357 case in 38 special revolver

[lukewmtdew]

Is there a way to use a 357 case in a 38 special revolver for use in homemade shot shells?

[Scrounge]

Is there a way to use a 357 case in a 38 special revolver for use in homemade shot shells?

Neck it down and DO NOT overload it. Probably not worth it. You can do 38 shot shells in a 38S&W, which is shorter than 38 special, and it's not a problem to do shot shells in a 38 special case, either.

[John McCorkle]

Neck it down and DO NOT overload it. Probably not worth it. You can do 38 shot shells in a 38S&W, which is shorter than 38 special, and it's not a problem to do shot shells in a 38 special case, either.

How does one neck down a 357 case?

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[Scrounge]

How does one neck down a 357 case?

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Neck size with a die for a smaller case. 9mm might work for 357, though it won't be much of a neck. You can make sizing dies with something called a drill bushing. https://www.grainger.com/search?sear...=drill+bushing Bore out a socket in an old die, or a piece of allthread, or whatever, press in the appropriate size of bushing. Or bore your own. Lathe helps, but a drill press will work. Patient guy with a file can get there, too. If you want to do it badly enough, you can figure a way.

There are books on forming brass for wildcats or obsolete cartridges. Considerable discussion right here at Cast Boolits.

[John McCorkle]

Neck size with a die for a smaller case. 9mm might work for 357, though it won't be much of a neck. You can make sizing dies with something called a drill bushing. https://www.grainger.com/search?sear...=drill+bushing Bore out a socket in an old die, or a piece of allthread, or whatever, press in the appropriate size of bushing. Or bore your own. Lathe helps, but a drill press will work. Patient guy with a file can get there, too. If you want to do it badly enough, you can figure a way.

There are books on forming brass for wildcats or obsolete cartridges. Considerable discussion right here at Cast Boolits.

Yeah I gotta get a lathe...I have so many things I could use one for.

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[oso]

You don't need anything fancy. I just run a 357 mag case into my 38 Spec crimp die after loading powder, wad, shot and topping with an inverted gas check. Works and on spec! You can get elaborate using a 356 size die or 9mm or 38 super crimp die but you have to watch your neck length.

[Scrounge]

Yeah I gotta get a lathe...I have so many things I could use one for.

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IMNSHO EVERYBODY should have a lathe. You can get a small one from Harbor Freight for about $700. You can get a Monarch 10EE brand new for around $100K. You can get the modern version of the South Bend Heavy 10L for about $10K from Grizzly.com. You can get any random lathe-like object from Craigslist, and maybe even a real lathe.

I got my first lathe, an HF 7x10 in 2008 for $369. 2016 I found an Atlas TH42 10x24 lathe, vintage 1946, for $750. They tend to be a little higher now, like everything else. About a year and a half ago I got a very used, and left in a leaky barn for 5 years restoration project SB Heavy 10L vintage 1941, for $950. One in good running condition on Ebay is closer to $3K last I looked.

For reloading, the 7x10 (7"is largest possible diameter to turn x 10" between centers) will work pretty well. You can make small hardware, firing pins, peep sight apertures, washers, other small items. You can do some gunsmithing on it, Maybe ream a chamber, but it's pretty limited. The TH42 has many of the same limitations, though it's about 24" between centers. Both have about a 3/4" hole through the spindle, and use Morse Taper 3 accessories. Both have tailstocks that use MT2 accessories. I could turn a short barrel between centers, ream a chamber, and things like that on the Atlas. The South Bend has a 1-3/8" hole through the spindle, and about 30" between centers. It's bigger, heavier, and stiffer. In machine tools, this is good. Helps to be a fair mechanic if you're going to do stuff the way I did, but if you have $$ ( or are good at shopping), you can buy new & good and ready to go. And despite the other two lathes, I'm keeping the 7x10. It's handy size. Last I looked, there is nothing like it made in America for less than $10K. It won't handle a large project, but it will handle a lot of the small pieces that go in a large project. You can buy a lot of hardware to do almost anything. But sometimes absolutely no one makes what you need to do something. With the right tools you can make anything you can conceive.

Hi! My name's Bill, and I'm a toolohaulic. Guns are tools, to, btw!

