Crimp 38 special needed?

I would crimp them some if a gun tie-up in class would be an embarrassment.
Or just for smoother speed-loading if nothing else.

I have loaded a lot of .38 Spl over the years and crimped them all, and I have never trimmed a single .38 case. But that is with cast bullets that have a pretty forging deep crimp groove too.

As long as you aren't going full tilt boogie on the crimp, it won't matter.

I do use a case gage I made out of a chunk of old .22 barrel to "chamber check" every round as I box them, just to make sure an occasional buckled crimp that will not chamber doesn't ruin my day.

Unless a case is really unusually long, I never find one that won't chamber.

Also, if you have the time, you could just sort them in different lot's by length, and adjust the crimp as necessary to between lots.

rc

I agree at least a light crimp would be a good idea.

Why do you think changing over from .357 Magnum brass to .38 Special brass would negate the necessity to crimp the load? I'm just curious as to your reasoning.

yes, a medium crimp will do just fine for that load. bullets may walk out of the case (no neck tension?) with out it.

murf

Yikes! The thought of trimming .38 Special (or any other handgun case) makes me shudder. With 5 gallon buckets full of the stuff there is no way that I would even consider it, and haven't for the past 50 years of reloading them. My wife and I shoot thousands of rounds of .38 Spl. ammunition per year, and not one of those cases has been trimmed.

As to your question about crimping, yes, they do need to be crimped to keep the bullets from walking out and locking up the cylinder.

Hope this helps.

Fred

showmebob said:

AACD

I thought that since the 38sp loads would be lighter than my 357 loads the recoil might not have enough snap to "pull" the bullets in the 5 shot steel framed revolver. Just a thought, I've never loaded 38's before.

RC and AACD and Murf

Thanks for the input!

Click to expand...

While a .38 Special will not create recoil as heavy as a .357 Magnum it's still a good idea to crimp if for no other reason than removing the bell we put in the brass to aid seating the bullet.

BTW, I would look for a class where they don't steel your brass. I also never trimmed a handgun case, ever. Since you never loaded a .38 Special before, try a 158gr LSWC over 4.0gr W231/HP-38. That load is clean and accurate in every revolver I have ever shot it in. Good luck with the class...

For some things, like crimps, I use the same method/amount no matter what the intended use of the ammo being loaded. IMO all revolver rounds should be roll crimped (with the exception of light target loads w/wadcutters). The amount of crimp is determined my powder type and amount, and bullet weight, (some Magnum loads demand heavy roll crimps and some Special rounds can get away with a med roll crimp) and some powders are more consistant burning with a heavy crimp. My .44 Magnum, 250 gr. LRNFP with beefy loads of WC820 all get a heavy crimp and I get no unburned powder residue.

Do the bullets have a cannelure?

Lite crimp! No story.

If you are shooting plated bullets I wouldn't attempt to roll crimp them. You could cut the plating in two and leave part of it in the barrel.

If you are shooting jacketed bullets with a canular or lead bullets with a crimp groove, then yes, you can crimp them. If you are shooting plated bullets like I am you don't want to roll crimp them.

I always put a crimp on them. And if trimming is something you don't really want to do, you can still crimp them fairly consistently once you develop a feel for the process. In this respect though, I have always taken the time to maintain my brass to same lengths, but that's me. I can count on one hand the number of reloaders I know who trim handgun brass, where as most do not and still manage to produce a decent crimp by setting the seating / crimp die down a few thousandths more to accommodate cases that are shorter. Just don't hammer down on the handle, and you should easily be able to feel when the crimp is home.

GS

I agree with Arch on that 231 load, just a touch of crimp is all I use out of my Smith 15, accurate loads.

I have a bunch of free range 38spl brass as well as once fired factory brass, with in the same head stamp I measure sized case lengths at 1.142-1.155" with most case mouths out of square to the case body.
If you are going to crimp I would trim it and save yourself the headache.

I separate by headstamp, which pretty well negates the need for trimming handgun brass.

I would recommend loading those 158 jacketed to starting .357 level. The most recent Speer book doesn't list any .38 special/158 jacketed loads due to stuck bullets, inconsistent pressures, etc. They specifically recommend against that load.

Or, you could use a lead 158 bullet. Its cheaper too. That's what I do.

.38 Spl does not generate the recoil of .357 but it does generate enough recoil that bullets will start creeping out of the case. I have reloaded .38 Spl since about 1982 and have always crimped.