Leary of 38 SPL in 357 mag. help

[ArchAngelCD]

I use almost nothing else than W231 for my .38 Special ammo. It works very well for me. I use HS-6 for mid range .357 Magnum ammo and W296/H110 for full power .357 Magnum ammo but there's nothing at all wrong with using 2400.

As for "freaking out" about using .38 Specials in your magnum, remember, the .357 Magnum case was developed using the .38 special case by only lengthening it slightly. Shooting .38 Special ammo in a .357 Magnum will do NO harm. I would wager there are more .38 Special rounds fired in .357 Magnum revolvers each year than .357 Magnum ammo. (for price and recoil)

 

[icanthitabarn]

I am wondering about spinning brushes with a drill, and especially stainless steel wrapped around brushes, in a cylinder. This will become a habit and could have the cumulative effect of opening up and scarring the chambers. This is my guess, as well as my loading 2400 to 15.5 gr. with 158 gr. lead and XTP, with no problems, in my Dan Wesson.

 

[rcmodel]

Spinning bronze brushes in a drill will not harm any revolver cylinder.
I've been doing it since I found out about it while gunsmithing for 5th. Army AMU in 1969.

I never said anything about stainless steel though.

I did say something about winding a tuft of 0000 Super-Fine steel wool on a brush for really stubborn cases.
When used with solvent & a drill, it won't hurt a chamber either.

rc

 

[ljnowell]

sorry guys, but I quit using 2400, alot of years ago, only use 296, in 38,or 357, or 357 max. This shape case loves 296, with cci, 450 primers. And if you want good hunting loads, use 38 spec case, XXgr, of 296,450 primers,and a Remington, 35cal, (.358) sp bullet, there sold in bulk only. They go thru bone real good. they are cor-lock bullets. I shoot this load in a Ruger, .357, with a 4 5/8 barrel.

You really should delete that or putt a warning.

 

[icanthitabarn]

The guy in post #10 mentioned SS. It is good to know your opinion on the regular brushes thou. I have done it and like the technique. I was just wondering and I think that I had read, somewhere, that it did cause problems. In other news, I think that I read you saying a leather belt loop holder will cause brass to turn green. I found that true, last week. It really discolored the brass, after cleaning them, too. I will check them in a few weeks with the silicone treatment, bullets and leather.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I'm "the guy" in Post #10, and yes, I said STAINLESS STEEL WOOL wrapped around a bronze brush and turned with a cordless drill. I've been using this method since about 1965, when I bought my first .357 Magnum revolver. It must be true stainless steel wool, though. It's sold by Big 45 Frontier Gun Shop: http://www.big45metalcleaner.com/

It won't harm your chambers and won't harm blued steel.

If that gives you heartache, you can also use copper wool wrapped around a bronze brush, but it must be true copper wool, and not copper coated steel wool. It's available in most kitchenware isles of large stores and can be checked with a magnet to make sure it's not coated steel. Most kitchen isles also carry refrigerator magnet goodies, so there's no need to carry a magnet with you. Just use one provided by the store.

Clymer also makes a reamer for removing the carbon ring from badly fouled chambers, but I don't recommend it, since it's easy to lengthen a chamber with it. If you're really ham fisted with it, you can also enlarge the diameter of the chamber.

I would never, ever recommend something that would damage a firearm or a shooter, period.

The green on brass cases that have been stored in leather belt loops is called verdigris, and is the reason some cases are nickel plated. The chemicals used to tan leather react with copper, which is a component of brass. The nickel blocks the chemicals from contacting the copper/brass and prevents verdigris.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[al123]

I'm "the guy" in Post #10, and yes, I said STAINLESS STEEL WOOL wrapped around a bronze brush and turned with a cordless drill. <snip>

... It's sold by Big 45 Frontier Gun Shop: http://www.big45metalcleaner.com/

I agree, the stuff is great. However, just for clarification, the material is an alloy that includes stainless steel; it's softer than stainless or blued carbon steel, but harder than rust, lead residue or other deposits. Hence the reason it can work removing unwanted material without damaging your chambers.

 

[megaton]

3.5g bullseye under a 158g lswc in a 38sp case out of my 6" GP100 produces good accuracy with virtually no recoil.
I use a .40cal bore brush to clean the "crud ring" that developes. After ~1000 rounds of the above mentioned load it took me no more than 5 minutes to clean all 6 cylinders without a drill.

 

[thunderranch.45]

A+ on the stainless steel scouring pads for cleaning lead,fast simple works great and a fraction of the cost of some gimmicks that don't really work that great.I buy them locally at a restaurant supply store for 1.50 apiece. And they last quite awhile. That's all i use anymore and all i shoot is lead.

 

[icanthitabarn]

I like the copper pan scrubber stuff (real) and have the SS as well. I also made a couple gizmos from old casings by cutting notches on the case mouth and spinning on the headspace ring, by hand. I have the .357 and .45 models. Probably got the tip here.