.38/56 brass

[Remmag]

Want to start loading for a 1886 Win in .38/56 and am wondering how difficult it is to form brass from .45/70. Just full-length size or is there more to it? Thanks :coffee:

[giddyupgo55]

I cannot help you but you could go over to reloadersnest or reloadbench and ask those folks.Both sites are for whatever dealing with reloading. Another site that might be able to help is longrangehunting. All are .com. Good luck

[skeettx]

Hello
It is easy
Take virgin non-nickel (brass) 45-70 brass, lube it up lightly, run it half way up into the full length size die, withdraw it and rotate the brass 180 degrees, run it more up and with draw it and rotate it some, run it all the way up, and you are done. SOME time, rarely, you may have to inside neck ream to get a bulleted case to fit in the chamber.

Let us know how this works for you

Mike

[67bear]

I run mine through a 40-65 size die first then through the 38-56 sizer.

[Mk42gunner]

I haven't formed any .38-56 brass, but I have made a few .40-65's; I got a Redding .40-65 from & trim die with a bunch of other stuff at agun show a few years ago, and had to try it out. In a bench mounted press with compound leverage, such as a Rockchucker, it is easy; in a hand held press like the Lyman accu-loader, it ain't happening.

I think I would do it in a couple of steps, first form to .40-65, then .38-56. After your final sizing step, I would trim the brass, just to even the necks.


Hope this helps,

Robert

Had to add, Welcome aboard.

[Coffeecup]

I think I would do it in a couple of steps, first form to .40-65, then .38-56. After your final sizing step, I would trim the brass, just to even the necks.


Back when I had a custom bullet/ammo business, this was the procedure I followed. Once I had the dies adjusted right it went very well. IIRC, I was using Imperial lube, but I may have been using liquid soap around then.

[67bear]

I would trim the brass, just to even the necks.


You'll have to trim alot more than just to even them up or they will probably stick in the chamber when fired and may cause high (unsafe?) pressures. I trim mine to 2.095".

[Remmag]

Thanks for all the good info. Now how about some load data?

[67bear]

I use a case full of FFF swiss black powder in mine with about .005" compression and a polyethylene wad.

[Freischütz]

I've made a lot of 33 WCF from 45/70 cases. Sizing first in a 40 cal die and then finishing with the 33 WCF die was much easier than trying to go straight from 45 to 33 cal.

[Big Dave]

I form cases for my 1886 from new 45 70 brass using STP for case lube, only had problems with one box that was to hard and would crack if not annealed befor forming.

Have two bullet molds for it boyh Lyman singles. A 280 gr RNPB and a 260gr. flat nose hollow point gas check.

19 gr of 2400 behind the plain base shows around 1430 - 1450 fps on the shooting chrony.
38 gr IMR 3031 with the gas checked bullet runs 1700-1735 fps. Ought to kill a deer or bear.

Big Dave