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I need some input on using 38 acp or 38 auto brass in my 38 super. What I need is what powders and charges can I use so as not to ruin the 38 auto cases.
I will be using jacketed and one lead round nose 125 grain bullet. Jacketed will most likely be 115, 124 and 125
thanks.
I have looked in my old manuals and they don't go back far enough to even list the old 38 auto or 38acp.
Off the top of my head, I think that the .38acp & .38 super have the same physical dimensions but different pressure ratings. I know that .38 super ammo will destroy a regular .38auto. I'll have to look that up when I get home though. Right now, I'm out on the east coast. I should be back tomorrow. I'm pretty sure that I have at least some loading data for that cartridge.
Jiminphx
Yes the brass is different strength and that is why I am asking for loading info as i don't want to over load the brass.
thanks
Page 299 of Cartridges of The World #9 lists the following for 38 Automatic (38acp)
115fmj - 5 grains Bullseye 1150fps source Hornady
125jhp - 4.7gr Bullseye 1100fps source Hornady
130fmj factory load 1040fps
***This sounds a tad hot to me for an antique gun***
My Lyman book says to use a cast boolit of 133 grains or less & start 1/2 grain below the STARTING powder charge for a .38 Super, then work up slowly to the starting load. Some starting loads for the Super with a 133 grain boolit are as follows -
Bullseye 4 gr 1000fps, 19,800CUP
Unique 5.1 gr 1045fps, 21,000CUP
Blue dot 6.8 gr 1042fps, 18,500CUP
630 8.4gr 1054fps, 18,100CUP
****Start 1/2 grain below each of these for a .38acp according to Lyman***
Lyman also lists data for smaller boolits. Please let me know if you need it.
My Lee book lists the 38acp too. The data it shows pretty closely matches the speeds shown by Cartridges of The World. A bunch of different powders are listed.
Jiminphx
thanks that will do and the pistol is a 38 super that is only maybe 3 years old the brass is what is the kicker. It is for the 38 auto because no one had the 38 super brass and I needed to know what was safe for the brass not the pistol as it will take some really hot loads which I would never use.
Grafs has several varieties of 38 super brass in stock - http://www.grafs.com/metallic/509
The Star-line would be my preference.
IF the chamber is fully supported you should have no problem with the brass. When I started shooting the Super in IPSC you couldn't find Super brass and had to use the 38 ACP brass.
Bob
bob
Since the pistol is only 4 years old I am quite sure it is fully supported.
Now to make things really interesting I called winchester and they said that the brass for the 38 auto couldn't be loaded to fire in a 38 super. Yet from you guys i am finding that all I need is enough powder to work the action which is where I shoot most of the time with super brass and that is why I started asking questions as I sure don't want to have metal parts coming back at me when I pull the trigger and I don't hot load anything anymore and haven't for the better part of 40 years as it just seems to use to much powder for to little in return.
From my years as a commercial reloader I found that the .38 Super cases are nickled and the .38 ACP are yellow brass. I have never seen a difference in the internal or external dimentions between the two cartridges.
If you are trying to duplicate .38 ACP using .38 Super brass, I don't see a problem.
Last time I looked Star-Line has .38 Super Brass.
Good Luck.
I used to have about 300 baloon head 38 auto factory loads.
The really old stuff, copra nickle bullets.
After they were fired, I simply loaded then as usual in my 38 super.
Truth is, if memory serves, they nailed tin cans about as often as any other load.
If memory serves, I think they were thinner at the case mouth, but I never really had any trouble with them.
I had that ammo in and out of loaded condition for years, and in truth, the stuff still pops up every once in awhile.
thanks for the replies as it is making it much easier for me to load my 38 auto brass with lead bullets and shoot in my 38 super. I didn't think there would be an issue but it is so much easier to ask before eating metal parts because I missed something.