Advice requested

[Bob in Revelstoke]

I have a Chaparell .357 rifle which is advertised to shoot 38 spl or 357. It won't shoot 38 from the magazine as they are shorter than 357 and jamb the elevator. My question is, can I load 38 spl to 357 length safely? This will be standard 38 spl load and NOT 357 load in a 38 spl case.

They do advertise a replacement elevator for 38 spl but I really don't want to go that way as it means removing screws ect and subsequent wear on components.

Any info appreciated

[looseprojectile]

It has been years since I even handled a 73. Could a man fix some kind of tenth inch thick spacer in the back of the lifter? Contact cement? The 73 is more finicky than a 92 regarding length. I do not see that it would hurt any to load the 38s longer.
Or bite the bullet and load 38 special loads in magnum cases.

Life is good

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Loading the 357 brass is the simple solution.

[dragonrider]

What he said ^

[Calamity Jake]

Yap use the 357 brass, the 38sp will leave a carbon ring in the chamber and if used long enough will erode the chamber.

[robertbank]

I'm not so sure it will erode the chamber but you might try just loading the .38spl cartridges longer. The 358429 Lyman boolit is one goolit that you can use in .38spl cases and load longer.

Take Care

Bob

[Bob in Revelstoke]

Thanks for your replies. The reason I asked was that I have two four liter pails of 38 spl brass but not that much 357 brass. Being a cheap s.o.b. I was trying to find the easy way out.

[doubs43]

Years ago a fellow named Ray Thompson designed a GC boolit that could be used in either the .38 Special or .357 Mag and achieve magnum or near magnum velocities from the .38 Special case. Lyman makes a mold #358156 and it drops a 155 grain boolit with two crimping grooves. Use the top crimping groove for .357 mag cases and the lower one to give approximately the same internal capacity with .38 Special cases. While I can't guarantee that it will function in a .38 Special case in your '73, I'd think it's worth a try.

FWIW, Skeeter Skelton was quite fond of the Thompson design and wrote about it several times in his articles for Shooting Times. He had access to an endless supply of .38 Special cases when .357 cases were scarce and loaded magnum velocity rounds in Special cases.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

I use 38 spl cases in my wife's Marlin 1894, I load the 359640's from MiHec with the two crimp grooves, COL = 1.505" works fine!
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s220/ShawnTVT/3596403.jpg

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s220/ShawnTVT/Guns/359640RoundHPinWater3.jpg

[Blammer]

Yes you can load the 38spl case to 357mag length. Should work fine.