.38 Caliber Help Needed

[Ninety Caliber]

Just acquired a S&W 2nd model top-break in .38 S&W caliber. Can't find any .360 or .361 diameter boolits locally. Anyone have a source? 158 gr. or a little more or less.I don't cast so I'm in a bind although not in a hurry. Bought it for SASS pocket pistol side matches. Next big match is not for several months. Any info appreciated. :)

[JayinAZ]

I have used the Hornady swaged SWC in a similar top break (Iver Johnson) and they worked pretty well. They're pretty soft lead.

[Dale53]

Most reloading manuals caution against reloading vintage top break revolvers in .38 S&W, period. However, if I had an S&W Top Break in good mechanical condition, and I wanted to reload it, I would simply use a soft cast bullet (some of the bullet suppliers offer bullets in various alloys. Pick a soft one (I have successfully used 30/1 lead/tin, as an example, in black powder revolvers) and if you can't quite get a bullet as large in diameter as you desire, ofttimes the bullet will "bump up" with black powder and give satisfactory accuracy for use such as the rather large targets of Cowboy Action Shooting. It is critically important to use a good, black powder, lubricant (SPG is the world standard but I have extensively used home made Emmert's - 50% Beeswax, 40% Crisco, and 10% Canola Oil with excellent results. You can improve the keeping qualities by replacing the Canola oil with Anhydrous Lanolin. All measurements are by melted volume.

The method of loading is quite simple. Use a charge of black powder (3f is suggested) until the bullet compresses it by 1/16th of an inch when seating. Use a good crimp and you should be "good to go". It will take a good black powder solvent no more than ten minutes to clean up at the range after use. Afterwards, be sure and use a good gun oil for protection (I use Ed's Red home mix). It is always a good idea to clean the gun again with Ed's Red three days later to insure everything has been covered properly.

I have had excellent results in several calibers as suggested here. It will amaze your friends when they see how well your little revolver works with this combination. I suggest you practice quite a bit before the match so that you know exactly what to expect.

Black powder was the original powder for these revolvers when they were introduced. There ARE some advantages to black powder in an older revolver. It is not possible to "load too much" if you don't over compress the load and the stress on the revolver will not exceed design strength. That is very important with these older, weaker, revolvers.

FWIW
Dale53

[JWFilips]

If you want to "buy" good casts for the 38 S&W try Matt's Bullets I believe he is a vendor here on Cast Boolits but here is his site
http://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=72&zenid=en9g0cmv7ghvslii0h49bbtkq5

[Outpost75]

In the top-break S&Ws I use soft swaged 148-grain HBWC bullets seated out to 1.17" overall length, with 2.0 to 2.5 grains of Bullseye. Accuracy is better than factory 146-grain LRN.

[captaint]

I believe I would go with Dale53's suggestions regarding loading ammo for this older, weaker revolver. Keep your old treasure healthy. Feed it what it was designed to eat. Mike