.38 +p brass

[trucker76]

Is there any difference between vanilla .38 spl and .38+p brass other than the headstamp? Could you do +p loads in regular .38 brass? I've got some +p brass mixed in with my .38s and was thinking of trying some heavy loads for giggles and was wondering if I needed to sort out the +p brass for any reason other than identification. All my revolvers that can shoot .38 are +p or better (.357 mag) so identification isn't too big a deal.

[Bonz]

I only load +P loads in brass that are stamped accordingly, just to be safe. StarlineBrass's site states that there is no difference in their .38 special brass, except for the headstamp, don't know of any others

[C. Latch]

Generally +p refers to the loaded factory ammo, not the brass itself. I don't load my 38s hot anyway.

[captaint]

To know for sure, weigh the cases. If there is any more "meat" on the +P cases, they'll be heavier, consistently. Mike

[dubber123]

Good idea to weigh the brass, I have never bothered in .38 Spl. but I have had issues with max loads in .357 Mag and .45 LC when switching brass. The .45 LC took 1.5 grains LESS powder in FC cases to equal the velocity of REM cases.

The pressures of even +P .38 Spl's is pretty low, and I don't think there is anything special about the +P brass. I do use it for my +P carry loads for easy ID.

[Nueces]

Starline 38+P are the same as their regular 38 cases. From their website:

"38 SPL+P has no difference from the standard 38 SPL, other than headstamp designation for load segregation. This is due to the fact that our standard case design will handle +P pressures with no problems."

[Whitespider]

When my .357 Magnum brass gets small cracks at the mouth I trim them to .38 Special length.
I've done measurement, weight and capacity comparisons of .38, .38+P, and trimmed .357 brass (modern, solid-head), using cases headstamped Federal, F-C, R-P, W-W, Winchester, and Speer... as long as the headstamp "brand" (i.e. W-W, Winchester, R-P, etc.) remains the same I haven't found any significant difference, at least nothing that can't be explained by possible slight lot-to-lot variances. But there are differences between brands and I've even found significant differences between those supposedly from the same maker (i.e. W-W vs Winchester, or Federal vs. F-C). I've done the same with .44 Special and trimmed .44 Magnum brass with the same results.

So according to what I've observed (and it's only what I've personally observed)... .38 Special brass is constructed with the same head strength as .357 Magnum brass, and .44 Special the same as .44 Magnum. Which, when ya' think about it, makes sense... it would cost more to re-tool/re-adjust/re-setup than the material savings in making a slightly lighter duty cartridge case.
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[BAGTIC]

The fact that a 38 Special case and a .357 case shortened to .38 Special dimensions weighs the same does not necessarily mean they are the same strength. There is more to case strength than quantity of material. Brass starts off soft and is hardened by working it ust as steel is strengthened by forging. Brass intended for higher pressure cartridges may have been strengthened by extra working.

[bedbugbilly]

Should be the same except for the head stamp . . .

A person vcan load "anything up in a casing" - however - is it wise to do so? YOU may know that they are +P loadings regardless of the head stamp . . . but will you remember somewhere down the road? Even if you label the box well? If you have +P brass mixed in with your 38 spl brass - do the safe thing and sort the +P out to reload your +P loads. If you are loading 357, be safe and use a 357 casing.

What amazes me is how in the reloading hobby, safety is always stressed. "Use the correct primer" - "Measure and weigh your powder loads" - "Use established data - start low and work up" - etc. A person can do whatever they want to - it's their business and their reloading. But, why "stretch" another safety rule?

I have read thread after thread from folks who did such things as reload a number of years ago and are getting back in to it. Perhaps they have loads they reloaded but can't really remember what the components are - or such things as that. Whats to say that if a person does load +P charges in a 38 spl case - that somewhere down the road they forget it and end up using it in a 38 that won't take it? Yes, you might have all 357s which would handle it - but a lot of folks have a combination. Personally, I have two 357s and 5 vintage 38s. I'd hate to think what would happen if I loaded up some hot ones, forgot about what they were, looked at the head stamp and then tried to shoot them out of one of my vintage 38s. I'm sorry, but I think that the safety rule of "using the proper casing for the proper load" is just as important rule as the rest of 'em. But then I'm an old fart . . . . but I still have all of my fingers and both hands . . . and I even was a shop teacher at one time! :-)

[Whitespider]

I'm sorry, but I think that the safety rule of "using the proper casing for the proper load" is just as important rule as the rest of 'em.

Hmmmmm.....
There's certainly nothing wrong with caution... but... what "safety rule" are you talking about??
Where do I find .45 Colt brass "properly" headstamped for "Ruger Only" or "Contender Only" loads found in many reloading manuals??
Or where do I find "properly" headstamped brass for my .32-20 and .38-40 Rugers?? Heck, at one time Winchester sold two different loads for the .32-20, one for revolvers and a higher pressure load for rifles... but headstamps were the same, and so was the cartridge case.
Or where do I find "properly" headstamped brass for the 3 or 4 different levels of loading data found in manuals for the .45-70??
Some manuals even show different load levels for the .32 Magnum in the Contender... for that matter, several cartridges... where do you find headstamps for those??
And finally... for example... what about all those high-pressure wildcats based on the necked-down, low-pressure .30-30 case that would easily chamber in a model 94 lever gun??

I don't know what "safety rule" you're talkin' 'bout... 'cause I've never seen such in print.

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And as far as the .357 case head being stronger than the .38 Special case head because of cold working during manufacturing... well... that ridiculous. If you blow the case head open on a (modern) .38 special you've far, far, far exceeded any normal .357 Magnum pressures. Extremely high-pressure wildcats are based on many low-pressure cartridge cases... it ain't the (modern) brass case that keeps things from coming unglued, it's the steel surrounding it.
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[Grump]

Within the same headstamp, regular and +P .38 Specials in my reloads all shoot to the same point of impact at 50 yards.

You can be confident with this within the limits of my ammo, in my revolvers, going about 2-1/2 inches for the best loads, about 4 inches for the ordinary loads, and 5-7 inches for the junk blasting whatinnaheckwentwrongwiththeload loads.