Case life with 38 special and 357?

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I am still trying to wear out 2K of 38 SPL brass that I purchased as mixed range brass in the early 70's. I also have some that the plating is all worn off other than in the headstamp and some that are peened so much the headstamp is unreadable. Several hundred reloads at minimum. A few plated ones split here and there but the energizer* bunny would be proud of their longevity.
 
My grandson shoots a hundred rounds of 38s and 357s every week from snow out until snow comes again.
When I first started reloading for him I was working the brass way to much.
TO MUCH FLARE and
TO MUCH ROLL CRIMP.
I was getting split necks, more so on the nickel plated cases.
I backed off on the flare and crimp and no more split necks.

I have a butt load of 100% prepped cases in my storage containers. When I see a bad case I toss it in my scrsp bucket and grab a new one.
I load mid-range for my grandson, he is nine years old and LOVES to shoot and can hit what he shoots at. I take him out to one of the local federally owned gravel pits that are open to public shooting. We get there about 8:30 in the morning and stay there until close to dark.

I buy the cheap twelve packs of the store brand cans of soda. I will put four of them on ice for him to drink. The rest he shakes them up and shoots them with the revolvers of one of the pistols.

Most of the 38 cases have atleast thirty loads put threw them or more.

When my oldest som first got his Kimber Eclipse 45acp he loaded for it. He quit counting how may times he loaded that brass after 52 reloads.
You can't resd the head stamps any more on his cases.

My nickel plated brass is reverting back to brass, you can hardly see any nickel plateing on them fron being being used so many times.

All.my 38spl brass was bought used for five cents a piece.
My 357mag brass was bought used for 8 cents a piece.
Plus I pick up brass others leave behind at the pit so I am always aquireing more brass.
 
Like many, I used to keep track but lost count at some point and don't really see a need to track it. Also like others, I over flared , (still) over crimped and load on the heavy side. I shoot more 357 mag than all other cartridges combined and I'm loading some cases that have probably been loaded 20+ times. Every now and then I'll grab 500 cases from once fired brass (online retailer) and I'll toss them in the mix, last order I got a few months ago was 95% starline cases - which was great. I do separate my weird off brand cases for lighter loading and if I'm going to put together some hot loads I'll hand select 100 or so cases that look best, are they actually better? Who knows. I haven't split many 357 cases, maybe 2 or 3 out of 1000 , I can live with that. As opposed to 454 casull cases (primarily starline cases) that split before they hit 10 loadings - some split on their first loading - with federal cases that have taken that same load 10+ times with no signs of failure. Brand of brass does matter for longevity.
 
I shot full power 357 Mag in IHMSA silouette in the 1980’s. I would rarely find a split body or split neck case that needed to be tossed.

Case life was so good that I still have 300 brand new, prepped Federal 357 Mag cases sitting on the shelf waiting to be used.

Admittedly, I do not shoot handgun silhoutte any more, but I am still reloading those cases at a hot 38 Special level and they are still going strong.

38 Special cases seem to last a lifetime if not abused with hot loads.
 
Your target will tell you when you've reloaded the cases too much. You'll go from hitting dimes to hitting 1/2 dollars @ 50ft.
 
trekker73 said:
Coming from a rifle background, what are the usual case lifes of the above? I know it depends on a variety of factors, but I assuming the 38 special at least will beat rifle brass for reloading life several times over.

Thanks for any thoughts.

1.357 factory power

2. 38 special/ 38 +P
Click to expand...
I can't keep track of my 357 and 38 brass. I just trim it once and run it till it splits.
My Magnum brass gets dropped in the woods enough that I replace before it wears out.
 
Highland Lofts said:
TO MUCH FLARE and
TO MUCH ROLL CRIMP.
I was getting split necks, more so on the nickel plated cases.
I backed off on the flare and crimp and no more split necks.
Click to expand...
Yep, with the correct amount of flare and crimp in .38 Spl your cases will still last a very long time. If you are shooting light loads with a light taper crimp it's not even a factor.
 
Walkalong said:
Yep, with the correct amount of flare and crimp in .38 Spl your cases will still last a very long time. If you are shooting light loads with a light taper crimp it's not even a factor.
Click to expand...


For a taper crimp on 38spl, 357mag, 44spl & 44mag what crimp die are you useing?

Who all makes taper crimp dies for these calibers?
I have been roll crimping.
 
I bought a 500 round lot of US Issue WW .38 Spl. brass when I was 16 years old. I loaded the heck out of it, everything from wadcutters to near .357 level +P.s When they'd split, I'd save them until I got 50, then trimmed them down to ".38 Shortys" for wadcutter plinkers. (Made about 150 of those, them just tossed those that split from there on.) Some lasted over the years. I still have a few of them, and I am 57 years old. I now have enough other brass that I will probably toss them when I do shoot them up, but since I only have one .38 and several ammo cans full for it, it might be a while.
 
I will have to pick some of these up next payday.
I think taper crimp dies would be s good investment for longer case life.
 
Taper works well on straight wall cases head spacing on the mouths with bullets designed for that. I’ve had problems with unburned powder and poor performance in large cases like 45 Colt using bullets with out a crimping groove. Haven’t tried it on 38/357 however.
 
I've never reloaded a case more than 20 times.
I'm just a bit nervous about loose primer pockets.

But I've got several boxes of both 38 & 357 at 19.
 
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