately it takes me 70kpsi to 90 kpsi to blow out 9x19mm brass

picture of 9x19mm brass: case head blown, case hole blown, case bulge

And I knew from cross sectioning 91x19mm brass, 38 special brass, and 357 mag brass that the absence of an extractor groove would make the 38 special brass very strong.



So I overloaded 38 special brass in 38 specials and in a 45/70 insert I made.



What I learned was:

1) The insert expanded, but was too much to resize in 45/70 dies.

2) I bent the frame of a Colt Agent Aluminum framed 38 sp revolver with 18.5 gr. Blue Dot, 110 gr. JHP, 1.43" OAL

3) The recoil of 357 mag loads in 38 sp brass, seated to 357 mag OAL, will pull the bullets out, and jam the revolver. Crimping into the canalure will make the OAL shorter and give less performance before pressure problems.

4) The 357 mag web is thicker, and the 357 mag OAL is longer. These two nearly cancel each other out, but the OAL is slightly dominant. That means the same powder change in a 357 mag crimped in the canalure will have slightly less pressure than the same powder charge in 38 special brass that is crimped in the canalure. But they are so close, I have never found it significant.



I got a $17 .380" straight fluted reamer from J&L Industrial Supply, put it in a chuck, hung on the chuck with my right hand, and with the 38 sp cylinder in my left hand, gave a few twists of the wrist until I had turned a 38 special into a 357 magnum.



So I started using 357 mag brass, 357 mag loads, 357 mag OAL in my re chambered 38 specials. What I found was that at 2 gr. more than max load for 357 magnum some revolvers will split the cylinder and break the top strap. Some of the better 38s will work up to 6 gr. more powder than 357 mag max load.



I blew up 3 of my converted revolvers testing 357 mag loads.

Then I found the load: 18 gr. LIL'GUN 158 gr. JHP, 25.8 kcup, 1577 fps [10" barrel].

http://www.hodgdon.com/data/pistol/357mag.php

That load gets as much velocity as any other load, and yet is much lower in pressure.

I worked out the method with pre compressed powder and double compression to get 26 gr. of LIL'GUN to fit in a 357 mag case with a 158 gr. bullets. It kicks so hard and makes so much noise, I don't need to shoot a 44 magnum.

Then I chronographed it:

A) Colt Police Positive 38 Special 4" barrel, rechambered to 357 mag:

1) 38 special from Paragon, 158 gr. JHP, 830 fps

2) 357 mag handload, 18 gr. LIL'GUN 158 gr. XTP 1.59", WSPM, 1173 fps

3) 357 mag handload, 23.5 gr. LIL'GUN 158 gr. XTP 1.59", WSPM, 1155 fps



What was happening was that the extra powder was making more noise and recoil, but less velocity.

I am now a believer in the book load, 18 gr.



--

A society that teaches evolution as fact will breed a generation of atheists that will destroy the society. It is Darwinian.

Now that's a post, Clark! Thanks for the info. I guess I'll just load my .38s to .38 spec and tell myself I'm happy. The original idea was to set the bullets at .357 OAL, but what the hell anymore. Thanks, everyone, for the input.

Good idea! Use .357 brass for .357 loads!!