Can a .38 short Colt case be used in a .38 S&W pistol?

[Hardcast416taylor]

Other than being slightly shorter than the S&W case, why can`t a .38 short Colt case be loaded like an S&W case and used in a S&W pistol?Robert

[rintinglen]

The Colt case is not as wide as the S&W case (.379 vs .386). It will likely chamber, but it will lay in the bottom of the cylinder and will swell when fired, resulting in Mediocre accuracy, short case life and possible lead spitting due to the boolit hitting the forcing cone off-center. Normally, I'd say forget this idea and order the right brass, but these days, if it's all you have, and you must shoot that 38 S&W, well, it won't blow up in your hand. You might be able to trade for some in the swapping and selling Forum.

[revolvergeek]

I have known people to do it around here for CAS with very light loads, often just cutting down .38 spl brass to length to save buying new brass and dies. It seems to work for them but as stated results in bulged brass and sometime mediocre accuracy.

The bigger potential issue with reloading for .38 S&W is bore diameter. Some guns want larger diameter bullets than will work well in some .38 spl die sets. I have seen Enfields and S&W revolvers that prefer bullets that are too fat to even fit in the chambers of most old Colts. Louisianaman has done a lot of load development with his .38 S&W revolvers and found a pretty wide range of bore diameters. What kind of revolver are you thinking of loading for? Have you slugged the barrel?

[jameslovesjammie]

You can shoot .38 Short Colt in a .38 Special/.357. I've cut down .38 Special Wadcutter brass down to .38 Short Colt length and used 9mm data in my 686. I wouldn't shoot it in a .38 S&W as mentioned because that cartridge is wider than the Special.