38 S&W/38 Colt NP

[badgeredd]

OK guys, another question for those of you that have had some experience with the 38 S&W.

I have a Colt Police Positive Special that I am going to load some cast for. Knowing that this cartridge is very underpowered, I am kinda thinking that I would be well served to use a softer alloy for the boolits. Initially I planned on trying some Lyman 358432 WC boolits. Then I want to go to a RN PB from a Lachmiller 358 mold I am fortunate enough to have, and they weigh in with my alloy of 10% babbitt and 90% WW WQ at 167.5 grains with lube.

I slugged the barrel (3X) [smilie=1: and it measure .3545 to .355 while the cylinder pin gages at .359 (all chambers).NOTE: According to the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, it is suggested to size boolits as near as possible to bore diameter, which is opposite what I've read on the forum. Is this consistent with your experience with this cartridge?

So my question is 2 fold. The first part do you think I would be better off with a slightly softer alloy? maybe just air cooled? or straight WW? or add pure lead? and second, IF a .359 boolit will chamber in a loaded round, do you think that would be the the best diameter to size it to? Since this gun is good and tight and I want to have a little bunny pistol, thus requiring pretty good accuracy, I'm wanting to try this little guy out. :???:

Thanks and I am awaiting your opinions so I can get started. :drinks:

ALSO one more question, any loads you'd suggest? :castmine:

Edd

[badgeredd]

bump, bump

[badgeredd]

HELP, please!

[crazy mark]

If your measurements are right I would go with chamber size and the the bore swage down the boolit. I would also use softer metal like adding 1 lbs of lead to 5 lbs of wheel weight. Seeings how that is a full frame revolver and not a break top in can take a little bit hotter loads. Mine is about .359 bore x .361 chambers and is marked RHKP. I size to .361 and use 150 and 195 gr boolits. They are a nice belly gun. Mark

[NickSS]

I have a colt police positive and an Enfield revolver in 38 S&W I size cast boolits at .360 and they work fine in both my weapons. So far the loads I have tried give me reaonable combat accuracy out to 25 yards but I would not say they are target pistols. I also have an old Iver Johnson break open in this caliber but have never fired it.

[badgeredd]

If your measurements are right I would go with chamber size and the the bore swage down the boolit. I would also use softer metal like adding 1 lbs of lead to 5 lbs of wheel weight. Seeings how that is a full frame revolver and not a break top in can take a little bit hotter loads. Mine is about .359 bore x .361 chambers and is marked RHKP. I size to .361 and use 150 and 195 gr boolits. They are a nice belly gun. Mark

Thanks Mark, and Mine is also marked RHKP plus I would guess an issue number.

Thanks Nick, I am hoping for adequate accuracy to bag a few bunnies this winter. it should be a handy little popper for the fuzzies.

Also Wiljen suggested a softer alloy too.

Edd

[anachronism]

Royal Hong Kong Police issue. Neat guns! I agree with the softer alloy & sizing to the throat diameter. The bullets will swage down to barrel dimensions without any trouble. I used to have a commercial S&W M&P is 38 S&W. It was a lovely old gun and I was a fool to sell it.

[9.3X62AL]

The "RHKP" stamp answered one question as to caliber. Most "Police Positive SPECIALS" were made in either 32-20 or 38 Special caliber, which has a longer frame window for the cylinder than does the Police Positive--the usual platform for Colt-made 38 S&W or 38 NP. The PPS was a stronger platform than the PP, and could absorb the heavier loads used by the RHKP that closely resembled the British 38 S&W service load--a 178-200 grain boolit running 675-700 FPS.

[Four Fingers of Death]

There was an recent group buy for the original style boolit (140 odd Gns I think). I bought one, but haven't got around to using it yet.

Why don't you put an add on the site, someone (not me) might be getting rid of one.

Mine is a Colt Po Po in 38S&W. It almost looks like a toy it is so delicate.

