Advice on using 9MM bullets in 38 special

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Fishingted said:
OK I Decided to just go ahead and order some 38 Bullets. No Hurry anyway, Might as well make something that I don't have to worry about using safely.
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See post #22 Ruger supplies a 9mm cylinder in the .357 revolver!

There's your answer from a major manufacturer!

(Totally forgot about that!)

Smiles,
 
use a 9mm expander die for those bullets.

luck,


murf

p.s. for lots of neck tension: size the case with the 38 special sizing die, size the case with a 9mm sizing die, expand the case with the 9mm expander die.
 
FROGO207 Post#17 "I see that the Makarov bullet is larger in diameter so will not size things down. ... I was told this would work some years ago."

Yep. Case neck outside diameter for 9 Mak is bigger than 38 Spl and even bigger than 38 Short & Wide. I've learned the hard way we get told a lot of things.

9mm Makarov "9x18mmPM"
bullet diameter: .365" (9.27mm)
case neck outside: .390" (9.91mm)

9mm Parabellum "9x19mm"
Bullet diameter: .355" (9.01 mm)
case neck outside: .380 in (9.65 mm)

.38 Special "9x29mmR"
bullet diameter: .357" (9.1mm)
case neck outside: .379" (9.6mm)

.38 S&W "9x20mmR" aka "Short & Wide" or "that old BP cat'rige"
bullet diameter: .361" (9.2mm)
case neck outside: .3855" (9.79mm)

I learned the hard way that the .38 Special is not a longer version of the .38 S&W but is actually a longer version of the .38 Long Colt developed by S&W.
Getting those .38 S&W "shorts" in and out of my .38 S&W Special revolver was a learning experience. I started calling the cartridge ".38 Special not .38 S&W Special".
 
murf said:
use a 9mm expander die for those bullets.

luck,


murf

p.s. for lots of neck tension: size the case with the 38 special sizing die, size the case with a 9mm sizing die, expand the case with the 9mm expander die.
Click to expand...
Thanks I May Try That.
 
PO2Hammer said:
9 in 38 works great, 38 in 9 is just fine.
I routinely swap bullets back and forth between them. My Kimber Target loves .357" bullets, jacketed, plated or cast.
My 357 did fine with 9mm plated bullets.
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I like the picture. Looks like a guided missle frigate (but could be a DDG) to me. I didn't realize the ship numbers are now over 1,000 unless it is a DDG. The DD I was on in the 69/70 was 758 built in 1944 or45.
 
I load 9mm bullets almost exclusively for 38 spl and load jacketed 358 bullets only for hot .357 magnum rounds. The big deal here is bore diameter. Slug your bore before you do anything. Measure size and go from there. A lot of people gripe and complain that the bullets aren’t the same, or aren’t proper, but I generally disagree. Most manufacturers use the same bore dimensions in a .380 or 9mm as they do a .357 or 38spl. What I have found is that my 38spl guns shoot 9mm bullets as well as any .358 bullet. My contender similarly shoots 9mm bullets well. My buntline has a larger bore and does lead up a bit and get much dirtier when shooting 9mm bullets so the .002 size difference is enough to help that one particular gun. I still shoot 9mm frangible bullets in that one, but do not shoot bare lead. I would have no issue shooting the plated berrys bullet in any of my guns.
 
rfwobbly said:
Wanna take another try at that math ? o_O
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327fm bullets are .312. .312-.3075=0.045

I have done the same. Didnt work well as neck tension was nonexistent. I would intentionally upset them a bit before trying it again. Lead upsets easily so that shouldn’t be a big deal. Concentric it’s would be a factor but at 32 handgun distances it wouldn’t really make much difference unless you were shooting for tight and tiny groups.
 
I used some Hornady 110gr. .357 hollowpoints for my 9mm pistols and they worked well, also very accurate shot from my model 92 Beretta and my G2C. They all passed the pluck and gauge test.
 
Fishtales said:
I like the picture. Looks like a guided missle frigate (but could be a DDG) to me. I didn't realize the ship numbers are now over 1,000 unless it is a DDG. The DD I was on in the 69/70 was 758 built in 1944 or45.
Click to expand...

851 was hard enough to remember when I was falling into a cab in Japan. They get much higher and a poor sailor will have a tough time remember the ship number. But, I've been told they don't drink in the modern Navy, so probably won't be a problem.
 
I buy "38" bullets to use for 38,357, 9mm, all smooth/coated/no lube groove/no crimp groove,often in the biggest dia, I can which is usually 0.359".
I have all the LEE push thru sizing dies in the 0.355 to 0.358 range to push the bullets thru for different guns.
These bullets reduce my inventory to one type bullet of any given weight to use any of those 3 calibers.
I have a Storm Lake 9mm barrel for a 40 glock with a very tight chamber that I have to size bullets to 0.356" to get them to plunk.
Most other 9mm I can load with 0.357/0.358 bullets no problem.
So yeh, I buy 'em big and make 'em small(er) as needed.
You can't do that the other way around...buy 'em small and make 'em big(er):uhoh:
jmo,
EDIT: and I use this expander for 9mm in my lee powder thru expander die:
LEE SE1699 PM EXP PLUG 38 S&W (titanreloading.com)
.
 
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