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Works fine, no danger.

But carbon rings are not "dreaded" around my house.

I use a .40 cal bore brush in a cordless drill to clean revolver chambers.

Takes longer to type it then it does to do it.

rc
 
Thanks RC,
I'll try the bore brush drill thingy. But I also want to work up a HVY 38 load under a 158 rnfp lead bullet. Only handgun powder on hand is 800x and unique. Any suggestions? (I'll load them in 357 cases).
 
Check your reloading manuals. About any starting load for a 158 grain lead bullet, whether RN or SWC, can be substituted. Generally, swaged bullets are not driven as fast as cast bullets. Watch out for those Cowboy Action loads as they tend to be on the light side.

Generally, the same velocity from a 357 Mag case will require a bit more powder than from 38 Special case due to the greater volume.

No problems with the carbon rings here either. I just clean the cylinders a bit more frequently when shooting 38 Special cases in my 357 Magnum.
 
Unique works well with medium to high pressures. At low pressures, like other powders, it leaves lots of unburned flakes, sooty cases but still shoots fine without any surprises.

Since the Alliant data says 5.2g is the max for 38 +p and 6.0 is the max for 357 magnum, 5.0 would certainly work for a light to medium 375 magnum load.

I've loaded 5.0g Unique in 38 cases and shot them out of my Ruger Service Six 357 which is built like a tank and out of a 4" barrel. I was getting in the 990 fps range. That would be the most I would feel comfortable loading in the 38 special. I would not hesitate shooting 5.0 to 6.0 Unique in a .357 case where I average 1040 fps with 6.0 and a 158g LSWC.
 
I shot about 100 rounds of reloaded .357s today from a LCR and SP101

Speer 158 gr LSWC
Winchester Small Pistol Primer
Once fired Federal Brass
6 gr of Unique
COAL 1.570

It's a nice manageable round, even out of the 1 7/8" LCR

Speer 14 says that the velocity from a 6" barrel is 1,034 ft/sec
 
I load .357 brass to .38 Spl levels all the time. Most folks don't bother though, and just clean the cylinders from time to time. I still clean mine from time to time, but just because guns need cleaning occasionally.
 
Hungry1,
Your load data agrees with my Lee manual for a 158 gr. lead bullet. I'm going to be shooting my 3 in. sp101 or my 4 in. model 19. I use mostly CCI primers; I don't think it'll make any difference.
Thanks to all for the info.
1lt

Walkalong,
I clean my guns after each session, but for some reason I have a hard time with the "rings." (and I use a bore brush in the cylinder). Maybe I just wussie out and don't use enough force.
 
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Like rcmodel posted, for .38/.357, chuck a .40 cal bronze brush in a drill. Dip it in your favorite cleaner and run it in the chambers. Cleans them up right nice. Sometimes real light loads will dirty up the chambers with the right brass.
 
I load 38 velocity loads in 357 brass for my wife in her revolver. Works just fine. I try to put them at the high end of 38 velocities without going into the plus P range, and she gets along fine with them. She really does not like to shoot the full Mag loads.
 
I start in the middle of the 38spl data and work up to the desired load. Most powders for 38spl will work in 357 mag cases at 38spl levels, just work off of 38spl data and the powders listed.
 
I have "light loaded" a couple boxes of .357 brass with plated 148 gr DEWC and HBWC using W231 and though I didn't have any issues with them, accuracy was not at all good.

So I guess I have yet to find the "sweet spot"

Last batch was with 3.8 gr .... next time I'm loading them lighter.

If you find a good load please share it.
 
I almost always shoot light 357 Mag loads. I don't like recoil if I can avoid it and my light loads are accurate and make nice holes in paper. I use 4.8 gr. of Bullseye and 158 gr LSWC.
 
SSN Vet, So far I've only used Unique. I've gone as low as 4 grains in a 38 Special case using 158 gr LSWC. It was accurate and very mild.
 
I usually suggest using the Max. .38 Special load data in .357 brass for a great light load in the longer brass. That works out well for me and the other who have tried it, especially with lead bullets.
 
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