Loading the 351 S.L.

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Alex

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I just picked up a nice old Winchester 07 in .351. Now I've got the problem of feeding it. Has anyone got any experience shooting this cartridge and where is the best place to get reloading components. I know brass is going to be expensive, what about bullets for it? Also are there any new sources for reloading dies. Thanks.
 
The prices look pretty reasonable, much cheaper than I thought they would be. Does anybody know what would be available for jacketed bullets, seems to me the originals were using 180 grain soft points.
 
A friend of mine had one when we were teenagers, and I think he was able to shoot .357s in his. (Not semi-auto, though.) If so, then there should be a whole of lot of .357 or .358 bullets available that would work.
 
Bullet diameter is actually .351, so I'd be more inclined to try shooting 9mm bullets out of it, or sticking with lead bullets of the correct size.

I suppose that you could swage jacketed bullets down, but quite frankly, why not just shoot hard cast lead?
 
My Lyman reloading book #44, has loads for the 351 S.L. With 171 grain Cast, with Gas check, they liked 19.5 IMR 4227, a max load...I have a set of CH 351 S.L. dies, want to trade it for a set of 401 S.L. dies...CH has dies for around $57.00 Midway has .351 S.L. dies Reddings for around $57.00 I think also. I know you can get molds and bullets for them. The problem I have is getting cheap brass, they are hard to come by..and hard to make them other calibers..I also need a foreend for my Winchester Model 10...Any sugguestions?
 
Thanks for all the responses. Greg, here's what I've learned so far. Brass can be had reasonably cheap, I've seen it listed for 38.00 for 100 pieces on one of the sights shown below. Stocks would appear to be almost un-obtainable, at least from the suppliers I've looked at. Fortunately, I guess for me, I have had quite a bit of gunstocking experience and making a new set isn't too difficult, however, I would much prefer finding a set of precarved to save some time. On the other hand, I don't think the forend would be too much trouble to make so if I were you I would buy a nice stable stick of walnut and take a try and making the forend yourself, that may be the only way to get one. Best of luck.
 
The bullets are .351 diameter, so technically, no .357 bullets won't work. Try these guys for bullets:

www.hawkbullets.com

I have a 1907 mfg .351 that lived a hard life on a South Texas ranch, and it has no finish left. The sights are lousy, and I haven't loaded any ammo for it, yet. I may hand make a tang sight for it, and pop off a few factory rounds.

With old ammo and bad sights I have managed about 4-5" groups at 50 yards, with it. If it shows improvement with better sights, then I might just bite the bullet and get set up to load for it. If it doesn't shoot, then it may just attain honored retirement.

I'd also like to find a spanner wrench to fit the forend, too!

Cartridges of the World also gives loads data for it.
 
I bet I could make one from a CNC mill. It wouldn't be hard to do, but don't have access to one anymore. Maybe, I'll take that class again. I am going to ask the stock makers if they can make me a forearm. They are noted for broken ones. Midway has 351 Bertram brass in their 2001 catolog, but no 401....These guns were one of the first autoloaders, and are neat. It seems that they made more 351's...Heard they were prison guns, a long time ago. I bet you can work up most mag pistol powder for them. Mine has been sitting in my safe for 10 years, I guess I will find a way to get some cases, and fire that bad boy, sometime.
 
I know somebody is making 401 brass, I just can't remember where I saw it. Making a stock for the forearm shouldn't be too difficult, it could be done with hand tools easy enough, it just takes time. The 351 was by far the most popular of the Winchester auto's, though why it was more popular than the 401 remains a mystery to me considering the superior performance of the latter. I've seen 351's in the Cody Museaum that had been altered for arial warfare in WWI, they had also been quite popular for trench warfare so they definitely have some history. I think I'm going to enjoy mine once I get the necessary materials to load for it. Bullets are expensive and I'm debating about having Corbon make me a Pro-Swage for the 351 diamter bullet so I can make some jacketed bullets for it. I suspect they would also be able to make a suitable swage for the 401 if bullet availability is an issue, I don't know if it is or not though.
 
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