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What diameter bullet for .38 Special?

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sonora

sonora

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May 14, 2016
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I've started loading .38 Special again after a long time off. I don't remember having this problem. I've noticed that my reloads using .358 diameter bullets they don't slide smoothly into the chambers. These are lead cast and polymer coated. When I run my fnger along the case I can feel where the base of the bullet starts. I also notice a slight visual bulge where the bullet's base starts. I have a Wilson case length gauge and they won't fit. They only go part way in. I called the manufacturer and he seemed baffled. I asked him if I should try a .357 diameter bullet and he said "no", that I won't get a good bullet to barrel seal and accuracy would suffer. I'm sure I'm ot the only handloader to encounter this problem. Please advise.
 
Lead bullets are many times slightly larger than jacketed for the reasons the manufacturer stated. The bulge you are seeing in the case from the seated bullet is a good thing as it means you have good neck tension. How is your crimp? Are you taking all the flare out? Are you chambers clean?
 
Are you using cast bullets or jacketed, plated?
With jacketed they normally measure .357. With cast bullets they usually are sized .001 oversized.
 
I have always used .357 jacketed and .358 lead or coated lead.

I agree with @buck460XVR the fact that you can feel/see where the base of the bullet is seems to indicated you are resizing them well but are you sizing far enough down? Are you sure your crimp is set right? Not crimping enough to remove the bell from the case might cause your issue or over crimping might also cause this issue.
 
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The Magtech brass (CBC) might be at least part of your issue. I had issues using Magtech brass loading 38 S&W for my Webley. The wall thickness was on the thick side and when I pressed bullets into it, it would swell enough to cause minor issues with chambering (Prvi Partizan, head stamp PPU was even worst about it). I switched to Remington brass and the issue went away.
 
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Rounds do chamber. They are not entering smoothly and are somewhat difficult to eject all six rounds if they are unfired. I can live with this, if I know I'm not damaging the revolver.
 
.358 dia. bullets should be fine. You may be under crimping or over crimping. check the diameter of the loaded case where the bullets is seated. should be under Saami specs. L.E. Wilson gauges are inherently tightly dimensioned. Does it go into your cylinder of your pistol?
 
I've loaded .38 Special for, hum (doing the math) almost forty years (gosh I now feel ooold), mostly for economy and usually in batches of fifty.
.357" diameter for jacketed bullets.
.358" diameter for lead bullets with wax or alox lube.
I have not had any experience with polymer coated .358" lead bullets but the way some fans talk the coated bullets are tough, almost like jacketed bullets.
I suspect that seating a plain lead bullet with soft lube will swage the bullet down to the inside diameter of the casing.
The times I have reloaded mixed brands of once fired range brass all resized the same outside diameter, bullets sometimes seat easy, sometimes hard, indicating different thickness in the casing walls.
 
runner3264 said:
.358 dia. bullets should be fine. You may be under crimping or over crimping. check the diameter of the loaded case where the bullets is seated. should be under Saami specs. L.E. Wilson gauges are inherently tightly dimensioned. Does it go into your cylinder of your pistol?
Click to expand...
Yes.
 
Whenever there is a fit problem measure. For revolvers measure the cartridge OD in several places all along the case, from just behing crimp to extrating groove. Finding where the cartridge is too big will lead you directly to when it happens, and what to fix (don't fall into the "FCD fix")...
 
sonora said:
Rounds do chamber. They are not entering smoothly and are somewhat difficult to eject all six rounds if they are unfired.
Click to expand...
1. These terms "fit" and "don't fit" tell us zero. They are useless and are the reason you are having this trouble. What is required is numerical MEASUREMENTS.
2. We also need to know the locations of the bulges along the case.

See that diagram of the 38 Special cartridge in your reloading manual? You will notice that it gives a cartridge diameter of 0.380". That is the MAXIMUM dimension for that diameter, at all points up and down the case and as measured at any radial position. Any part of a 38Spcl cartridge that is 0.380" diameter or larger, simply won't fit. That's what the drawing is telling you. It's not "almost .380", or "near .380", or "about .380". It's EXACTLY 0.380"+ nothing. Any modern caliper should be able to read that diameter.

So the root cause is that you either don't own adequate measuring equipment, or you don't know how to use it. The issue with the cartridge is simply a symptom of this.
 
