38spl encore barrel with .355 bore

[GARD72977]

I have a 300/221 in a 20" bbl. Its very accurate with leads but the short barrel does not hold offhand very well.

Im thinking about a 38spl with .355 bore for lead bullets. I usually want a tighter bore for my cast shooters. Why not build it that way.

I cast a lot for 9mm already.


My range has a great 50yd covered firing line. I like to shoot off hand. This barrel would never see a j-word.

Any opinions about this

[Outpost75]

It should work fine. I have several Colt .38 Special revolvers which have .354" groove diameter and .358 cylinder throats. I shoot all manner or ordinary .38 Special ammo in them and they shoot fine. I also have a BSA Martini-Cadet in .38 Special which has a .38 AMU throat, which I built to test wadcutter target ammo. It uses a Green Mountain 9mm barrel blank with 10-inch twist of rifling and shoots good factory .38 Special wadcutter around an inch for 5-shot groups at 50 yards with 10X Unertl target scope. The rifle also shoots under 2" at 100 yards with cast 190-200 grain cast bullets loaded subsonic with 4.2-4.5 grains of Bullseye in .38 Special brass.

I would encourage you full steam ahead on your project and recommend a .38 AMU style throat having a 3 degree forcing cone angle directly from the .379" diameter case mouth with no cylindrical ball seat. This is very accurate with wadcutter bullets and also lets you seat longer and heavier bullets out long, if you wish. Shoots all types of ordinary .38 Special factory ammo very accurately equal to the SAAMI test barrel.

[GARD72977]

Is your Cadet rebarreled or rebored?

Im just kicking this idea around right now. Im wanting something new.

I guess some research on the throat is needed. Im looking for 120-147gr bullets for 50yd max. Thebarrel would be for cheap easy to load round that used molds , progressive press, and components i already have.

I was thinking 9Mm or 39spl and the 38 seems to make more sense

[GARD72977]

Is your Cadet rebarreled or rebored?

Im just kicking this idea around right now. Im wanting something new.

I guess some research on the throat is needed. Im looking for 120-147gr bullets for 50yd max. Thebarrel would be for cheap easy to load round that used molds , progressive press, and components i already have.

I was thinking 9Mm or 39spl and the 38 seems to make more sense