Loading 380

[DCP]

I am Loading 380

I am using

700x 2.5 gr

Lee 102gr RNs mold

I am Sizing to .356 (2 manuals says .355 1 says .355-.3565)
I alox before sizing, then size, then alox again so Sizing is now .358


3 manuals says trim to .670 .675 and .677 all have max of .680


OAL was .970

Worked in LCP but not in Sig p238 (not even a primer strike)

OAL changed to .960 now P238 works.


ANY IDEAS OR DO YOU SEE ANY PROBLEMS ?

Thanks

[Rockchucker]

I use that same mold too and seat my boolits to .980. They cycle nicely thru my Sig 232 with 3.0 of unique. I'm also sizing my boolits to.356 and using carnuba red for lube with zero leading. Very accurate little round.

[paul edward]

Did you slug the bores?

[Rockchucker]

Slugged at .355

[DCP]

No one loading for Sig p238 yet

Thanks

[curator]

Slug your bore. Many .380ACPs have bore diameters of .358+. My Colt Mustang slugs .355 but shoots best with hard (water quenched wheel weight alloy) .358 slugs. For this pistol and my Browning 1922 (.357 bore) I head-space on the Lee 102 grain round nose boolit and don't worry about a bit of case length variance. 4 grains of Unique gives 1020 fps with good accuracy to 25 yards with this combination. Headspacing on the boolit has a very positive effect on accuracy with the .380ACP if your gun will allow it.

[DCP]

OAL max is .780
min is .740 for 380


At .770 I didnt even get a primer strike on the sig p238

That concerned me

At .760 I did.

I am still scratching my head on that.

[Leftoverdj]

dcp. you can stop scratching. If OAL is too long for a given bullet, that bullet will stop against the rifling before the slide fully closes, The better pistols are designed so they cannot fire until the slide is fully closed. You pushed the bullet in enough so the slide could fully close and now your pistol will fire.