Kimber1911_06238
Member
if you have a .357 revolver, why not just put that load in .357 brass?
I fired my supercharged 38 special rounds today and survived.
- Thread starter Redneck with a 40
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caz223
Member
I don't believe there's anything wrong with loading .38 spl. +p loads in standard cases, innately, esp. if you don't own a .38 spl. snubby.
However, I would caution you about exceeding +p pressure levels with unique.
This isn't a horrible practice, since the bullets tend to pull out, rather than setback in revolvers.
Examine your motivation behind wanting to load hot. If you think about it for a while (in terms of rising medical costs) that .357 magnum brass really isn't that expensive.
While it may only result in a flesh wound, I wonder what effect losing an eye would have on the rest of your life. I'd rather not find out first hand.
Shooting HOT .38 spl. brass in a .357 does NOT make it safe, one piece of weak brass could stress at the rear, and spit burning powder in your eye. The gun will be fine, but you may wish you hadn't loaded them so hot. There's a reason that .357 brass is stronger AT THE REAR of the case. This is where is will break.
If you ever had a gun that occasionally spits back at you, you'll know it's nothing to mess with. Be safe. You have been warned.
If what you are doing harms a child, the result could be criminal, and no amount of whisky takes care of bad memories.
However, I would caution you about exceeding +p pressure levels with unique.
This isn't a horrible practice, since the bullets tend to pull out, rather than setback in revolvers.
Examine your motivation behind wanting to load hot. If you think about it for a while (in terms of rising medical costs) that .357 magnum brass really isn't that expensive.
While it may only result in a flesh wound, I wonder what effect losing an eye would have on the rest of your life. I'd rather not find out first hand.
Shooting HOT .38 spl. brass in a .357 does NOT make it safe, one piece of weak brass could stress at the rear, and spit burning powder in your eye. The gun will be fine, but you may wish you hadn't loaded them so hot. There's a reason that .357 brass is stronger AT THE REAR of the case. This is where is will break.
If you ever had a gun that occasionally spits back at you, you'll know it's nothing to mess with. Be safe. You have been warned.
If what you are doing harms a child, the result could be criminal, and no amount of whisky takes care of bad memories.
Redneck with a 40
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1) I don't shoot with children.
2) I use full eye and ear protection, shatterproof polycarbonate lenses. Do you honestly think I'd shoot without eye protection?
3) 6 grains of Unique is a listed +P load for 38 spl, as DMZ stated.
4) I'm not an idiot, so quit inferring that.
I fired 25 of these rounds yesterday and.....*gasp*, nothing happened! They were laser accurate, recoil wasn't bad, no bulged brass, primers looked fine, easy extraction, ect. These weren't showing any signs of being in the "danger zone". This was just a small experiment, so quit getting your panties in a wad.
I'll back these off to 5.6 grains, which is the listed max in my Lee 2nd edition manual.
If it makes you guys feel any better, I'm going back to my 357 magnum load, which is 9 grains of Unique behind a 125 grain SJHP, gives 1330-1360 fps on the chrono. In case your wondering, the minimum charge for this load is 8.7 grains, the max is 9.6, so I'm loading on the minimum side here. Don't want you accusing me of "hot rodding" the 357. Like I said, I'm not an idiot.
So far I've reloaded 3000 40 S&W rounds, 155 grain Ranier with 6.5 grains of Unique, and 1000 357 rounds with the above mentioned load. I've fired off several hundred of my 357's, no problems, and I've fired off close to 1000 of my 40 S&W reloads, again, no problems. I'm confident in these loads and they perform well. I've also had ZERO squib's or mis-fires, I'm a good "reloader".
2) I use full eye and ear protection, shatterproof polycarbonate lenses. Do you honestly think I'd shoot without eye protection?
3) 6 grains of Unique is a listed +P load for 38 spl, as DMZ stated.
4) I'm not an idiot, so quit inferring that.
I fired 25 of these rounds yesterday and.....*gasp*, nothing happened! They were laser accurate, recoil wasn't bad, no bulged brass, primers looked fine, easy extraction, ect. These weren't showing any signs of being in the "danger zone". This was just a small experiment, so quit getting your panties in a wad.
I'll back these off to 5.6 grains, which is the listed max in my Lee 2nd edition manual.If it makes you guys feel any better, I'm going back to my 357 magnum load, which is 9 grains of Unique behind a 125 grain SJHP, gives 1330-1360 fps on the chrono. In case your wondering, the minimum charge for this load is 8.7 grains, the max is 9.6, so I'm loading on the minimum side here. Don't want you accusing me of "hot rodding" the 357.
Like I said, I'm not an idiot.So far I've reloaded 3000 40 S&W rounds, 155 grain Ranier with 6.5 grains of Unique, and 1000 357 rounds with the above mentioned load. I've fired off several hundred of my 357's, no problems, and I've fired off close to 1000 of my 40 S&W reloads, again, no problems. I'm confident in these loads and they perform well. I've also had ZERO squib's or mis-fires, I'm a good "reloader".
nitesite
Member
I don't think you're wrong to shoot your 6.0-gr Unique load with 125s in your gun. But I may not try to go any higher, either.
I purchased a Ruger police Service Six 4" .38-Special revolver just so that I could shoot heavy .38-Special loads thru a dedicated .38 revolver instead of a .357 revolver. In my two .357 guns (a 4" 686 and a 4" Model 28) I load lite .357 Magnum® with 158 LSWCs and 168 Keiths at around 1050-fps. They are a lotta fun to shoot.
