Good overall diameter for .38 Special cast boolits?!

[Petrol & Powder]

I'll toss in my $0.02, .358" seems to work in most 38 Special guns. I will say that those are predominantly S&W or Ruger. Colts do tend to be a bit odd at times. Not bad, just different.

[gwpercle]

Just what, exactly, are " crumbs" and where do they show up???

Gary

[Char-Gar]

What the $%&( is a crumb as related to a firearm?

Forget about slugging the barrels as the numbers you get will have no relevance to your decision.

The best accuracy will be achieved with a good fit of the bullet to the cylinder throat. The cylinder throat is the important number to know.

Smith and Wesson throats will run .357 - .3575

Colt throats will run a pretty even .359

The traditional sizing number for the 38 Special is .358. This will work well in both Smith and Wesson and Colt sixguns. I have no idea about Rugers or other makes.

While .358 will work well in Smiths, .357 will deliver a smidge more accuracy if that is important and for most purposes it is not. .359 will deliver a smidge more accuracy in Colts if that is important and again, for most purposes it is not.

The suggestion by Outpost75 is a good one, but not one I follow. Just because I don't do it, does not mean it does not have merit.

If you have a .3575 die I see no reason to lay out money for anything larger or smaller and it won't make much of a difference. Having no idea what "crumbs" are, I can't speak to those, but changing the sizing diameter will not be relevant in your program of crumb eradication, whatever they are.

The cylinder throat numbers above comes from a data base of scores of Smith and Wesson and Colt sixguns, I have slugged (barrels) and measured (throats) over the past 40 years. After a while you figure out the parameters and manufacturing tolerances in the finished products.

FYI... Smith barrels will run a uniform .357 - .3573 in the grooves and Colts will run .354 - .355. I have found one tight Smith at .356 and one whopping big Colt, again at .356. These numbers really don't matter as per the above, but just include them for general information.

[glicerin]

I have a K frame m14 S&W which shaves anything over .3565, and won't chamber .3575 in win ni brass. My P85 ruger 9mm slugs about .359, but shoots reasonably lead-free with .358. For you .3575 is probably a fair compromise.
ps: in canada selling reloads is illegal(unless u have a license to remanufacture).

[Char-Gar]

I have a K frame m14 S&W which shaves anything over .3565, and won't chamber .3575 in win ni brass. My P85 ruger 9mm slugs about .359, but shoots reasonably lead-free with .358. For you .3575 is probably a fair compromise.
ps: in canada selling reloads is illegal(unless u have a license to remanufacture).

Shaves what, where?

[9.3X62AL]

.358 has always shot well for me in Colt--S&W--and Ruger revolvers. .359" shoots well in all but one of my Colts, an OMT in 38 Special--the front bands on #358429 @ .359" just won't fully "go home". I have almost all of the H&I sizes from .355" to .368", the ones getting the most use are .357" for the 9mms and .358" or .359" for the 38s and 357s. I haven't used .355" or .356" in over 20 years.

[Fishman]

Well I appear to be in the minority. I have been sizing all of my .357, .38, and 9mm boolits to .359, and it works in all of the pistols and revolvers I've tried it in, likely 15 or more. Sounds like .358 would be a safer bet from other's experiences.

[robertbank]

I run 38spl sized .358 through all my revolvers and my Rossi rifle. Accuracy is excellent. I would not bother slugging the bore. Make sure the cylinder throats are at least .358.

Take Care

Bob

[Wayne Smith]

I cast for four Smith's and one Colt, all of them chamber .359 with difficulty - tight. I size to .358 and don't look back.