[Buckshot]

..............In 38 S&W I have 3 revolvers. Two Victories, one blued version which has had a 38 Special reamer run into each chamber, but it shoots VERY well. The other is full military and a decent shooter. The last is a nickle plated Iver Johnson which is an astounding shooter for what it is.

http://www.fototime.com/B8AC5913DE564B1/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/8DAF2A1F0B9E0C6/standard.jpg

This is a 5 shot group (25 yards) shot with the Iver Johnson. The load was a Ly 35863, 150gr WC cast of pure lead, loaded 'as cast' (.363") and tumble lubed, over 1.6grs of Red Dot.

http://www.fototime.com/48343BFA434AB36/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/8D7CF413F4B724E/standard.jpg

Target fired at 25 yards. The boolit was the Ly 35863, pure lead, 'as cast' @ .363" and seated to 1.15" OAL (38 Special length so it is a 38 Special load) crimped into the bottom lube groove. Lee tumble lube.

http://www.fototime.com/8EB1F9344794021/standard.jpg

I don't have any targets posted for this one. I've been excersizing it with the 200gr Ly 358430 cast of pure lead (.360") with doses of Blue Dot, and they're not piker loads for the 38 S&W :-).

...............Buckshot

[badgeredd]

Thanks guys. You gave me some neat info....always have wondered what the initials were for. I picked this one years ago and really haven't played with it much. Since I've joined this group, I see all sorts of possibilies for some of my old guns, this being one of them. I've a couple others that need some repair and now I have some incentive to get them fixed so I can shoot them. One is an old Lemon Squeezer that need a trigger return spring and another is an H&R break top in 32 short.

You guys are a wealth of knowledge that amazes me at times. :drinks: Thanks for the info and have a great New Years!!!!!!

Edd

[218bee]

Badger...keep us posted as to what works for you. I have an old Colt in 38 S&W that I'd also like to cast for but others are on my list ahead of it

[badgeredd]

Badger...keep us posted as to what works for you. I have an old Colt in 38 S&W that I'd also like to cast for but others are on my list ahead of it

Will do.

I understand the others ahead thing too. BUT since I am currently unemployed I have to fill the days with something useful ;):-):D and I happened to see the gun in the safe and decided now was a good time to try it out, particulaly since I can go bunny hunting anytime for a few weeks. Give the critters a chance as they say. Of course not TOO much of a chance.

Edd

[badgeredd]

Well I have some loaded. They are cute!! ;):smile:

Loaded up fifty Lachmiller 358s and fifty Lyman 358432 wadcutters, using Unique. Hopefully tomorrow I can at least plink some to see what kind of grouping I get. Both are loaded at about 700 fps according to the books. Maybe the weather will be cooperative and I can get some chrono reading to verify that.

I went with suggestions for a softer alloy, 3 parts pure lead-1 part WW- and 1 part babbitt (for the tin). They cast up easily and are definitly on the soft side (I really need to get a hardness tester soon!). Sized them to 358 since I haven't received the 359 sizer yet (DANG IT) and I am using some Lars White Label 50/50 Bees Wax. I'll let you guys know how it works.

Thanks for the assistance. And if you have any suggestions, I am all for trying them out. I still think it'll be a dandy bunny shooter if I can get it to group well. :twisted::twisted::twisted:

Edd

[Buckshot]

.................If they dropped .360/.361" as cast, I sure would Tumble Lube some and see how they shoot compared to those sized .359" ones.

................Buckshot

[MakeMineA10mm]

You guys looking for a mould for this, I plan on running a group buy for a fat mid-weight 38/9mm boolit based on the 358480, but weighing around 145grs (give or take). It's supposed to be a flexible-design boolit that will feed in autoloaders, be large-enough diameter to fit the over-size bore/cylinder guns (aiming for around .360" as cast), and having that sexy-looking double-rounded curved SWC shape of the Lyman 480 boolit.

45 2.1 and I are fleshing out the details and he's working on a drawing. Watch the group buy forum if you're interested. I'm aiming for a February date to start the group buy and an interest thread in late January.