Questions about brass

[Blackpowderwarrior]

Hello,
Ive been reloading and studying on it for around a year now but ive only been reloading 45 clolt. Im now reloading 38 spcl for my wifes 1858 conversion. I have some once fired brass that came from some store bought wadcutters i have. The crimp groove is in the center of the brass. Is this brass safe to reload with the crimp groove so low?
Please forgive my ignorance :-/
Im open to tips or just anything you guys could help me with for these 38spcl. I will be reloading with some 148 grain wadcutters from the ol' RCBS mold.

 

[edwardware]

Yes, it is. Unless you're sorting brass for absolute consistency, ignore the mid-body cannelure.

Regarding loading .38Spl, it's a great place to start. Flare enough to avoid shaving, and play with charge to find accuracy.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

Thanks brother. I have been reloading 45 colt for my single action army foe a qhile now and its all ive really messed with. Im excited to dive into the 38 spcl. I even designes a custom 45 colt bullet. I call her the 45 thumper. She's a 253.3 grain girl I designed her for black powder but ive shot her under a decent load of trailboss and the offhand groups were superb.

 

[BigBore44]

Only thing to be concerned about is if you’re running full house smokeless loads and the bullet doesn’t reach the cannelure. That will be a weak(er) spot in the brass. But a 148gr bullet it’s a pretty big bullet in 38spl. What was the factory weight bullet? 125?

 

[FROGO207]

He should be fine. I have been reloading my 38 SPL brass that has case cannalures that are all over the place for 20 or more years. Lost track of the number of reloads but must be in the hundreds. Always get side wall splits in the cases have never had one seperate at the cannalure yet. Just sayin.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I have several kinds of head stamped 38spl cases with the cannalures in different places. I load cast bullets, plated bullets and jacketed bullets for my grandson to shoot.
I generally keep the powder charge in the middle of the chart.
I never had a case fail other then the mouth of the case, they will get splits from being flared & crimped.
Some of my cases have been reloaded so many times the head stamps are getting worn.

Have fun with your new round of reloading.

 

[nevadabob]

Here's some previous thoughts on the subject:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/what-is-the-cannelures-job.848828/

Here's my take: The term cannelure applies to the bullet. I also call it a crimp groove. There are some cases that have a "ring" about halfway down but I don't refer to it as a cannulure. On those cases, some say it "helps internally" by stopping bullet setback. With my 38 spcl snubbies, I roll crimp at the case mouth on the bullet crimp groove to prevent my bullets from walking. Or with my plated bullets, I crimp on the bullet cannelure.

 

[mdi]

I started reloading with 38 Special (way pre web) and have reloaded nearly every brass cases available in the US today (a very few aluminum and steel cases too). I often sort by headstamp (jes 'cause) but never sorted out cases with the "wadcutter cannelure". I have reloaded mild to wild and even used some 357 Magnum data in 38 Special brass as experimenting and have never had the cannelured cases perform any different or exhibit any shorter case life or separations at the canealure.

IIRC; I've even reloaded cases with two cannelures...

 

[lightman]

I've loaded lots of brass with the wadcutter cannelure with no problems. It gets less pronounced everytime you shoot them. I've never had a case fail due to having the cannelure there. They almost always get vertical splits when they get close to the end of their useful life.

 

[fxvr5]

Here's my take: The term cannelure applies to the bullet. I also call it a crimp groove. There are some cases that have a "ring" about halfway down but I don't refer to it as a cannulure.

The term cannelure applies to the bullet or the case.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannelure

 

[mdi]

The term cannelure applies to the bullet or the case.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannelure

Or any tube, or slug, or round object with a knurled ring around the circumference..

 

[Riomouse911]

As for the OP, the traditional bullseye-target Wadcutter load is from 2.7 to 3.0 gr Bullseye powder under a 148 gr WC.

Since you’re loading for a conversion revolver your wife shoots, I think she’ll find the 3.0 gr range just about perfect. A touch of bang without a punishing thump to the gun.

I usually leave a touch of bullet exposed at the mouth and roll crimp it in place, not severely but enough to prevent any pull and ensure a good ignition. Others insert the bullets all the way flush, find what you like (and what shoots well) and you’ll be golden. (Top two below are Extreme 148 DEWC over 2.8 gr Bullseye, my preferred load.)



As for the .38 (or other caliber) cases with body cannelures, some cases have them... most don’t. I’m in the same boat as the others who have loaded thousands of them at various pressures without ever having one fail at the cannelure on the case. I’ll split a neck from 10-12 or more reloading cycles with a particular case (usually nickel) before there are any signs of a case failure at the cannelure creeping up.

Congratulations on now loading two very fun calibers .

Stay safe.

 

[nofendertom]

Let's see a picture of that .45 Thumper that you designed, please.

 

[Reloadron]

Below are a few images of 38 Special wad cutter loads.



You can see the groove on the extreme left case, now note when a wad cutter is placed beside a case:



Don't give any thought to the groove on the cases.



I have been loading quite a few wad cutters over 3.0 grains of Bullseye simply because I have thousands of them I found.

Ron

Ron

 

[bullseye308]

I also have loaded thousands of 38 148wc loads in all sorts of brass and have lost only 4 cases that I can recall over the years and all split at the case mouth. Many cases have been loaded so many times there’s very little headstamp left. MIn 38 brass I only load 2.7 grains of bullseye with a 148 pure lead wadcutter, just because when I started a guy said if a 38 won’t shoot that load trade it off. It shot it very well as has every 38 I have had since(all 3 of them). My 357 likes them too, but she doesn’t like to be pampered.

 

[nevadabob]

Someone once asked me if that line on the 38 spcl brass was the fill line.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

Huge Thanks to all you guys who added to this thread. You are what makes THR such a special place. You All lead double lives. You are Pilots, Lawyers and doctors , construction workers amd warehouse worker, truck drivers and restuarant workers but more then alll those things we do everyday to provide for our family and society ..... Were Shootist! Whether cowboy or sniper, Shotgunner or pistoleer...we are American History and we keep the same spirit of freedom as our ancestors.

 

[Palladan44]

Ive seen that line on brass and always wondered what it was for. On my federal 9mm nickel plated brass, it seems to be all over the place, from 1/2 way up the neck to 3/4 the way to the mouth.
Never gave it much thought, OP good post, good question.