W-W .38 Special brass

[Dieselhorses]

I’ve reloaded a few thousand .38 sp. since I started but recently I’ve noticed that the W-W brass, when flared, behaves differently than other manufacturers. My 158 gr. powdercoated RFN bullets fall into case too easy. I’m only flaring enough to barely get base of bullet started. Federal, Winchester, Speer, Western, CBC etc doesn’t do this. I mic’d case thickness and it looked same as others. All cases are very close to same length.


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[JimB..]

Run a piece through your sizing die, then run a piece that acts as you expect through your sizing die. Measure the diameter of the two cases at the case mouth. Use a micrometer and a light touch.

Sounds like you might be getting more springback from these cases.

[BunkTheory]

or you finally found a batch of the nearly mythical wad cutter brass.

[Dieselhorses]

or you finally found a batch of the nearly mythical wad cutter brass.

Haha, yea that thought ran through my head! Would work great!


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[Dieselhorses]

Good point JimB, I’ll do that. Also could tell upon recapping/sizing a good bit of brass on progressive Lee press, every time it sized a WW, there would be virtually no resistance! But yea I’ll measure em.


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[David2011]

or you finally found a batch of the nearly mythical wad cutter brass.

Didn’t realize it was nearly mythical. I have a bunch of it and use it as intended.

[metricmonkeywrench]

Discussed here. It is real and out there

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?400746-38-Special-Wadcutter-Brass

[Dieselhorses]

Hence, I'll save that wicked brass for my wadcutters! Thanks guys!

[whisler]

I noticed a similar thing when seating 44 wadcutters. I could tell the difference in seating force with WW. So, it's not just 38 Special.

[JimB..]

Hence, I'll save that wicked brass for my wadcutters! Thanks guys!

Well except that if the brass is the same thickness at the case mouth as the other brass, then it’s not wadcutter brass.

FWIW I do think that winchester was the most prolific producer of wadcutter brass.

[BunkTheory]

Well except that if the brass is the same thickness at the case mouth as the other brass, then it’s not wadcutter brass.

FWIW I do think that winchester was the most prolific producer of wadcutter brass.

nowadays i think all 38 brass from federal is wadcutter, all i have seen has the correct cannelure and speer wadcutters seat like , well warm bacon grease running through an elderly beagle

[David2011]

Bunk, you should have joined us years ago. Love your humor!

[JimB..]

nowadays i think all 38 brass from federal is wadcutter, all i have seen has the correct cannelure and speer wadcutters seat like , well warm bacon grease running through an elderly beagle

I assume that you’re talking about the double cannelure. Haven’t noticed that all Fed has them, but I’ll check the stash when I get home this weekend.

[Dieselhorses]

Not to hijack the OP’s thread but…. What is the deal with case cannelures??? Is this for decoration? Seriously I know it’s more than just the point at which factory seated bullet!


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[BunkTheory]

every federal 38 case ive seen in maybe 5 years of shooting with my buddy has been the "wadcutter variant". even on the jacketed stuff.

IF you look and see the advertisement for that jackted hollow point from federal in 2017, its a wadcutter brass.

i cant get any internet search engine to let me get to a ammo company website, not even lucky gunner, or ammo to go. 1150 pm onwards.

[BunkTheory]

im thinking the 38 hsp load, they stuck a 125 grain jhp in flush with the case mouth, i actually emailed their technical folks 10 years about doing that in a 357 magnum to allow smaller powder charges when i first thought of a 357 magnum.

[Alferd Packer]

I have a bunch of Federal double cannellure that say +P on the head stamp.
They are all tight when resized but I went back to sizing in my old steel Lyman dies. The cases last and last.
The carbide dies ate my cases.,.38 and .45
Also have noncarbide for my .44 mag. in RCBS.
I load medium loads anymore and a medium .44 mag load is still way above a medium load in .44 special.Same with .357.
The. 45 Colt factory load has always been the .357 load of the
.45 calibers for me.
I use 900 fps and a 250 grain bullet as standard for me.

[Alferd Packer]

I’ve reloaded a few thousand .38 sp. since I started but recently I’ve noticed that the W-W brass, when flared, behaves differently than other manufacturers. My 158 gr. powdercoated RFN bullets fall into case too easy. I’m only flaring enough to barely get base of bullet started. Federal, Winchester, Speer, Western, CBC etc doesn’t do this. I mic’d case thickness and it looked same as others. All cases are very close to same length.


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Did you Mike the bullet's diameter?
Have to check everything nowasays.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Run a piece through your sizing die, then run a piece that acts as you expect through your sizing die. Measure the diameter of the two cases at the case mouth. Use a micrometer and a light touch.

Sounds like you might be getting more springback from these cases.

He should measure it before he sizes it also.

[Dieselhorses]

Did you Mike the bullet's diameter?
Have to check everything nowasays.

Yes I did. .359


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[Wooserco]

Years ago (30 plus) my casting, shooting and reloading mentor told me that Winchester brass was softer than others. I've found that to be true over the years.

My best High Power Rifle groups were shot with Winchester brass, even better than the Lake City National Match brass (.308 and .223).