Titan ReloadingMidSouth Shooters SupplyReloading EverythingWideners
RepackboxInline FabricationLoad DataLee Precision
RotoMetals2
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 25

Thread: A very stupid question

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    SE Ohio
    Posts
    2,361

    A very stupid question

    I've been loading 38 WCs since I was a kid. I always kept the 38WC brass separate
    from standard 38 brass. It was always drilled into me they were different. Just in last
    couple years I have become interested in 44sp & 45Colt in WC loadings. I have been
    loading in standard cases, is this what everybody does or am I missing out on some
    thing? I have never owned factory WCs other than 32s & 38s. I shoot so little factory
    and have thousands of brass and don't recall any 44sp or 45Colt WC brass.

  2. #2
    Moderator


    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Way up in the Cascades
    Posts
    8,084
    Not really a stupid question. I'm not personally aware of any .45 LC wadcutter brass, but wouldn't be too surprised if some .44 Special wadcutter brass exists, although I've never encountered it. But I've always reloaded .38 Special brass with any loading I desired and never encountered any bad results, unless the brass was so old and had been reloaded so many times that it just gave up and split. And, I suspect that if you ever encounter any .44 or .45 wadcutter brass it will accept and perform with any reasonable load you wish to use.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    JSnover's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sicklerville NJ
    Posts
    4,380
    Been reading load manuals for 25 years or so, never saw a comment about separating brass for WC or special brass made for them.
    Warning: I know Judo. If you force me to prove it I'll shoot you.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master


    nagantguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    MI
    Posts
    2,704
    I have lots of 44 special wadcutter brass, many times fired WW brass that started life as factory 240 semi wad cutters. Seriously never heard of 44 or 45 wadcutter brass but my 180 grain 430 WC’s donwell in any Brass I’ve tried and are very effective raccoon cutters. And true story; I once shot a woodchuck that was standing in tall grass about 20 yards away; I didn’t see the second chuck directly behind it but hit them both, bang flop with one shot.

  5. #5
    Moderator
    Texas by God's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    14,335
    .38 WC brass has a cannelure in line with the bullet base. I've never seen .45 Colt wc brass.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

  6. #6
    Moderator Emeritus


    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Land of 10,000 Lakes
    Posts
    15,833
    I've always sorted my brass by headstamp...and now I do sort out the WC brass also.
    BUT, at one time, I wasn't aware of the difference between 38 spl and 38 spl WC brass...So didn't sort them out when loading, and never seen a difference when shooting them with standard bullets or WC bullets (this was back before I cast my own). Now I do separate WC brass from standard brass...but still don't notice the difference at the target, LOL...But I feel better... #OCD
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  7. #7
    Boolit Master

    mattw's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    East Central Illinois
    Posts
    1,796
    I have 45 LC brass that is canular'd at about the upper 2/3 like one would expect for WC brass. Not sure why it is done, but it is a very strong ring.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Iowa
    Posts
    3,403
    I know there is 357 brass that is WC. I found some in what I have.Beside 38spl. that have it also.
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
    Tom W.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Phenix City, Alabama
    Posts
    3,855
    I did have a few problems with my Smith 19-4 and w/c with regular brass. I had a bunch of the w/c brass and it loaded just fine.
    Tom
    μολὼν λαβέ


    Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
    ghh3rd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Tampa FL
    Posts
    2,090
    Interesting, I didn’t know there was such a thing. Learn something new every day.
    Plata o plomo?
    Plomo, por favor!

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
    JSnover's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sicklerville NJ
    Posts
    4,380
    Interesting to hear about the cannelure. I knew it was on there but never heard it described as anything more than a datum for standard weight bullets.
    Warning: I know Judo. If you force me to prove it I'll shoot you.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master
    rintinglen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Orange, VA NOW
    Posts
    6,492
    Were you a PPC shooter back in the 70's and 80"s, you would have been very aware of the difference between WC and "regular" 38 Special brass. My tests seemed to show that the WC brass would deliver about a 1/2 inch smaller group at 50 yards than the "Regular" brass did. Doesn't sound like much, but when you are shooting for "fortune and glory" you want every legal advantage you can get.

    For what it is worth, I have never seen nor have I heard of 44 Special or 45 Colt wadcutter brass. I have seen and used factory 45 ACP " wadcutters", but I don't think the brass is different dimensionally from any other 45 ACP Brass.
    _________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    SE Ohio
    Posts
    2,361
    Confirms my own loading experiences. Have separated and loaded 38WC brass since a kid. I have
    never owned 44sp or 45 Colt factory WCs. In fact I only loaded 32 & 38 WCs until recently. I have
    loaded thousands of 41-44-45s, but not WCs. Not counting the 45 semi-WCs in 45acp. Now I don't
    feel stupid.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy Smk SHoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Sanford, NC
    Posts
    378
    I have some 45 LC brass with the cannelure about 1/3 down the case. it was range pickup so don't have anything to compare it to.
    Retired Redleg
    I came into this world kicking and screaming covered in someone else's blood, I don't mind going out the same way.

  15. #15
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    So. Cal.
    Posts
    20
    I do keep my 38 wc brass separate from the rest but only having less than 200 pieces they get reloaded soon after use.
    I only have 2 for 45 and 3 for 44 spl. so standard brass is normally used.
    The 44 is used most often.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master dbosman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    East Lansing, MI, USA
    Posts
    1,995
    I have a couple of hundred .38 special wad cutter cases. They do load better (finish up nice and straight, no bulge) with Hornady or Remington hollow base wad cutters, then standard brass.
    I wonder if the few examples of .44 and .45 canelured brass, were done by a reloader with a cannelure tool rather than factory???

  17. #17
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    2,911
    I've got 9MM's with 1 "ring", 38 spcl with 1 and 2 "rings", 357 mag and 44 mag with 1 "ring" never treated them any differently.
    Last edited by Grmps; 07-16-2018 at 03:38 AM.

  18. #18
    Boolit Bub ANick57's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Wetside of WA state
    Posts
    42
    I think there's a sticky in one of the forums here on WC brass, made for an interesting read.

    Now to find it again...

    Okay! Someone write it down that I actually FOUND something!! http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-in-a-Model-27
    Last edited by ANick57; 07-24-2018 at 09:14 PM. Reason: added link

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    over the hill, out in the woods and far away
    Posts
    10,158
    WC brass is not just the under-base cannelure, but uniform case mouth wall thickness to a depth approximating location of the bullet base. Measure with a tubing micrometer to sort, or just buy Starline.
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
    Keep it to yourself.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master


    Walks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    3,028
    The cannalure on factory .45COLT brass is to "lock" the swaged lead round nose bullet into the case. It has no crimping groove, so the cannalure is put around the case to keep the original style bullet from sliding down into the case under recoil.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

    SASS #375 Life

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check