38 amu brass

A friend has a Colt 1911 38 AMU complete slide. 38 AMU has a rim like 9mm. Has anyone tried using a fired 38 super case and resize with 38 special dies and seat a boolit out to the rifling? The AMU slide won't fit anything on the face<firing pin area>larger than a rimless case. <Don't want to mill it larger>'38 AMU brass is $1 a piece if you can find them. To me it would be like firing a 38 special in a 357 and the charge will be low like a 148 wad cutter load. Is there a reason it shouldn't work? I haven't found info on anyone doing this. The overall length of the ammo will be the length of a 38 special wad cutter used in a Smith & Wesson 52 except rimless. 2.8 -- 3.1 of W231 will be the charge.

9mm Largo is similar in dimensions, and rimless, but should not be loaded to .38 AMU levels.

DG

Greetings,

Does you pal also have the proper 38 AMU barrel?

If not, source a 38 Super barrel and fit it to the slide, if necessary.

Then, load and shoot 38 Super.

CAVEAT. Some 38 AMU slides were modified to accept the 38 Special WadCutter. Clark and Giles did a lot of conversions.

If the slide is new, odds are that it is breech cut for the 38 AMU/38Super.

Cheers,

Dave

Greetings,

Forgot to mention a second approach.

Grind a form tool and take a light cut on the 38 Special cases to convert them to 38 AMU on a lathe.

The rim diameter, rim thickness, and extractor groove will be modified. (Do not face any of the head stamp surface. It will mess up primer seating depth.)

Cartridge dimensions are on the CIP website.

https://bobp.cip-bobp.org/uploads/td...-en-page59.pdf

Loading 38 AMU is the same as loading the 38 Special WadCutter.

Cheers,

Dave

Colt 1911 AMU complete assembly with ELLIASON sights.<factory> I'M asking if anyone has tried to make a 38 super case work. A super shoots a .358 lead boolit like the AMU but the case is shorter. i.i55 AMU--.900 Super. Both are straight wall cases. Will seating the 148 WC boolit 1.155 in the Super case work? The Colt 38 AMU shoots a i.155 flush WC boolit. Want to keep the slide assembly factory without mods.

Saw this a while back, someone was turning down the rim of 38 Special and adding an extractor groove. Reminded me of making 351 WSL from 357 Maximum cases.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

I believe the AMU did the 38 amu from 223 brass trimed to length and reamed. It was meant to duplicate the 38 was cutter loads in 1911s with out the special parts. The AMU clark and others actually made 38 wad cutter 1911s that were lockup guns not blow back. Barsto made barrels.

Ive never worked with the 38 AMU but have a 1911 38 wadcutter gun. lock up and light springed (7lb spring). Barsto 6" barrel. Mags are expensive when you find them.

The 38 Amu used standard mags and pars and got away from special parts and mags.

I wpuld look up the cartrifge and with the acailability of 223 brass make what it needs rather than try and get by with something "close"

If brass is $1 ea., then I wonder what this is worth? Full box. Think I have a few boxes of fired brass somewhere too
Attachment 319519

THANKS but-I have a couple of Clark 38 wad cutter 1911's and a Kart 1911 38 wad cutter. I am asking if anyone has tried 38 Super brass resized and seated longer to 1.115 with a 148 wad cutter. This guy is in another country and I'M trying to help him find 38 AMU brass or something he can make work. Clark made his own 1911 barrel's and some were stamped super 38. They are two piece with a sleeve. <mine are>

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Originally Posted by rockrat

If brass is $1 ea., then I wonder what this is worth? Full box. Think I have a few boxes of fired brass somewhere too
Attachment 319519

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How much brass and how much $$$'s. Maybe he could pay you and save shipping to me. Have you got 2-300? PM me and I'll set you up with him. Could you measure the head width in .000's ? Thanks.

You can solve your brass issue by using the 9mm magnum brass that is available right now from Starline for about $.27 a round. It is identical to the AMU case. I have been using it in my guns for years.

Case ahead of the rim is .382" and rim dia. is .403"

Don't really want to sell the AMU stuff right now.

As well as I recall, the AMU brass fired and functioned in my Colt Midrange Match Gold Cup. If I'm not forgetting, the AMU case has a very slight rim. I have reloaded it and shot in a colt Python before. I also messed with it as it has about the same head dimensions as the old .351 SL. But alas way too short. It will chamber and extract in the .351sl.
Think my son has a batch of AMU brass ratholed. Hard to come by.
Progression was .38 Super, .38 AMU and then Colt and S&W came out with the MR Match and Model 52. As I recall, these were bachward compatible to the AMU. As I recall, I used a #19 shell holder from RCBS but I'm out of the shop./beagle

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Originally Posted by SOFMatchstaff

You can solve your brass issue by using the 9mm magnum brass that is available right now from Starline for about $.27 a round. It is identical to the AMU case. I have been using it in my guns for years.

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Thank you very much. Do you have an AMU?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rockrat

Case ahead of the rim is .382" and rim dia. is .403"

Don't really want to sell the AMU stuff right now.

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Thanks anyway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 45DUDE

Thank you very much. Do you have an AMU?

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I have two Clark wad cutter guns , two M52 S&W, a Colt 38 Super with the AMU chamber that the 9mm mag brass is primarily used in. The 9mm mag brass will work in all of them to a more or less acceptable degree. Your mileage may vary depending on the chamber(headspace)....

Thanks everyone--I will relay the answers.