1st time 38 special loading

[repawn]

Hi all,

Thanks to a few forum members I am on the road to reloading .38 Special.

I have a question or two - first - do you need to crimp for this caliber - it will be fired from a revolver.

The current test load will be 160gr rn - my test cases (no powder or primers) are COL of 1.519" with a crimp.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/20/ajasa7ej.jpg
I was thinking I need to be a bit longer (1.54 or so) and was planning to start using 4.2 grains of Universal.
Any thought or critiques - I have loaded for 9mm, .223, 7.62x54r and 6.5x55 - but this is my first revolver cartridge.
Thanks!

[LUBEDUDE]

Howdy repawn, you need to crimp. If you don't, you run the risk of the boolits "jumping" out of the cases upon recoil and thus getting getting jammed in between your cylinder and frame. This is no fun at all to remedy.

As far as overall length, the max is considered 1.55" or actually just so they don't poke out your cylinder and cause a hang up like noted above. The cool thing about a revolver, is you have more liberty as far as setting the bullet or boolits deeper than normal( due to the cyl. length again), but don't get too liberal as to cause pressures to rise.

I am not familar with Universal, so someone else will have to chime in on that subject.

Load Safe

[wrench]

Do your bullets have a crimp groove? Most bullets designed for revolvers have a groove to roll your crimp into. If it does, just crimp in the groove and be done with it.
If your bullet has no crimp groove, are you just mashing the crimp into the bullet?

[r1kk1]

There is a second reason to crimp. Some powders perform better when crimped. It may be a slight crimp or heavy. I use a chronograph and wish I had a mechanical rest for testing purposes. I know of people who don't crimp at all but it is a different bullet than you are shooting. I too have not used Universal and curious with the 4.2 load. Hodgdon site starts at 3.5 and ends at 4.5 for a 158 grain lead bullet.

Take care

r1kk1

[LUBEDUDE]

mistake

[LUBEDUDE]

Do your bullets have a crimp groove? ?

If you look close at the top photo you can see the crimp groove.

[repawn]

If you look close at the top photo you can see the crimp groove.

The boolits do not really have a crimp groove - not sure how many cast boolits do - is it alright to crimp without a cannelure?

My Lyman manual has a starting load of 4.2 under a 158gr with a max of 4.7. I suppose I could safely dial that back and follow the hodgon data.

[LUBEDUDE]

Oops fooled me, need better glasses!

[sirgknight]

I would definitely use a slightly tappered crimp and that appears to be about what you have although the pic is slightly blurry; roll crimp shouldn't be necessary. For a backyard plinking load I usually load my cartridges with the recommended starting load, in your case it would be 3.5 grains of Universal. The load data that you are using also shows the cartridge overall length (col)for that bullet to be 1.475 and that also is what I would try to achieve. Without knowing the actual revolver it is difficult to determine how much longer you could go, but you should be ok with the 1.519 length if the cylinder rotates without any restrictions. Shooting for precision, competition or self defense is a whole new ballgame when it comes to the numbers.

[repawn]

Starting with plinking / practice loads. Will work up to precision loads - I just received a pack of 158gr swc - will also work a load with that. There is a very slight crimp - maybe this will be a better picture. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/21/qa4ysu7y.jpg
These will be shot out of a S&W model 10. Won't have the gun until next week though.

[Recluse]

Back in my days of heavy and fierce IPSC competition, I loaded 158grRN boolits with a far lesser ogive than the boolit you show, but to date, every cast boolit I have ever cast or loaded has had a crimp groove. I can state pretty unequivocally that I will never load a wheelgun boolit that does not have a crimp groove.

I'm not a fan of taper-crimping for wheel guns. Just not. Nor am I a fan of boolits with no crimp groove. I strongly prefer a roll crimp on a boolit with a crimp groove because this gives me additional control over the pressures I can create with the powder/primer/OAL combinations. It also helps give me a quick/instant visual verification that my seating depth isn't changing on me as I crank the loads out on a progressive.

I picked up a two-banger mold a few years ago in .358 that is a rather severe round-nose boolit and loaded some up. The only reason I can fathom for having such a boolit is for ease of use in speedloaders. I loaded up the boolits and they shoot okay, but they are basically worthless.

With no meplat whatsoever, their utility as a hunting or self-defense boolit is nil. The severe round nose ogive makes small holes in targets, so for bullseye/target shooting, they become marginal. I also find them to be less stable at distances beyond 35' or so than the more standard meplat boolits including and up to the SWC and WCs.

Not wanting to rain on your first outing and loading here, but rather want to make sure that you manage your expectations appropriately.

:coffee:

[w0fms]

I'm not an expert but I have had very good luck/accuracy with the cast Lee 158 SWC's (that have a groove obviously) properly seated and then slightly roll crimped with a Lee FCD. Quick and simple. I'd also agree on a revolver a groove and a roll crimp is the best way to go.

[repawn]

Quick update:
Loaded 10 test rounds using a different billet - 150gr swc over 3.8 grains universal. Seated to the cannelure. Hope to test them this weekend. Does this crimp look alright?
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/21/u9ene2u8.jpg

[marlin39a]

My first reload in 1978 was the 38 Special, and the gun was a S&W 10. Had no help in those days other than a book. Seems I could no wrong with that caliber. Still love shooting them.

[Calamity Jake]

Quick update:
Loaded 10 test rounds using a different billet - 150gr swc over 3.8 grains universal. Seated to the cannelure. Hope to test them this weekend. Does this crimp look alright?
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/21/u9ene2u8.jpg

That crimp looks good but is a little heavy in my book, I would back it off a little. To much crimp can shave
lead from the boolit when fired, not a good thing!! You don't need a heavy crimp for light loads.

I load a lot of 38sp/45C for CAS matches and have used many different boolits, some with crimp groove, some
without and have always liked a taper crimp over a roll because I feel that case length is not as critical when
using a taper crimp.

[smurf hunter]

Most all of my 38spl loads are of the casual plunking variety. I have brass that I must have reloaded more than a dozen times.

I also try to avoid over working brass with heavy crimps - however I have twice experienced a locked up cylinder from a bullet jumping its crimp. One was "premium" self defense round, the other was a squib that was my fault.

If in doubt crimp more than less.

[repawn]

Thanks for the advice - ill test these 10 - adjust crimp and see if I need more or less powder. Hope to shoot this weekend but if not it will be next week sometime. I am using Lyman dies - so getting the crimp and seat depth right involves a lot of fiddling - think I will back off the crimp a 1/4 turn and adjust the seating depth accordingly.

[Char-Gar]

Way to much crimp on the RN and less but still to much on the SWC.

[Recluse]

Crimp looks just about exactly what I do on my lighter .38 Special loads. I prefer a heavier crimp for lighter charges (ie faster burning powders) as I feel the additional pressure helps with more consistent accuracy--especially with cases that I've loaded and fired way more than just one time and of mixed headstamps.

If/when I begin seeing signs of wear, I simply anneal the upper 1/4th of the cases and then keep on loading.

:coffee: