38 special brass is notorious for splitting. You get 1-4 loadings generally depending on various factors (brass manufacturer, how hot you load). I've read that .357 mag brass is made a bit thicker. Is this true? Would it be possible to trim the .357 mag bras down to 38 sp length? The only problem I could see with this is thicker brass leads to less volume in the cartage which could lead to higher pressure. Has anybody here done this? Does it increase case life?
.357 Magnum brass trimmed to 38 Special length
- Thread starter nuclear_shooter
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I haven't done this with 38 Special/.357 Magnum but I have done it with .45 Colt/454 Cassull brass. After I sold my Ruger Alaskan in .454 I had quiet a bit of left over brass that I trimmed down to .45 Colt length. Same principal as you're describing, thicker brass equals less case volume. You have to work up loads again if you loading anywhere near max but with plinking ammo the deviation didn't make much difference at all. Hope this helps.
I don't load anywhere near max, I just use Barry's or Rainer bullets for shooting range fun. Thanks for the info though! Glad to know somebody has done something similar.
Incidentally, I'm considering getting a .454 Cassull. Why'd you sell yours?
I'm a huge fan of the .454 Cassull and loved it in the Alaskan pistol. The only reason I sold mine was on another forum that I frequent someone had posted up a "want to buy" ad so I answered it. I had priced the pistol for what I thought was high although it was in line with what they were asking on Gun Broker. To my dismay he took it! It was sort of a bitter sweet moment. I hated to see it go but it helped free up funds for my lay off months of the year. I'll have another .454 at some point but would really like a Freedom Arms if the money ever came available.
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I have 38spl brass that I have loaded at least fifteen times. I have yet to see the "notorious" cracking issues. I do see some random case neck splitting, but something on the order of 1%, and its not predictable as to when it will happen.
I have .38 Spcl that's probably older than MANY of the posters here. I lose very few even now at their advanced age.
Then again 90% of the loads are 2.7 Bullseye and a 148 gr WC. So low pressure.
IF You wish to trim your .357 brass back to .38 Spcl lengths other than possibly a little less case capacity...... I can't see any other issues.
Then again 90% of the loads are 2.7 Bullseye and a 148 gr WC. So low pressure.
IF You wish to trim your .357 brass back to .38 Spcl lengths other than possibly a little less case capacity...... I can't see any other issues.
.454 Casull exceeded my recoil tolerance. Maybe his also. 31 grains of 296 behind the 315 grain cast gas checked bullet was more than I could take. Exceeded .45-70 ballistics from the old days...in a pistol. Elmer Keith was right...the .44 Mag is enough. JMHO
might be worth looking into if you have a surplus of magnum brass but I have much less magnum brass than I do special brass. I had one split on me so far but it was also corroded on the side from years of sitting in a florida garage.
I dont sort pistol brass, so just about every brand and age. I noticed the other day that I loading some "Peters" and "Western" headstamp stuff. Like FN in MT, I shoot a LOT of PPC type loads, typically 3.0gr of 231 under a 148 swaged HBWC.
I've noticed that nickle plated cases split earlier than all brass cases do. Don't know why but for me, I get better life out of straight brass cases, .38 or .357. Should have no problem trimming .357 brass.
Rather than the expense and time to trim 357 to 38 Spl, why not just buy 38+P brass? If you're only getting 4 loads/case, you're loading to hot, or you have some other problem. 38Spl. is one of the longest lasting cases, and accurate rounds in existence. As accurate handgun shooting has been taken over by the high speed (often spray and pray) type shooting, that is so popular today, the 38 has fallen out of favor. It was once one of the most popular target rounds in the world, and for some of us it still is. On top of being very accurate, it was cheap to load-lead bullets and long lasting cases.... just saying.
Where is the brass splitting? If it's at the case neck, then the brass could be getting overworked during the resizing and crimping process.
Ultimately, if you feel the need to get heavier brass, maybe the solution is simply to get something chambered in .357Mag...
Ultimately, if you feel the need to get heavier brass, maybe the solution is simply to get something chambered in .357Mag...
I do have a supply of .357 brass which is why I asked. Otherwise I would probably buy +P brass instead. Thanks for the advice, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some obvious safety reason why I should not do this.
Still curious to see an answer to this (maybe I missed it elsewhere in the thread).
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