Can I Shoot 38 S&W Loads in a .357/.38Spc Single Action?

[mountain_cowboy]

Should .38 S&W cartridges be able to chamber and fire just fine in a .357/38spc single action revolver? I know that .38 S&W bullets are a few thousandths larger than .357/.38spc bullets, but I have several hundred .38 s&w factory rounds and no gun to shoot them in. I even thought about having one of my extra 9mm cylinders rechambered for the 38 S&W if that would work.

 

[only1asterisk]

It shouldn't chamber, if they do, your .357 chambers are way out of spec. If they do chamber they'll fire. The bullet is a couple of thousanths oversize, but if you are using ammo with soft swaged bullets a modern revolver will not care. It may give some older guns indigestion.

Why not sell the ammo? If it is new ammo, someone will shoot it in their 38 S&W (and be happy to have it). If the ammo is old, people collect it. It isn't likely to do you any good.


David

 

[Jim K]

The answer has to be "maybe." The .38 S&W was originally larger, both in case and bullet, than the .38 Special (which is an elongated .38 Colt).

But recently, maybe to save money, ammo makers have been selling .38 S&W ammo that is the same case size as the .38 Special and has the same diameter bullet (.357"). In other words, some makers' .38 S&W is really a short .38 Special, nearly identical to the old .38 Short Colt.

Will firing a cartridge marked ".38 S&W" in a .38 Special/.357 Magnum chamber work? Basically, if it fits, fire it. With the low pressures involved, no harm will be done.

Jim

 

[mountain_cowboy]

It's new production Remington ammo, so it may work. I'll try it out. It's just kind of a novelty thing for me. Kind of like how I love firing .32 Longs in my .32mag revos. By the way, I've found .32 Long to be one of the easiest cartridges to get excellent accuracy from. I think it's just inherently accurate, like the .45acp.

 

[pete f]

It should not work, at all.

The case should be .015 too big to fit in. the bullet is often a .362 diameter soft lead, which will need to swage down to .357 or 8 to fit out the barrel of most .38 /357 barrels. lthat will lead to a lot of barrel leading.

Seeing as most .38 S&W ammo is about 19.00 bucks a box and .38 from UMC or blackhills is about $11, why not sell it and buy more of the appropriate ammo.

If you do find your shells fitting, then most likely your cylinder is grossly oversized and will be unsafe to use with a hot .357 load.

Almost all load manuals specifically list not using 38 spec. dies for reloading .38 S&W as case splitting will happen almost everytime.

 

[Crosshair]

I'll buy it for cheap. Been reloading 38 S&W for my Enfield Revolver and it is a pain because of the very low charge weight I have to measure it by hand for every round.

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Pete F and guys. I first heard all the warnings when importers were reaming .38 S&W "Victory models" for .38 Special. I was told cases burst, guns blew up, etc. The only thing I ever saw happen was bulged cases and some were no worse than cases fired in .38 Special chambers. With standard loads (not +P or +P+) the .38 Special is too low pressure to do anything drastic in a slightly larger chamber.

I have a box of Remington .38 S&W rounds, bought this year. I did err in saying they seemed to be the same diameter as .38 Special; that was based on too small a sample. They won't fit a new Model 642 without force. They will fit a Model 36, a Model 27 and a Model 586 with no problem. They will fit two different Ruger SA .357's and a Colt PP Special with no problem. They won't fit a Colt Army Special; they will fit a Colt Model 1894 fine, but not its civilian version.

In other words, whether a .38 S&W cartridge will fit a .38 Special/.357 chamber seems totally a matter of tolerances of both ammunition and gun.

BTW, none of the guns in which the .38 S&W fit have bulged or oversize chambers or are worn out.

That is why I said "maybe."

Jim

 

[Mk VII]

I had a S&W 686 which would accept wartime .38s of British origin OK.
Never fired them though. Doubt the bullet would have crawled out of the end.