Smith K-38

[jcw1970]

Was bored and re slugged my barrel. I came up with .3565. so i did it again. same thing. I'm pretty sure the first time I did it it came up .356. I've been sizing to .357. Any ideas out there? Does anyone see a problem with the boolit only being .0005 larger than the diameter or do i need to order a special die. i've been sizing with the lee but just bought a Star.

[stubshaft]

What does the chamber throat measure?

[Glen]

What size are the cylinder throats? I suspect that they are .357" or larger. Size your bullets to fit the throats (and .357" is probably just fine).

[jcw1970]

i will have to check that out.

[nvbirdman]

Smiths have a five groove rifling and you can't simply put calipers on the slug to measure bore diameter.

[Bret4207]

Smiths have a five groove rifling and you can't simply put calipers on the slug to measure bore diameter.

My thought too. Size to throat size.

[cajun shooter]

Easy cure, try 358 and compare!

[bigdog454]

How does it shoot? Mine shoots real well with some powder boolit combos, and not so well with others. I;ve had the experience that similiar boolits, sized in the same sizing die, of the same mold, with the same powder etc. will shoot differently by changing the lube, in one of my guns. Other guns will shoot almost any boolit well. Go figure!!

[Char-Gar]

It requires practice and a good "feel", but these is a spot on those barrel slugs where you can measure a Smith and Wesson barrel with an ordinary micrometer. It is a small place, but it is there.

.3565 while not common is also not unheard of in a Smith and Wesson. Of the several dozen Smiths I have had in 38-357, two of them was under .357 and one was was a K-38. The other was a Chief's Special. Cylinder throats run .357-358 is every Smith I have measured except that mentioned Chief's Special which ran .356. It was just a tight little sucker.

For generations Colt produced their 38/357 handguns with a groove diameter of .354-355. If you found one .356, it what unusal. These Colt handguns produced sterling accuracy with bullets in the .358 - 359 range. Colt cylinder throats tend to run a thousand or so larger than the Smiths. The old Colt Officer's Model and Officers Model Match were and are tack driving honey's.

So, the counsel you received was indeed correct. Size your bullets to fit the cylinder throats or a bit larger and don't worry about that tight bore. Nothing bad will happen. As long as the round will chamber freely in the cylinder it doesn't make a hoot how large those bullets are.

I load for a couple of dozen 38/357s both Smith and Colt. I size my bullets .358, or .359 if they cast that large and shoot them in all of the sixguns with no problems and good accuracy.

Enjoy that K-38. They are fine handguns. I am down to only two now.

[44man]

That K38 is one super fine revolver, I am sorry I sold mine long ago.
Everyone is right, fit to the throats.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Smiths have a five groove rifling and you can't simply put calipers on the slug to measure bore diameter.

I had this problem once and finally slugged the barrel and then slipped the slug throught the cylinders, it went through smoothly, so I figured all was well, the barrel was a tad smaller than the cylinder throats. My thinking was that if it showed some resistance or wa tight the barrel must be bigger than the chambers.

Four Fingers.

[Glen]

My experience is in line with Chargar's -- virtually every S&W .38/.357 I've owned (a couple dozen over the years) has been in the .357"-.358" range. The one exception to this was a 3" 686 (a CS-1, one of my all-time favorite carry guns) that I picked up in a pawn shop years ago. I took it right down to the range and ran it through its paces. It didn't shoot very well at all, and EVERY load tried (including .38 Special target wadcutters) produced sticky cases. Slugging the throats revealed throat diameters between .354" and .355" (none were as large as a full .355"). A .3572" throater reamer fixed the problem quickly and easily, and the gun shoots just fine now. Full-house .357 Mag loads extract nicely now.

I don't know what happened with that one gun, but somebody was asleep at the switch when it was made.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I don't know what happened with that one gun, but somebody was asleep at the switch when it was made.


Probably the last one made before they changed the reamer.