Yep, time to find a set of calipers. You can get a fairly good set from harbor freight in the $12 range when using a sale coupon last I checked. For normal reloading these will do for now. Compare to a factory round if you have one. Or the specs in the Lee manual if you have that. Lacking that the SAAMI dimensions are on the net.
 
It's possible the bullets are going into the case crooked. That's usually the reason for a bulge. I'm saying this because you said your rounds won't fit into the case gauge. I use a lot of cast bullets @.358" and even .359" without a problem.

Good luck.
 
sonora said:
I've started loading .38 Special again after a long time off. I don't remember having this problem.
Click to expand...
What changed? Is it just the new coated bullet? I’d still check every step of the process, make sure a sized case has no problem chambering, measure before and after sizing, and after seating/crimping. Measure your bullet too, .358 is common for lead but bear in mind it might be .3585 or .359 depending on how tightly they control their process. Good luck.
 
If the bulge is symmetrical, that's fine. Indicates good neck tension. Odds are it will fit in a chamber.
If the bulge where the bottom of the bullet meets the brass is assymetrical, that's where it would probably not fit into a chamber.
If your bulges are assymetrical:
1.Check to make sure the shape of your seater stem best fits the bullet profile, and that your not using say a round nose profile for a LSWC or vise-versa.
2. Make sure you have enough belling (case expansion) so the bullet sits straight initially.
3. If you're using once fired brass, or mixed lot/headstamps it's a good idea to trim to make sure you have all the same OALs so all of your actual inputs are the same.
 
sonora said:
Please advise.
Click to expand...

If you have been reloading for a long time, never had this problem before and this problem only exists when using this particular bullet, the answer is obvious. Use a different bullet. While measuring them with a good micrometer will tell you what size they actually are, it will not reduce that size if they are oversized. If extraction is difficult with unfired cartridges, I would think extraction after firing would be worse.
 
mdi said:
Whenever there is a fit problem measure. For revolvers measure the cartridge OD in several places all along the case, from just behing crimp to extrating groove. Finding where the cartridge is too big will lead you directly to when it happens, and what to fix (don't fall into the "FCD fix")...[/QUO
Click to expand...
FROGO207 said:
Yep, time to find a set of calipers. You can get a fairly good set from harbor freight in the $12 range when using a sale coupon last I checked. For normal reloading these will do for now. Compare to a factory round if you have one. Or the specs in the Lee manual if you have that. Lacking that the SAAMI dimensions are on the net.
Click to expand...
buck460XVR said:
If you have been reloading for a long time, never had this problem before and this problem only exists when using this particular bullet, the answer is obvious. Use a different bullet. While measuring them with a good micrometer will tell you what size they actually are, it will not reduce that size if they are oversized. If extraction is difficult with unfired cartridges, I would think extraction after firing would be worse.
Click to expand...
buck460XVR said:
If you have been reloading for a long time, never had this problem before and this problem only exists when using this particular bullet, the answer is obvious. Use a different bullet. While measuring them with a good micrometer will tell you what size they actually are, it will not reduce that size if they are oversized. If extraction is difficult with unfired cartridges, I would think extraction after firing would be worse.
Click to expand...

Thank you for all your hepful suggestions. So I plan to order a measuring device. Should I order a Caliper or Micrometer?
 
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I dunno, if I am measuring bullet, case over bullet, head diameter, etc. I get out the micrometer.
The only question there is whether a $40 micrometer is good enough and better than a $13 caliper.

Measurement may not tell you what you need to know.
If your cartridges do not chamber FREELY (like the plunk test with an automatic) and if they do not extract easily unfired, something is wrong.

If your chambers are undersize, getting the cylinder fixed would be a major project.

If you think it is bullet diameter, try a .357, the salesman does not know everything.
If you think it is thick brass as somebody here suggested, try a different brand.

If CLOSE examination shows crooked seating, you need better dies or better technique.
If you see off-center but straight case expansion, it is back to the brass.
 
Both calipers and mics have a place in reloading (I much prefer dial calipers over digital calipers. Nothing has ever gone wrong with any dial caliper I've ever used but had 3 dial calipers that died quite early. Life long machinist/mechanic). For bullets I use a 1" vernier mic. For case length and OAL I use a 6" dial caliper. The design of calipers, with long narrow jaws can give misreadings if user gets a bit "ham fisted" as jaws can "spring". Micrometers are much better for measuring diameters up to 1"...
 
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