[jonp]

Don't "neck it down". Trim to length for your revolver then load it up

[Scrounge]

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=handloade...ref=nb_sb_noss

There are paper editions (some with STUPID! prices) and a Kindle edition for $20.99, and you can also find it at https://www.scribd.com/search?conten...ons&language=1 which is a subscription service, costs about $10 a month.

Regardless, look at the Kindle version, and read the comments, there's some good info there both on shortcomings of the book, and some workarounds for some of them.

[Dapaki]

I make both the .38 and .357 'snake shot' shells, the only difference is the weight of the shot. 2 questions, why not just use the .38 brass? What are you going to shoot with these shells?

[rancher1913]

can be done the same as using 357max for 357mag shotshells, there is a thread on that.

[Scrounge]

Don't "neck it down". Trim to length for your revolver then load it up

I loaded shot cartridges for my old Iver Johnson Breaktop 38S&W in the mid 70's, then in 38 special in the 80's, and shot them in .38/.357Mag pistols. The shot capsule was the same. I'd advise just using .38 special, personally. If you WANT to use .357 mag, that's another story, and that's what OP asked about. To each his own, as they say. I'd guess he's trying to avoid stuff spraying out the cylinder gap or jumping from the chamber to the rifling. Shot an acquaintance's little deringer-thing that was chambered for .410 shotshell & .45LC. Had about 1-3/4" gap between the .45LC cartridge and the short little bit of rifling in the barrel. Wasn't hitting the target with it, so got really close. Like on foot from the target. Still missed the target, but the slug slammed into the cardboard backing and did not penetrate completely. I pulled it out from the hole where it hit sideways. I'm not sure a shot capsule in a .45LC cartridge would have made it out of the pistol. Extreme case. I think that he's trying to eliminate every little bit of possible problem you could have. Someone else in another thread is necksizing 45LC to 44Mag or 44 special, IIRC. I don't suppose it will hurt to play with this.

I suppose I was proselyting lathe ownership, too.

[Dapaki]

"Everybody should have a lathe"

[Scrounge]

"Everybody should have a lathe"

No! Really? Why would you think that?

And a milling machine, and welder, and and a whole bunch of cutting stuff... Do it like most people buy guns. Get something you need. Then some stuff to support it. Then more stuff you need. Use it. Learn how to do stuff with it. Practice. Get more stuff....

Yes, it is true that he who dies with the most stuff still dies, but he probably had some fun first!

[lukewmtdew]

I tried resizing the 357 and punch the primer then just sticking it into the 38 the back end of the case was sticking out of the cylinder oh I’d say 1/4 inch? Just was looking to see if there’s an easy way to make snake loads without using a lathe or dinking around a bunch I can’t find those Speer shot cups or else I’d just use those

[besk]

I tried resizing the 357 and punch the primer then just sticking it into the 38 the back end of the case was sticking out of the cylinder oh I’d say 1/4 inch? Just was looking to see if there’s an easy way to make snake loads without using a lathe or dinking around a bunch I can’t find those Speer shot cups or else I’d just use those

Unfortunately, you will need to find a way to reduce the diameter of that last , say 1/4 inch. OSO said above to just set the crimp die for 38 special and run the 357 mag into it. (I would be inclined to do all of this before priming and loading shot.) Also, I would lubricate the case before doing this.
Once reduced it will fire form to the bore size on subsequent shots.

[lukewmtdew]

I was thinking the same thing about making a dummy round

[onelight]

I have seen a gas check seated in the case for a bottom wad and a another crimped over the shot to cap it.
For handgun shot loads with the right parts for the Lee app you could mount a bullet sizing punch on one end to push in the bottom gas check with a shell holder on the other end to control the case , I have not done this but can't think of why it would not work , or if you have the tools you could make a seating punch that would screw into a standard
press to deep seat the gas check . I would think a gas check shot column about the length of a wadcutter bullet might be a starting point.
The shot capsules would probably hold more shot and pattern better , but I have seen articles on building shot loads this way for cases long enough to safely hold a usable amount of shot

[smithnframe]

Trim it!

[Scoutdog99]

I made some rounds for my 38 Special using 357 Max brass. With Max brass, you can get a round that will fit the full length of the cylinder. You will have to trim it down to cylinder length. A regular 357 Mag case will give you a little extra room, but the 357 Max will give you more. I used a 30 Carbine die to neck down the end of the case. The nice thing is the rounds work in both my 38 and 357 so I don’t have to have separate cartridges.