Looking through my reloading stuff yesterday, I came across a box of speer shot capsules, and a metal Band Aid box, with what I dimly remember is #9 shot in it. To find out how old this stuff is, I called Speer, and the customer service rep looked, and finally said those were last seen about 1978!
I asked if there had been dimensional changes between then and the new, blue shot capsules. He didn't seem to think so. The loads are the same....38 spl brass, 5.5 gr. Unique, standard primer and a FIRM crimp.
Now, I don't remember ever loading the capsules in .38 Spl. brass; all I had then was .357 Magnum brass, and I remember my FIRM crimp cracking the capsule.
I asked the young man about loading the capsules in 357 brass, and he said "NO!" He claimed the 357 mag brass had a "step" , and his brass wouldn't accept the capsules. (?) I Never heard of that before, so I ran a dental pick down about a half-dozen Magnum brass...no "step". Hmmmm.... Maybe his cases had a cannelure, or whatever that knurled ring might be called
Anyway, my thinking is that 357 brass will work just fine, and 5 gr. Unique would work as well as anything, and maybe I could use my taper crimp die for less chance of damaging the capsules.
What do you guys say? Am I on the right track?
I asked if there had been dimensional changes between then and the new, blue shot capsules. He didn't seem to think so. The loads are the same....38 spl brass, 5.5 gr. Unique, standard primer and a FIRM crimp.
Now, I don't remember ever loading the capsules in .38 Spl. brass; all I had then was .357 Magnum brass, and I remember my FIRM crimp cracking the capsule.
I asked the young man about loading the capsules in 357 brass, and he said "NO!" He claimed the 357 mag brass had a "step" , and his brass wouldn't accept the capsules. (?) I Never heard of that before, so I ran a dental pick down about a half-dozen Magnum brass...no "step". Hmmmm.... Maybe his cases had a cannelure, or whatever that knurled ring might be called
Anyway, my thinking is that 357 brass will work just fine, and 5 gr. Unique would work as well as anything, and maybe I could use my taper crimp die for less chance of damaging the capsules.
What do you guys say? Am I on the right track?
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