Reloading 38-40 ammo.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I was just wondering if it is any harder to reload 38-40 ammo than it is to reload 44-40- or 45 Colt? I am planning on reloading the 38-40 for a cousin he has a Marlin Octagon barreled Model 94 in very good condition. Are there any special tricks that I should know? Would it be better to use a Lee Factory Crimp die or just use the crimp in the seater die? I've heard that it is easy to crumple the case when using the crimp that is built into the seater die. Which brass is best to get, Winchester or Starline?

[brtelec]

The cases for 38-40 are very thin and I crumpled and crushed a number of them. It just requires a deft hand and good alignment. I used the standard seating crimping die with my RCBS dies.

[Eutectic]

The cases for 38-40 are very thin and I crumpled and crushed a number of them. It just requires a deft hand and good alignment. I used the standard seating crimping die with my RCBS dies.

Because of .38-40 thin necks I would recommend crimping as a separate step. Even if it means backing your seating stem out to do it. Lee crimp die would probably be OK but I wouldn't 'muscle' it too deep.

Eutectic

[pworley1]

I load a lot of 38 40 and over the years I have learned to load and seat with the dies in the set, then use the a factory crimp die to apply however much crimp I need. If it is for a revolver, less crimp and for a lever action, more crimp. I almost never have a crumpled neck.

[runfiverun]

I flair the case mouths on these [38/44-40, 25-20 and 32-20] cases pretty wide, and make dang sure they are round with a pair of needle nose pliars before re-sizing them.
I treat them like rifle cases more than revolver brass.
I definitely crimp in a separate step... I seat my 44-40 boolits in a 45 colt seater die then go back to the crimp die.
one less reload on the batch is worth not trashing 3 cases every time I reload the bunch.

make sure your fired cases will go back into the chamber before re-loading the whole batch, I had to grind down a shell holder for my 38-40 because the die wouldn't set the shoulder back quite far enough for the pair of revolvers I had.

[fryboy]

i loved the lee fcd ! it allowed me to use the win silvertips in me '92 ! ( devastating on feral varmits ! ) the fcd also made it easy enough to do crimping as a separate step ;) with a cast boolit ,as Eutectic stated,you assuredly wouldnt want to do a hard crimp , on the smooth sided ( no crimping cannalure ) condomed projectiles it'll lock it in place
as for brass ...both are usually good ( so was/is rp in my humble opinion ) but since it is a 38 winchester center fire ... starline is usually cheaper ( last i looked ), if ... you never load it in pistols you can usually up the anty a wee bit in a strong rifled action

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I have been loading 38-40 using Winchester brass for a 73 and a Ruger BH. The necks are thin and it is advisable to go slow and carefully to avoid ruining cases. I use Lyman 401043 which Lyman has always said to be the original design, and maybe it is, but it was/is designed for use with black powder as crimping the case just ahead of the front groove makes the round too long to feed in the 73. With a case full of black there would be no problem with the bullet getting shoved back into the case. In the BH a slight taper crimp suffices to avoid any case setback so no problem. Its a lot trickier in the 73 with the OAL not exceeding the length of the cartridge carrier....if you have to load cartridges into the tube mag then you will either have to use a factory crimp die which (with the 043 bullet) is hard on the already too thin case mouths or find another design of bullet with a crimp groove in a better position. It is said that 38-40 brass can be made from 45 Colt and that might be worth looking into since the 45 brass appears to be thicker. I have been using 19 grains of 4227...a load that was recommended in an article by Taffin. It isn't especially hot in the 73 rifle and shoots well, but in the Ruger it kicks like a blue mule although the accuracy is ok. LLS

[runfiverun]

magma engineering makes a nice 180gr 38-40 mold that has the crimp groove in the correct place.
it pours out to the 402 or so area with ww alloy.

[Eutectic]

magma engineering makes a nice 180gr 38-40 mold that has the crimp groove in the correct place.
it pours out to the 402 or so area with ww alloy.

Lamar knows what he is talking about here!

I have worked extensively with a Winchester Model 92 in .38-40 that still has a very good bore. The wonderful 'wisdom' of "Handloader" magazine totes the RCBS cowboy boolit as a great choice..... Wrong! It may feed great but it is undersize in front of the crimp groove. I guess I ask Why??? This is not good for accuracy be it rifle or revolver.

I met the Magma boolit in some Meister cast boolits. They shot pretty good even if I would have culled 75% of them! This is with the lube changed however.

The ogive just 'kisses' the lands in my '92 when crimped into the crimp groove. I ordered the mold from Magma. I don't think most know just how accurate a Winchester Model 92 in .38-40 really is......

This mold is also available as a gascheck version if one wanted warmer loads in a strong gun like the W '92.

Eutectic

[w30wcf]

Accurate makes a nice mold for the .38-40. It's like the original bullet but with a crimp groove added.
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=40-190C-D.png

If you don't cast, this bullet would be the one to get....
http://www.cowboybullets.com/38-40-Caliber_c_8.html

I have reloaded lots of .38-40 and .44-40 and I have never ruined a case!

I would suggest getting the Lyman "M" neck expander die so that you don't over expand / overwork the case neck.

Crimping - The Lee FCD works great and is a MUST if you don't trim your cases to the same length.

The regular seating / crimp die works well but only if your cases are the same length.

I have had good results with both Winchester and Starline brass.

Have fun!

w30wcf

[45-70 Chevroner]

Good information to ponder. Thanks guys.

[Harry O]

A few things not mentioned: If you are just starting, get Starline brass and stick with it. It does have a heavier neck than either Winchester or Remington.

Check a fired case against (1) an unfired factory round, and (2) a resized round. In particular, look where the shoulder starts and stops. They will probably all three be different. If the shoulder of the resized case is further ahead than the fired (unsized) round, you will have to have a little bit shaved off the bottom of your sizing die (between 1/32" and 1/16"). Otherwise, you will have sticky chambering. I had to do that with mine because I was using four different 38-40 guns and the chambers were definitely different. If you are just using one gun, you probably won't have to do that.

It is very important to trim the cases to the same length. The exact length is not important (within reason) as long as they are all the same and the dies are adjusted to that length. The recommendation to seat the bullet and just turn the flair back straight is a good one. Crimp the bullet with a Lee Factory Crimp Die. It will make a lot of difference in how many cases you lose.

I have tried many different 38-40 moulds with little luck. Part of it was because they either had no crimping groove or the groove was in the wrong place. I did have the bullet slide back into the case with thin necks and lever actions. I even shaved the neck expander down to get more grip. It did not work. The 1873 Winchester clone is VERY tempermental when it comes to the cartridge OAL. Just a little too long or a little too short will jam the gun. I do not know if the Marlin is as bad.

The recommendation to get a Magma mould or buy bullets made from a Magma mould is another good one. Lots of casters sell them. With the problems I was having with my moulds, ended up buying bullets made from Magma moulds for several years. I finally bought a new Magma mould and had it set up to be used with handles. It works great.

BTW, I have tried the NEI 401195 mould, the Lyman 401043, a Lyman 401452, and a Lyman 40395 without luck. The only one that has worked reliably in all guns is the Magma mould.

[rintinglen]

The advice to use a Lee FCD is spot on. Unless you plan on trimming brass each time you reload it, it is the only way to fly.