9mm in a 38?

Hey y'all,
I'm working on various .38 Colt Short loads to run in my .38/.357 S&W 627, to use for steel competition. I'm currently using .38 105gr cast bullets, but want to consider going down to a 95 grain.

The question: I have an excellent 95 grain 9mm bullet that I cast, powder coat, and size, for my 9mm 929 S&W revolver. After measuring sized bullet diameters, I note that there is about a .0005 to .001 difference in diameter, between the .356 sized 9mm, and the .357 sized .38. What I am wondering is: If I cast the .356 bullets, then powder coat, if the resulting bullets would run well in the .38 Short Colt.

Has anyone tried 9mm cast bullets in the .38?
Has anyone tried the same, adding the powder coat to slightly increase bullet diameter, to use in a .38?

Thanks

I had trouble seating the stubby Lee 95-RF straight in 38 cases. It is also pretty hard to seat straight in a 9mm when using the stock expander, but easier than the 38s when using an oversized, deep expander to load the 9mm. It shot decent enough 2.5" at 25 but I have other bullets that shoot smaller groups. It also shoots way low compared to 158 gr bullets at 850 fps. I also loaded a few boxes with two 95s stacked on top of each other using lower end, slow powder data for 200 gr rn and they hit a few inches apart at 25 yards with a normal POI. I figured they were 10 gr lighter but seated slightly deeper so pressure would be similar. I don't recommend that load in old or non-steel guns just because I have no idea the true pressure.

I have shot Lee 9mm cast Boolits in my .38's.
I have used several different weights from 105 gr to 125 gr.
I do powder coat them and size to .358.
They shoot fine for light Boolits.

Should be fine for drag racing on static steel. Problematic if you have to make a minimum power factor or knock down poppers.

I have a Ruger .357, convertible. When using 9mm, sized for 9mm firearms, a 1/4 to 1/2 of the shots will tumble and keyhole at 15 yards.

No issues using cast 9mm bullets, if sized large enough and using a taper crimp 38/357 die.

Winelover

I do the opposite. I cast soft 8-10 BHN in a Lee 358-125 RFN, Powder coat, than size to .357. It works for both 9MM and .38SP. Adequate in .357, but not great. My .357 prefers heavier boolits.

Depends on the individual gun. As long as the bullet is sized appropriately for the throat size and barrel diameter it should work OK.

been using 9mm 125 gr. cast for years in both .38 S&W + .38 special with no problems at all -- no powder coating needed, just liquid alox -

these dimensions taken from vintage LEE loading manual -

-original Lee guide bullet diameter specs -
.38 S&W - .357 - .360
.38 spec - .357 - 359
9mm .355 -357
.38 acp/super .355 -358

One of my favorite cast bullets is the Lee 358-125-RF, both lubed and PCed. I use it in 4, 9mm pistols (with 9mm loads), 2, 38 Special revolvers (with 38 loads) and 3, 357 Magnum revolvers (with magnum loads). I just size it accordingly...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mdi

One of my favorite cast bullets is the Lee 358-125-RF, both lubed and PCed. I use it in 4, 9mm pistols (with 9mm loads), 2, 38 Special revolvers (with 38 loads) and 3, 357 Magnum revolvers (with magnum loads). I just size it accordingly...

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I also use that boolit in 38 short Colt cases. I don't have a lot of experience with it, but it seem plenty accurate at reasonable distances. I don't push them too fast.
Wayne

It's not applicable to your use of S&W revolvers, but i have slugged the bores of three Colt .38 spl. and .357 revolvers from the 60s and 70s and they all slugged .355 in the grooves. Nice to know for future reference using 9mm bullets in Colts. The cylinder throats usually run around .358.

My convertible Blackhawk has .359 throats in both cylinders and the bore groove is .3575. I can use appropriately sized cast bullets and get good accuracy with both cartridges, but as you can imagine the accuracy of 9mm (.355) jacketed bullet loads can only be described as hopeless.

I’ve not shot lead 9MM bullets but I have shot jacketed bullets and they will work. I use my lee 9MM sizing die to size the 38 cases.

The NOE 9mm luger mould #358-124-TC-GC is a truncated cone , 9mm design that drops from the mould at .358" . I ordered it with a gas check with the idea of using this boolit with bhn 8 - 9 boolits , rather soft alloy ... but wanted to drive them +1000 fps .

As cast the .358" boolits are sized .357" , lubed and loaded in 9mm luger .

For loading in 38 special , 38special +P and 357 magnum ... the boolits are run through a .358" sizer / lubricator ... not much sizing is required and the gas checked .358" diameter works great in the 38 / 357 .
The gas check lets you use a rather soft bullet alloy ( 50-50 COWW & soft lead) and still drive them over 1000 fps .
The truncated cone is very accurate in all of my 38 / 357 revolvers ... S&W - J , K , N frame and Ruger Blackhawk .

Sized correctly I'm sure it can be used in 38 Colt .
I size my cast boolits to the diameter I want rather than depend on powder coating to make undersized boolits larger ... just seems to work better for me ...
but , as we all know ... there's always more than one way to skin a boolit cat !
Gary

Ranch Dog 380 bullet in a 38spl. https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-bullet-38-spl

Quote:

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Originally Posted by revkab

<snip>
After measuring sized bullet diameters, I note that there is about a .0005 to .001 difference in diameter, between the .356 sized 9mm, and the .357 sized .38.

Thanks

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What are you sizing these to? Same sizer die used on the 105gr and 95gr molds?