.357 Magnum reloads too big?

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devils4ever

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I got a box of commercially reloaded .357 Magnum from a relative who bought it in Vermont (I think). Anyway, I tried it in my S&W 686 revolver and I had a hard time getting the cartridges all the way in. I had to push pretty hard to get them in all the way especially the last 1/8" or so. After shooting them, I had a real hard time pushing them out with the ejector.

So, I'm thinking the reloader didn't really fully resize them. What should I do with them? I really don't want to shoot them. Should I just dispose of them? I really don't want to remove the bullets on them all and redo them. Too much work for too little gain.

Suggestions?
 
Have you been shooting 38 spl in your gun? If so you may have a carbon build up the last 0.135" in the cylinders. Take your mic's to them and found out where their out of spec.

If not find someone who will want them.
 
Run them through a trim die. If that doesn't work they need to have the bullets pulled and try again.

kwg
 
That really does sound like you've got a ring in the chambers from 38's. Be sure to clean well then try again with the 357's. They should drop right in pretty much of their own weight. Do you have another gun to try the reloads in?
 
I shot 100 of my .357 Magnum reloads immediately after this and they all were fine. My cartridges almost fall in and out. I really don't shoot .38 Special in this revolver, so I don't think that's an issue.
 
Have you measured them to see where the interference is probably occurring? Do you happen to have a Lee FCD you could run them through?
 
I think they were over crimped, or crimped and seated improperly at the same time.

Fixed it. :)
 
Any time there is a "fit" problem, measure. Find out where the cartridge is too big. Then (if you are reloading them) measure after sizing, seating, and crimping. Without facts, real life measurements, online answers are just a WAG. Personally, if someone's reloads don't fit my gun, I wouldn't use them. If the reloader was sloppy enough to produce ammo out of spec. what else did he screw up?
 
mdi said:
Any time there is a "fit" problem, measure. Find out where the cartridge is too big. Then (if you are reloading them) measure after sizing, seating, and crimping. Without facts, real life measurements, online answers are just a WAG. Personally, if someone's reloads don't fit my gun, I wouldn't use them. If the reloader was sloppy enough to produce ammo out of spec. what else did he screw up?
Click to expand...
That's exactly how I feel. Why risk it? So, what's the best way to dispose of them?
 
I'm intrigued by this mystery. I measured the diameters of the suspect rounds along with factory ammo and my reloads. They were all about the same between 0.375" and 0.377". I'm still not sure why these rounds don't easily load and unload from the revolver.

Someone mentioned crimps. How do I determine if this is the case?

Below is a picture of factory ammo on the left, the suspect rounds in the center, and my reloads on the right.
 

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devils4ever said:
I'm intrigued by this mystery. I measured the diameters of the suspect rounds along with factory ammo and my reloads. They were all about the same between 0.375" and 0.377". I'm still not sure why these rounds don't easily load and unload from the revolver.

Someone mentioned crimps. How do I determine if this is the case?

Below is a picture of factory ammo on the left, the suspect rounds in the center, and my reloads on the right.
Click to expand...
It doesn't look like the bullets were seated to the crimp groove. It also looks like there is little to no crimp. The bullets do look like they are good quality and the brass is probably good. I would pulltge bullets and reuse them. I would also use the brass but toss the powder.

Normally I would agree with you and toss them but those SJSP bullets look like a quality product so I would salvage them.
 
Bullets not seated deep enougb and some look like they never got crimped.. I wonder if they may have been loaded with the Lee whack a mole kit.
 
Upon seeing the lack of quality in the assembly of those cartridges, I would do as ArchAngelCD suggested and break them down for reuse and toss the powder (since you don't know what it is).

Don
 
Would it be crazy to just seat a couple deeper to the correct length. Next apply a light crimp ( or not) And test a couple?

As a rule I do not purchase or use others reloads. Conversely, I do not allow others to use my reloads. However that is another discussion and not what this thread is about.

If I did not have the equipment, I would at least use/get a kinetic bullet puller and salvage the non-powder components.

Swanee


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I would definitely disassemble those rounds, dump the powder and reuse the bullets, primers and cases. Since you don't know the actual source, you are risking your gun for some "free" ammo. If you don't want do do that, go to your local range and have them dispose the rounds. Almost any other reloader would gladly take them off your hands and disassemble them for reuse.
 
SwaneeSR said:
Would it be crazy to just seat a couple deeper to the correct length. Next apply a light crimp ( or not) And test a couple?
Click to expand...
Actually, it might be just a little crazy. Remember, it can take only one double charged round to destroy a gun and possibly injure you or others around you. As already said, if that ammo was made so poorly what else is wrong? A careless crimp is one thing, carelessly metering the powder charge is another.

I would not fire another one of those rounds on a dare or a bet.
 
I agree that I don't normally use other people's reloads, but these were supposedly "professionally" done. Lesson learned.

I solved some of the mystery. I measured the COL and they were between 1.615" and 1.617" which is over the maximum spec of 1.590". So, that explains why they were so hard to put into the revolver, but why were they so hard to extract? I measured the fired case length and they were under the maximum. Weird.

I have a hammer-type bullet puller, but I don't relish pulling 40+ rounds. I might have to get a RCBS Collet Bullet Puller.

So, I'm thinking of pulling the bullets and dumping the powder in the garden. Do I need to resize them and put in new primers? Or, can I just charge the cases and reuse the bullets?
 
They need to be resized. If you don't there won't be any/enough case tension on the re-seated bullets. Just raise the de-capping stem and keep the primers. I wouldn't re-prime.
 
devils4ever said:
I agree that I don't normally use other people's reloads, but these were supposedly "professionally" done. Lesson learned.

I solved some of the mystery. I measured the COL and they were between 1.615" and 1.617" which is over the maximum spec of 1.590". So, that explains why they were so hard to put into the revolver, but why were they so hard to extract? I measured the fired case length and they were under the maximum. Weird.

I have a hammer-type bullet puller, but I don't relish pulling 40+ rounds. I might have to get a RCBS Collet Bullet Puller.

So, I'm thinking of pulling the bullets and dumping the powder in the garden. Do I need to resize them and put in new primers? Or, can I just charge the cases and reuse the bullets?
Click to expand...

Only 40 rounds ??

That's nothing to do with a hammer puller. No it is not the most fun in the world but I have broken down many more than that to salvage bullets and brass. It's all in the correct way to tap tap tap on a hard surface. I used a piece of thin carpet on the concrete floor, Or use the end of a 4x4 post

Break them down, don't risk shooting them.
 
40 rounds. No problem. Put a little cloth or paper towel in to cushion the bullet and wrap on the concrete floor in your furnace/utility room. Take your time. It is just busy work.

40 rounds = no problem. 400 = painful.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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