.38 special sizing

[hooverdm]

I just bought around 2,500 cast boolits in WC and SWC (the rounds were originally from a small commercial casting outfit). The price was so good I couldn't pass, but the rounds mike out at .356. I plan to campaign a .38 sp out of a S&W 14-4 this year. I shoot around 25 and got moderate leading at the breach for about an 1 1/2 inches, the rest of the barrel was lead free. I haven't slug the barrel yet, but isn't .358 the normal sizing? Aside from melting and recasting, how hard is swaging up? Can it be done with a Lube/sizer? Thanks

Dave H
San Antonio, TX

[Catshooter]

Yes, .358 would probably be 'normal', but normal depends on the bore size. In my .357s I run from .3555 to .3587.

Can't help you with swaging up, no idea.


Cat

[fecmech]

commercial casters generally run pretty hard alloys and if that is your case forget the bumping up as I don't think it would work very well. Maybe adding some Lee tumble lube might help but my guess is you are getting gas blow by in the throats due to the bullets being undersize and that is causing your leading.

[HeavyMetal]

you didn't mention the type of shooting you were planning on.


Odd that a commercial caster would size .38's to .356? But I agree these are probablely pretty hard so a bump up without a swaging press highly unlikely!

If you were building a custom model 14 for PPC you might find after market barrels a bit tighter, but if your gonna shoot a stocker the barrels gonna be .357 with the throats at least .357 with a 1-18 3/4 twist I think.

Best option: trade to a guy shooting 38 super, 9x21 or 9x23. second best option by a older Colt, they had tighter barrels and throats, third best option shoot them and clean like the devil!