In my opinion, the 158-gr SWC bullet is the ultimate weight and design for "hot" .38-Specials.
I purchased a Ruger police Service Six 4" .38-Special revolver just so that I could shoot heavy .38-Special loads thru a dedicated .38 revolver instead of a .357 revolver. In my two .357 guns (a 4" 686 and a 4" Model 28) I load lite .357 Magnum® with 158 LSWCs and 168 Keiths at around 1050-fps. They are a lotta fun to shoot.
In my opinion, the 158-gr SWC bullet is the ultimate weight and design for "hot" .38-Specials.
Maybe your title of this thread has misled some. It could have read – I fired MAX load 38+P’s in my 357.
I believe you are correct, but Alliant lists 17,000 PSI for this load. The pressue limit for 38 Special + P is 20,000 PSI. This is probably why Speer lists 6.0grs. as MAX.
While I’m no expert firing MAX load 38+P's in a 357 should be fine.
My only concern would be if you loaded above the listed data that the 38 cases might not be strong enough, (which you didn’t do).
I don't know where all the fear from cases being too weak comes from. Revolvers pretty much fully support the case all the way to the case head. It's not a partially-supported autoloader.
As long as you aren't using balloon-head case designs, the .38 Special case shouldn't fail any sooner than a .357 magnum case. Keep in mind the .44 magnum was created based on super-charged .44 special loads and the .454 Casull started life as triple loads in plane .45 Colt cases. When revolvers fail, it tends to be the cylinder that lets go, not brass blowing out.
As long as you aren't using balloon-head case designs, the .38 Special case shouldn't fail any sooner than a .357 magnum case. Keep in mind the .44 magnum was created based on super-charged .44 special loads and the .454 Casull started life as triple loads in plane .45 Colt cases. When revolvers fail, it tends to be the cylinder that lets go, not brass blowing out.
All will be fine until those shells get into a .38 by mistake. That reason alone is why I recommend loading those in .357 cases. Medium velocity .357's are great fun to practice and plink with. I just think they should be loaded in .357 cases when it gets over .38 Spl. data. Safety first.
There is no reason to load them in .38 cases, so why take an unnecessary risk. ( I don't want to hear that he does not own a .38, now, things change, folks come shoot with you that do, etc. etc.)
Go back and reread wcwhitey's post. The labs know WAY more than we do about pressure.
There is no reason to load them in .38 cases, so why take an unnecessary risk. ( I don't want to hear that he does not own a .38, now, things change, folks come shoot with you that do, etc. etc.)
Go back and reread wcwhitey's post. The labs know WAY more than we do about pressure.
Check my posts, I never have.4) I'm not an idiot, so quit inferring that.
Smart man.
It won't take it for long. .357 brass is thicker in the web.
I did a little quick study on some .38 +P and some Federal .357 brass just now. I cut them both in two and miked the case wall at the head and at the rear of the section I cut off. I miked the small and large diameters. ( no shocker here, it was not perfectly concentric)
.38 head - .0197 to .022
.38 body - .0090 to .0096
.357 head - .0235 to .0248
.357 body - .0172 to .0189
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Johnny Guest
Moderator In Memoriam
This thread has about run its course.
I've let go this long only because I did find that 125 jacketed/6.0 gr. Unique load published in a current Lyman book. Seems that every so often, someone wants to "soup up" some perfectly good cartridge. Usually this takes the form of putting extra warm-to- magnum loads into some shorter case: .38 SPL +P loads in .38 S&W cases, .357 stuff in a .38 SPL case, .44 mag-level loads in .44 SPL cases, and so forth. When the more rational amongst us point out the folly of such projects, SOMEONE gets their feelings bruised, and the thread deteriorates, and even hotter loads are posted. We're headed that way in this thread, so I'm closing it.
PLEASE: Read the floated entry at top of this forum entitled REQUIRED READ for those posting Extra HEAVY LOAD Information, located HERE.
This has been hashed out several times and it still stands. I'm not at all bashful about heavily editing entries about loads beyond published maximums. Occasionally, the entire thread is made to disappear. You can write about almost any load you wish, so long as the necessary warning is included. Without it, adios.
Johnny Guest
THR Staff
Moderator , Handloading and Reloading Forum
I've let go this long only because I did find that 125 jacketed/6.0 gr. Unique load published in a current Lyman book. Seems that every so often, someone wants to "soup up" some perfectly good cartridge. Usually this takes the form of putting extra warm-to- magnum loads into some shorter case: .38 SPL +P loads in .38 S&W cases, .357 stuff in a .38 SPL case, .44 mag-level loads in .44 SPL cases, and so forth. When the more rational amongst us point out the folly of such projects, SOMEONE gets their feelings bruised, and the thread deteriorates, and even hotter loads are posted. We're headed that way in this thread, so I'm closing it.
PLEASE: Read the floated entry at top of this forum entitled REQUIRED READ for those posting Extra HEAVY LOAD Information, located HERE.
This has been hashed out several times and it still stands. I'm not at all bashful about heavily editing entries about loads beyond published maximums. Occasionally, the entire thread is made to disappear. You can write about almost any load you wish, so long as the necessary warning is included. Without it, adios.
Johnny Guest
THR Staff
Moderator , Handloading and Reloading Forum
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