140 grain 38 caliber loads do they have a place?

AJC1 said:

My issue currently is finding checks. There sold out everywhere. My 358-180-sil takes them and getting more has been problematic. I only have one mold that uses them and if the mold is made for them I dont think PC fixes that. Tight fitting plane base bullets are a different story.

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Check out Pat Marlin’s web site. He makes and sells dies to make gas checks. I have a couple sets that make gas checks from aluminum soft drink cans.

He may be behind in orders like everyone else but it is worth a look.

https://patmarlins.com/

I use to load and shoot 148gr wadcutters and 158gr SWC. Now I an casting my own bullets and have been looking at the 140gr Lee for a S&W 38spl I just inherited. Figure it should shoot just as well as either of the other two and use just that much less lead to cast them. What more does one need for punching paper or blasting cans?

This isn’t 140 grain, but is really fun to shoot:
https://bayoubullets.net/38-357-138-gr-bnwc/

I'm happy with everything that a 158gr bullet provides

I'm happy with 158 grain bullets too. I suppose the only reason I even got the Lee 358-140-SWC is because it came in a package deal with a press. It was broke in real good and casts amazing.

I tried it and darned if it wasn't accurate. I use a 402 Lyman top punch for them.

The bullets look like crayon tips.

cfullgraf said:

Check out Pat Marlin’s web site. He makes and sells dies to make gas checks. I have a couple sets that make gas checks from aluminum soft drink cans.

He may be behind in orders like everyone else but it is worth a look.

https://patmarlins.com/

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Dear Patmarlins customers….

I know everybody wants and needs their dies. I'm a one man shop and there’s only so much time in a day and I will not compromise my quality and workmanship. I put as many hours in and work as fast as humanly possible. I’m expanding with more machinery to further up production.

Manufacturing Checkmaker™ Gas Check Forming Tool Die Sets is all I do and my shop is solely dedicated for this one product.

This has been an unprecedented year and extremely frustrating.

Most people know there’s been industry shortages ever increasing and that’s why I have invested SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS in large steel orders, materials, tooling, more machines, and supplies to stay ahead of the curve as this is my livelihood and I take your business very serious.

I cannot provide firm shipping dates as yet. As with all products in the shooting industry, and many other industries which are out of stock during this time. My dies are specialized and made to pre-order (Pre-Paid) only- at a considerable discount.

Preorders- As a machinist with a specialized product, this is the only way I can keep costs down that are continually increasing. I have not had a price increase in several years.

We are currently effected with periodic state controlled power shutdowns due to forest fires as well this summer.

WE ARE SHIPPING DAILY

I have unfortunately been backlogged due to demand, and suppliers being out of stock with what I use.

The good news is my supply material and tooling orders have arrived and I have materials in stock- and I’m shipping.

It’s going to take awhile but building dies and shipping as fast as possible.

Thank you for your continued patience in this devastating year with numerous problems created by the Pandemic.

Keep your powder dry and stay safe…

God bless everybody,

Pat


that's the last update he sent out that I see on 9/24/21

Lee 358-140-SWC shooter here and I love them.

I water drop them when casting, then tumble lube with a mix of Johnson's Paste Wax, Vaseline, and Lee Allox.

Why the 140?

Uses 12% less lead while keeping similar zero to a 158.

Accurate.

Enough sectional density for anything I would want to shoot and SWC shape gives good terminal balistics.

Gives a boost in velocity to 38 Special loads and doesn't lead in 357 magnum loads. (Need to water drop them.)

Hope that helps answer the question.

ms6852 said:

I've never loaded lighter than 158gr for my 686 because I also use it in my lever action, so for me it simplifies matters. I would tend to think that maybe a 125 would be a better balance than the 140 grain. Ballistically speaking the numbers I ran the 125 also sneaks ahead by a small margin. You can compare both rounds here.
http://gundata.org/ballistic-calculator/

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That was my same conclusion and settled on 125gr.

AJC1 said:

I feel powdercoat has eliminated the need for gas checks in pistol, but I could be wrong.

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I pretty much quit using gc's for my pistol/revolver bullets. I've done a lot of testing with pc coated bullets since I started pc'ing in 2013. (actually 2014, started pc'ing in dec 2013 and didn't pull the trigger until 2014)

I have the ability to make my own gc's and have made gc makers for the :
22cal's
30cal's
35cal's
44cal's


Made from scrap steel I had laying around using a 1 ton arbor press to make my home made gc's.

I made some of the plain based gc's made out of pop cans. They work but I found that they have no place on my reloading bench since the introduction of powder coating.

+/- 140gr bullets have their place & being able to use the same bullet in the 9mm/38spl/357's is a huge plus. I cast/shoot a lot of these 142gr modern Wimmelwright wc design in the 9mm's and 38spl's along with in a contender/357mag (bullet on left).


Actually that bullet on the right (cramer indoor semi-wad cutter) is a 115gr bullet that cflat out shoots!!! I also use that bullet in the 38spl/9mm/357mags. Did a lot of head to head testing with that cramer 115 bullet VE the lee 105gr swc. That cramer bullet runs circles around the lee 105gr.

It's good to get away from the traditional +/- 158gr bullets along to be able to test those bullets in several different cartridges/firearms.