Reloading 38 s&w

Will on kauai

Can someone tell me if you can use 38 specail heads to reload 38 s&w the numbers head size arent the same but close ? Or could I use 9mm heads instead those numbers are closer[:)]

Bill Costik

Head=? Bullet? Case diameter?

nmyers

You need to buy a reloading manual; stay within recommendations for ALL components!

Neal

"'Close' only counts in horseshoes & hand grenades."

11b6r

Will- the 38 Special and 38 S&W are not the same size- do not try to mix components. The bullets AND the cartridge cases are different in diameter- enough to matter. Same for 9mm. Changing ANY part of the recipe- case, primer, powder, bullet- will make changes in pressure- sometimes a small change is a LARGE change. If you are on Kuai, and do not have a local gun shop, get in touch w/ Mel Chung over on Molokai- good gunsmith, good guy. Pau.

jonk

The .38 special uses a .358" cast bullet. The .38 Smith uses a .361 heeled bullet. Hard to find. I use regular .38 special bullets, no problem.

Pearyw

38 S&W brass can be optained from most reloading supply houses such as Midway.

leeblackman

Hey, be careful, how old is the gun your reloading for? Some of those old .38s&w's weren't designed for use with modern smokeless powder. You will find alot of old like Iver Johnson type revolvers out there that were made in the 1890's and early 1900's for blackpowder cartridges (A modern type cartridge with blackpowder as propelant instead of smokeless). Which is way different that smokeless powder. If anything you may actually put the gun in a vise, and use the old string around the trigger technique. I've done this a few times myself on some questionable pieces.