Buying ammo to get brass 38s&w

[WestKentucky]

Looks like I will finally be ready to go with 38s&w. Gun is nearly together, have bullets, powder, and dies. Looking at my options for buying starline brass or buying ammo to get the brass is close enough in price that it makes sense to buy it as ammo and keep the brass. So, looking at PPU, Magtech, and cheap Remington at about 20 bucks a box (open to other cheap options too) which would you buy, and why. I want decent factory ammo and I want reloadable brass.

 

[LoonWulf]

Ive had very good luck with both ppu and rem rifle brass. Ive only loaded starline and mixed range brass for pistol tho...if prices are similar id buy a box of eqch available and see what shoots best, then just go with that till you have the ammount of cases your looking for before actually starting to load them.

 

[WestKentucky]

The gun is a collectible antique so it won't see much range time. I just want to prove it as functional to increase the value a bit. 2 boxes should let me have all the fun I want with it and still have stuff left over in a few months when I decide to part with it.

 

[Drop45]

You got the .361 diameter bullets right??

 

[WestKentucky]

I have some .360 lubed lead. My slugged bore is .359 so it should work.

 

[cfullgraf]

With old firearms that I plan to shoot and enjoy once in a while, I like to buy some factory ammunition and run some of it over a chronograph. It gives me an idea of what to look for in my reloads.

If the factory ammunition is reasonably priced, it is a good source of cases and you do not have to load it the first time in the bargain.

 

[LoonWulf]

For stated uses, i think just grab whats cheapest. With as low a pressure as the 38s&w runs couple boxes of anything (besides real old/corroded) should serve perfectly well.


Now i wanna see what your running it thru!

 

[WestKentucky]

For stated uses, i think just grab whats cheapest. With as low a pressure as the 38s&w runs couple boxes of anything (besides real old/corroded) should serve perfectly well.


Now i wanna see what your running it thru!

You will soon enough. There's a thread I posted a while back about it. It's tied to my "unobtanium" post, so once I win that auction you will get more info and many more high quality photos off of "ye olde cameraphone" which actually does a great job.

 

[LoonWulf]

Cool, ill wait for the pictures rather than going snooping lol

 

[Reefinmike]

I would stay away from ppu and magtech if you plan to load lead bullets. Brass is excessively thick which can lead to chambering issues or bullet damage. Fiocchi is another notably thick brand. I can feel whenever i get a cbc case, they are way too thick for lead. RP is good stuff for lead. Its thinner than average.

 

[davek32100]

I would stay away from ppu and magtech if you plan to load lead bullets. Brass is excessively thick which can lead to chambering issues or bullet damage. Fiocchi is another notably thick brand. I can feel whenever i get a cbc case, they are way too thick for lead. RP is good stuff for lead. Its thinner than average.

Hey guys, new to THR
Just ordered a top break 38. Ordered 3 box's of ppu. They should reload ok for my revolver.
.361 lead 98rn.

 

[Sunray]

Midway currently lists Starline brass as on sale at $17.99 per 100. Loaded ammo starts at $22.49(Prvi) per 50.
$19.99 per 50(cast 145 grain),loaded, at Graf's. Prvi and Starline brass, at Grafs, runs $19.99 per 100(out of stock) and
$19.59 per 100 respectively.
Your money, but brass is half the cost of loaded ammo.
No correct cast bullet diameter(.360") at either.

 

[WestKentucky]

Brass may be sorting itself out per another member here. Outside of that, if I can get 2 boxes for 40 bucks and not have to pay for shipping I'm satisfied. Otherwise it's 18 bucks for brass plus shipping (assuming 8 bucks as standard) 3 bucks for primers, a dollars worth of trailboss, and 6 dollars worth of lead. Looking at 36 vs 40 is a lot closer, and although I would rather load my own, for the extra 4 bucks or so I will buy loaded. If I do find a reason to order anything else though, a bag or two of brass will be in the mix, along with 6.8spc brass.

 

[davek32100]

Brass may be sorting itself out per another member here. Outside of that, if I can get 2 boxes for 40 bucks and not have to pay for shipping I'm satisfied. Otherwise it's 18 bucks for brass plus shipping (assuming 8 bucks as standard) 3 bucks for primers, a dollars worth of trailboss, and 6 dollars worth of lead. Looking at 36 vs 40 is a lot closer, and although I would rather load my own, for the extra 4 bucks or so I will buy loaded. If I do find a reason to order anything else though, a bag or two of brass will be in the mix, along with 6.8spc brass.

