Winchester .38special ammo

[MikeIsaj]

I just fired 100 rds of Winchester .38 special ammo. I noticed it was very smokey and left a lot of soot on the outside of the barrel and cylinder. The real surprise came when I tried to reload the .357magnum rds for carry. The forcing cones were so fouled the .357's wouldn't seat.

Has anyone else had this problem. Is it common with this ammo? That would explain the low cost.

 

[Titus]

Were they lead (only) or jacketed? I see you mentioned them being smoky. I find lead loads make a good bit more of a mess and are pretty smoky.

 

[MikeIsaj]

They were FMJ. I've experienced that with lead also, that's why I use FMJ. Also with lead I never had the fouling problem. I stopped using it because I figured all that smoke and lead rounds can't be healthy for the shooter.

 

[foghornl]

If those rounds were the plain lead type, then you have some lead/lube residue buildup in the cylinder. I keep a couple of fired .357 cases around, and use those to help scrunch out the residue left over from shooting .38's through my .357 Vaquero. Fully seating those empties in the cylinder usually breaks up the crud ring. I seem to get more buildup if I use the so-called "cowboy action" loads.

 

[Crownvicman]

I have that problem with the Wally-world Winchester 125 jsp .38s. It looks like I'm shooting blackpowder. I've since switched to UMC 158 gr lead for most of my plinking. A plus, they shoot point of aim out of my Taurus 82, and a lot less smoke.

 

[sm]

NOT uncommon when one shoots .38spls in .357s.

Take a .357 case, using a small triangle file , cut "teeth" in the case mouth. Use this to "cut" the burn rings and fouling in the charge holes and chamber.

If'n you want to get all slick about it, take a old screw, and "start" into primer - make you a handle if you will. An old Allen wrench, afixed in the primer allows one a "handle" in which to twist in the chamber and let the "teeth" cut the fouling ...

.44 mag case done the same way for when you shoot .44 spls....

 

[P95Carry]

Listen to Uncle Steve - he too has had crud rings!!

Doesn't take lead bullets IMO to get quite marked ''soot'' rings .. and BTW the forcing cone per se is lead-in to barrel proper - you are referring to chambers and throats!

 

[sm]

picky, picky, picky...

Yeah well to get the "lead" out of the "leade"...

Be sure to make sure the safety is engaged , and the "clip" dropped on that revolver before you start using the toothed shell casing...

I'm going to lurk in BP forums now...

 

[P95Carry]

Picky?? Moi!???

Glad you mentioned the revo clip - darned near forgot that!!

 

[MikeIsaj]

Thanks for the help. I got more than I expected.

P95; Thanks for the correction, I'm still learning.

 

[BluesBear]

I take a couple of fired Blazer ALUMINIUM .357 cases, just barely run them into the expander die, and keep them in my range box for just such an occurance. I use aluminium cases so I don't accidentially dump them in the reload bucket.

Sooner or later, even using clean shooting .38 ammo, you can accumulate enough crud to hinder seating .357 ammo.

 

[Sharps Shooter]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I think I heard some .454 Casull revolvers can actually be damaged by firing .45 Long Colts in them and then not cleaning the crud rings out of the cylinder before forcing the longer .454 Casulls in and firing them. It seems the .454 Casulls operate at high enough pressure to bulge the cylinder right where the crud ring doesn't allow enough room for the cases to expand. Has anyone else heard that, or is it just conjecture?