Convert 627-4 38Super into .38Short Colt

[Ty Hamby]

What would be required. Is there any advantage using an 8 shot .38Super over an 8 shot .38special to shoot short colt? I heard one shooter at a major match talk about his dash4 being converted to shoot short colt. Im researching for an up coming build. Currently shooting a 6 shot in ICORE limited and wanted to upgrade to an 8 shot. My wife currently shoots a 627 so I thought having the same loaded ammo would be nice. If there is no advantage to such a mod' I may just buy a 5" dash5. Im looking to gain any compeditive advantage over my wife. Please advise.

[Bill Sahlberg]

Send me your address and I will send you a full moon clip for 38 Colt Short, these should fit the 38 Super without making any changes to your cylinder. The Brownell's 38 Super full moon clips will fit my 627 .357 and make major but I still shoot 38 Colt Short in minor and have 100K+ on my gun without any bad signs of wear.

[Carmoney]

What would be required. Is there any advantage using an 8 shot .38Super over an 8 shot .38special to shoot short colt?

No.

[Ty Hamby]

Has anyone ever thought of cutting a 627-5 cylinder down to fit a 627-4 forcing cone. I'm currently shooting Short Colts in both my super and special revolver. The Short colts in the super cylinder have about a 10% reduction in power factor vs the special cylinder. This is probably due to the fact that the cylinder is not supporting the brass. The brass is stretched pretty good after shooting 125pf short colt out of a super cylinder. My wife shoots a 627-5. Having one recipe for both guns has simplified reloading. I just wish I could stop over working the brass (.38ShortColt) in the 627-4 (38super cylinder).

Edited April 1, 2012 by Ty Hamby

[JohnRodriguez]

your can fire short colt in your 38 super. I've done it just to get ride of some that I had loaded. you will have to use 38/357 mooncips to do it. I did experience some light hits with it, since you do have a little more distance from the firing pin to primer.

[Ty Hamby]

your can fire short colt in your 38 super. I've done it just to get ride of some that I had loaded. you will have to use 38/357moonclipss to do it. I did experience some light hits with it, since you do have a little more distance from the firing pin to primer.

Possibly you miss understood.

I have a 627 in super

My wife has a 627 in special

We are both shooting the same load. .38 short colts in hearthco moon clips

The problem lies when reloading. The short colt brass shot in a .38 super cylinder bulges out much more than the same load shot in .38 special cylinder. Sizing works ok (works the brass hard though). I have to use a lee 38special die. RCBS doesn’t size the base down far enough & Dillon die gouges the bottom side of the brass (even a replacement from dillon does the same thing). I have access to a new 627 .38special cylinder. Is it possible to cut this cylinder down to fit in the .38super frame with the .38super forcing cone. It would basically become a short colt only gun at that point. Could it be done?

[Bubber]

your can fire short colt in your 38 super. I've done it just to get ride of some that I had loaded. you will have to use 38/357moonclipss to do it. I did experience some light hits with it, since you do have a little more distance from the firing pin to primer.

Possibly you miss understood.

I have a 627 in super

My wife has a 627 in special

We are both shooting the same load. .38 short colts in hearthco moon clips

The problem lies when reloading. The short colt brass shot in a .38 super cylinder bulges out much more than the same load shot in .38 special cylinder. Sizing works ok (works the brass hard though). I have to use a lee 38special die. RCBS doesn’t size the base down far enough & Dillon die gouges the bottom side of the brass (even a replacement from dillon does the same thing). I have access to a new 627 .38special cylinder. Is it possible to cut this cylinder down to fit in the .38super frame with the .38super forcing cone. It would basically become a short colt only gun at that point. Could it be done?

Ty, It can be done, however you may find that you will remove part of the chamber that constricts to the diameter for the bullet. Take a good hard look at that to be sure. That may give you less velocity in the same loads as the one for the 38 spl. You may solve one problem and cause another. But if you have an extra cylinder anyway and have the tools to do it, all you will loose is the cylinder. Or if you have a gunsmith friend he may be able to shed some light on the matter. I am not a gunsmith, but I did have a beer at the shop. Good luck later rdd

[Ty Hamby]

Ty, It can be done, however you may find that you will remove part of the chamber that constricts to the diameter for the bullet. Take a good hard look at that to be sure. That may give you less velocity in the same loads as the one for the 38 spl. You may solve one problem and cause another. But if you have an extra cylinder anyway and have the tools to do it, all you will loose is the cylinder. Or if you have a gunsmith friend he may be able to shed some light on the matter. I am not a gunsmith, but I did have a beer at the shop. Good luck later rdd

I did think about that. I do not yet have the dope on the special cylinder or the super forcing cone. I think it could be done. One issue that has already popped up is how much hotter the short colts need to be loaded to shoot in the .38super gun vs the special cylinder. Here is some data.

627-4 .38super 5.5" barrel no comp

MG 130 .356 Universal Clays 4.4gn. 924fps average 8 shot string 120,064 PF

MG 130 .356 Universal Clays 4.6gn. 955fps average 8 shot string 125,239 PF

624-5 .38special 4" barrel no comp.

MG 130 .356 Universal Clays 4.4gn 992fps average 8 shot string 128,917 PF

MG 130 .356 Universal Clays 4.6gn 1048fps average 8 shot string 136,262 PF

So as you can see the .super cylinder doesn’t support the brass enough. (explaining the .385 bulge at the base. This causes a loss in PF and an over working of the brass.

So this is why I would like to drop this spare 8shot cylinder into my .38super N Frame. Any gunsmiths out there willing to attempt this job? I wish Apex Tactical was taking work. I could just drop it off at the next match and pick it up later.