Good idea, ill order some brass and the correct lead bullets. I got the 3 boxes of PPu from Sportsman's Guide with free shipping. It's still cheaper in the long run to order a couple bags of brass, a box of lead and some primers.
Thanks for you advice

Dave

 

[Mk VII]

I found R-P brass not to size down enough to retain the bullet (W-W was alright, MagTec a bit thick)

 

[wally]

The gun is a collectible antique so it won't see much range time. I just want to prove it as functional to increase the value a bit. 2 boxes should let me have all the fun I want with it and still have stuff left over in a few months when I decide to part with it.

For your stated usage I'd have not bothered with buying bullets and dies for it, I'd just buy factory loads for it and be done with it.
Or are you planning to sell it as a "package" with dies and re-loadable brass?

 

[Deanimator]

When I was in the Army in the '80s, I had a .38 S&W Smith "Victory Model". I bought factory ammo and reloaded the brass after I shot it. I forget what I bought, but it was whatever garden variety .38 S&W was available in the gun stores between Ft. Knox and Louisville.

 

[AlexanderA]

The Webley and Enfield top-break revolvers, as well the lend-lease S&W Victory, although chambered for the .38 S&W cartridge, used a very different loading from what is available commercially today. The loading was called the .380-200, because it originally used a 200 gr. lead bullet. However, in WW2, the issued round had a 176 gr. jacketed bullet. Any .380-200 ammo is unobtainable today, except as small batches of collector's ammo (which, btw, is all corrosive). If you want to replicate that loading, you have to hand load. Even then, you can't find 176 gr. jacketed bullets.

 

[John Joseph]

How old is your top break? Early ones were OK for black powder, but smokeless will loosen them up, or worse.
Some European ammo is loaded more robustly than the domestic, so I'd suggest comparing the specs before purchase.
For brass, I'd suggest scouting out gun shows for once fired, or look for new Starline or Magtech.
Stay safe and have fun!

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

How old is your top break? Early ones were OK for black powder, but smokeless will loosen them up, or worse.
Some European ammo is loaded more robustly than the domestic, so I'd suggest comparing the specs before purchase.
For brass, I'd suggest scouting out gun shows for once fired, or look for new Starline or Magtech.
Stay safe and have fun!

OK, I hate to be 'that guy' but I need to point this out. When the transition to smokeless occurred all of the guns were made for black powder, so the smokeless loads were formulated to work in those guns. A good weapon like a S&W can digest a lot of this ammo without ill effect. Cheaper guns will shoot loose with modern loads- but they shot loose quickly with black powder loads too. Because they were cheap. I regularly shoot modern loads through my .38 Double Action (circa 1884) with no ill effects, and know a lot of others that shoot these old guns just fine. No, you don't want to shoot them as much as a modern gun; the metallurgy and heat treatment just wasn't as good. But for occasional shooting it's fine.

 

[davek32100]

I've shot the ppu ammo I got . the brass is a little stick on 3 of the cylinders & very sticky on the other 2. I now have all the ingredients to reload. Lyman book has a load of BE @1.4 to 1.6 200 grn rn. I loaded 2 yesterday and shot them. I wore a thick glove so I'm not to sure of the accuracy . 1sr bullets was 1.5 BE, the 2nd 1.3. I had to push them out with a Phillips head. I recleaned the gun and wire brushed the cylinders. I'm going to load 2 more and try it again .

 

[davek32100]

I made up 2 more with 1.2 BE and opened up the oal to 1.1825 which is a little longer than max. they shot good and the cases came out alot easier . still had to pull on them after the extra had maxed out, but nothing like the day before. I'm going to load up 5 and try them to see if any stick bad. I think it's to much pressure making the cases stick??

Again Thanks

 

[davek32100]

How old is your top break? Early ones were OK for black powder, but smokeless will loosen them up, or worse.
Some European ammo is loaded more robustly than the domestic, so I'd suggest comparing the specs before purchase.
For brass, I'd suggest scouting out gun shows for once fired, or look for new Starline or Magtech.
Stay safe and have fun!

 

[davek32100]

The # under the trigger guard is 40319. the guy I bought it from says it's from the 40,s. he shot rem green box out of it.

 

[Panzerschwein]

The Webley and Enfield top-break revolvers, as well the lend-lease S&W Victory, although chambered for the .38 S&W cartridge, used a very different loading from what is available commercially today. The loading was called the .380-200, because it originally used a 200 gr. lead bullet. However, in WW2, the issued round had a 176 gr. jacketed bullet. Any .380-200 ammo is unobtainable today, except as small batches of collector's ammo (which, btw, is all corrosive). If you want to replicate that loading, you have to hand load. Even then, you can't find 176 gr. jacketed bullets.

Wrong. .38/200 loaded ammunition is available from this company:

http://mattsbullets.com/ammunition/...roducts_id=4&zenid=np64k808unbgpl38n5jh45nv97