.38 S&W brass

by Catoosa, Sunday, February 09, 2014, 21:12 (3882 days ago) @ Slow Hand

I'm a long way from being an expert (on anything) but here's how I understand the bore diameter situation: .38 S&W bores are all over the place - the old guns (pre 1930s) ranged from .359 to .361, depending on who made them. After WW2, Smith & Wesson began using the same bore diameter for both their .38 S&W and .38 Special guns. Colt may or may not have done the same with their postwar guns. .38 S&W factory ammo is SUPPOSED to be .360 - never measured any, nor have I slugged any of my bores. Most of my loading has been for a 1956 S&W Terrier, which shoots .358 diameter bullets just fine. I suspect the bore of that gun is about .358. Recovered bullets show good rifling marks. I have no idea what size the bore of my Enfield is, but the same bullets shoot well in it so I suspect it is also somewhere around .358.

The Magtech bullets are 146 grains and are the same as the ones used in their loaded ammo. I suspect they are about .360. HOWEVER, they are very accurate in the Terrier, so they must not be too far off.

I have a couple of other .38 S&W guns, but they are breaktops and I never shoot anything but factory loads in them. One is an IJ Owl Head that is so smooth you can barely see where the rifling USED to be. It will barely keep any kind of bullet on a washtub at 25 feet, but cut-down CCI shot capsules (.357 diameter) loaded with #8 shot will make hash out of a rat or snake. The capsules probably only occasionally touch the bore on the way out and certainly don't take any spin.

I appreciate the offer, but I've got so many other mouths to feed right now I'm just going to stick with the two loads I'm currently using. The Terrier likes the 158 grain hard cast SWC over 3.2 grains of Unique, which is good for about 730 fps and plenty accurate. That gun, so loaded, stays in my front britches pocket a lot of the time. All the others are just for playin' with occasionally.