Is there a common BP cartridge in .357?

[greywuuf]

looking to rebarrel a roller and kinda considered .357 mag carbine ...but then got to thinking what if a 38-55 was necked down a smidgen? Then I got to thinking.? Is there anything that all ready exists ?

[Nueces]

I've had those thoughts, too. I have a rimfire Remington 1 1/2 that cries out for this sort of project. The 357 Maximum case is quite like the antique 35-30 case, and folks writing in Black Powder Cartridge News some time ago reported good results with the Max and black powder. I think you could get about all the performance you'd want from a 35 bore in the Max case from a pressure limited RB action and smokeless powder.

[Outpost75]

Common, cheap and plentiful ordinary .357 Mag brass holds the same amount of black powder that the pre-WW2 .38 Special balloon - head cases did. Off the shelf Cowboy rifles shoot well with correctly assembled black powder loads using 1 to 30 tin-lead and suitable "big lube" bullet designs from Accurate which have sufficient lube capacity to prevent foul - out in rifle barrels using Goex powder with SPG lube, or 50-50 olive oil and beeswax. K.I.S.S. principle!

Typical carbine velocity with 150 - grain bullet is 1080 fps, like Eley Tenex that grew up. Shoots well in revolvers too giving familiar .38 Special ballistics with normal accuracy. Standard - weight bullet which is stable in slow twist, of correct diameter which fits, using a proper soft BP lube is key. I do use a compression die.

[Nobade]

38 Ballard extra long is almost the same as a 357 maximum case although it used an outside lubricated heeled bullet. It makes a very nice cartridge as well.

[edp2k]

As usual Outpost75 is right on target :)

The 38 Special was originally a black powder cartridge.

[Castaway]

35 Winchester or 35 Newton. Both use a 0.358 bullet and cases are 2.41” and 2.52” respectively. 35-30 Maynard used a 0.359” bullet with a 1.63” case. But roll type cap as a primer

[indian joe]

looking to rebarrel a roller and kinda considered .357 mag carbine ...but then got to thinking what if a 38-55 was necked down a smidgen? Then I got to thinking.? Is there anything that all ready exists ?

357 mag makes a sweet blackpowder round without any fussing around - about 26 grains of BP - LEE 158 flatpoint mold works good - yr in business cheap and quick !

[DaveM]

Is there much fouling blowback when loading .357 with BP, assuming a full charge?

[salvadore]

Extra virgin?

[Castaway]

Dave M. If you anneal your brass and have a full case of black in a single shot rifle, your case should keep fouling limited to the barrel. Five or six damp patches, followed by a couple dry patches and an oiled patch and you’re good to go for the next shooting session

[DaveM]

Dave M. If you anneal your brass and have a full case of black in a single shot rifle, your case should keep fouling limited to the barrel. Five or six damp patches, followed by a couple dry patches and an oiled patch and you’re good to go for the next shooting session

Thank you. I've done a fair amount of BP cartridge with .38 WCF and .44 WCF but never .38 Special or .357 Magnum.

[Outpost75]

Is there much fouling blowback when loading .357 with BP, assuming a full charge?

Not if you anneal cases.

[Outpost75]

Extra virgin?

I use cheap Spanish olive oil. No need for extra virgin, you aren't eating it.

[uscra112]

Olive oil is a good lubricant. During WW2 an R4D (Navy C-47) was flown several hundred miles with one engine running on olive oil. Allegedly, when they got it back to base, they just replaced it with regular oil and kept on flying it.

[Outpost75]

Olive oil is a good lubricant. During WW2 an R4D (Navy C-47) was flown several hundred miles with one engine running on olive oil. Allegedly, when they got it back to base, they just replaced it with regular oil and kept on flying it.

My buddy in Italy runs olive oil in his Fiat farm tractor and vintage 124 mini. He says that during WW2 when petroleum products were rationed and expensive olive oil blends were widely used. A 50-50 blend of olive oil and 190 proof grappa substituted for Diesel in farm machinery.

[salvadore]

What, no apre ballis nosh?

[Jim22]

looking to rebarrel a roller and kinda considered .357 mag carbine ...but then got to thinking what if a 38-55 was necked down a smidgen? Then I got to thinking.? Is there anything that all ready exists ?

That sounds an awful lot like the modern .35-30 - the .30-30 necked up to .35. Not uncommon.

Jim