Trimming 38 special cases

[310yuma]

I have just started shooting a S&W627 and on the advise of other shooters I have aquirred several hundred 38 short caes. I find these much easier for reloading and ejection than the 38 special cases. But before I buy more short cases,I have searched the forum and found that a 38 special trimmed to .90 maybe just as good. Also right now I have about 6k once fired 38 special cases and if I could just trim them I could save money (new Idea)

Now over the years I have trimmed many rifle cases and have several different trimmers (RCBS and Gracy) but I have never needed to trim pistol cases or this large amount of cases

Is there a trimmer out there that would make this job (somewhat) easier?

Any info would be helpful

[Ty Hamby]

I have some Long Colts I want to shorten to .900. Interested also.

[toothguy]

You can get 500 from Starline (1-800-280-6660) for $75 + tax and shipping. That will last a long time. I am as cheap as the next guy but trimming all those cases sounds like a pain.

Edited November 19, 2012 by toothguy

[Ty Hamby]

You can get 500 from Starline (1-800-280-6660) for $75 + tax and shipping. That will last a long time. I am as cheep as the next guy but trimming all those cases sounds like a pain.

Looking for .38 @ .900

I think you thought we were looking for short or long colts. We are looking for .38 specials at .38 super lengths. All the benefits of short colt with the extra safety due to the added length. Long colts longer than needed and short colts are shorter than perfectly safe. ,900 makes for a great option. Starline does not make that. It only exists from us cutting longs or specials.

[DougCarden]

Been there, tried that. Depending on the brass it is too thick to take the bullet and not bulge too much to fit in the chamber. Trim 6 or eight, load them ,and see if they work. It will be much better than trimming 170 and then finding out they dont work......That was a long day....LOL

DougC

PS,,,,sell the 38 special brass and buy starline long or short colt. Life is too short to dick with this trimming crap, unless you are retired and nothing better to do....

[toothguy]

You can get 500 from Starline (1-800-280-6660) for $75 + tax and shipping. That will last a long time. I am as cheep as the next guy but trimming all those cases sounds like a pain.

Looking for .38 @ .900

I think you thought we were looking for short or long colts. We are looking for .38 specials at .38 super lengths. All the benefits of short colt with the extra safety due to the added length. Long colts longer than needed and short colts are shorter than perfectly safe. ,900 makes for a great option. Starline does not make that. It only exists from us cutting longs or specials.

Not cheap, the 35 pilot and the #6 shell holder should work. About $500. You can buy a lot of brass for that. The manual one is much less but a lot slower.

Edited November 19, 2012 by toothguy

[Action Pistolero]

I just happened to run into a guy yesterday at the range that does this. He said he uses a chop saw to cut the 38 Spl cases close to his target length and then uses a trimmer. A lathe would be better but very time consuming.

I have a Forster case trimmer with an adapter to use an electric drill. I can trim 1000 pistol cases in 2 hours.

[cuzinvinny]

Another vote for selling the .38 special brass and using the money to but the long or short colt brass. I'm as cheap as the next guy, but my time is valuable as well.

[GOF]

LC brass fully ejects on the ejector stroke from my guns and I thought trimming 38 Spl to that length would be cool. At least, until I started running them through my RCBS manual case trimmer. I quit at about 25. That was as much as my hands could handle. They worked fine, but calling Midway for Starline LC was a heckuva lot easier.

The 38 all wound up getting lost on the range (ICORE Classic division) because of the 38 headstamp. The LC is easier to pick up, and the 38 shooters don't confuse it with theirs so they find it easier to return to you if they collect one.

I run a lot of IDPA and have a pile of 38 Spl loads. They are fine for ICORE practice, so I can just save the LC for matches. 500 cases last a long time that way.

[Bubber]

It is very time consuming, however, okshootist likes his "38 minimum". It is an alternative to getting a 38 super revo. If using moonclips you will not lose many. okshootist uses speed loaders and has them scattered about so if you shoot with us you may be able to garnish a few at a time, if he does not see you. In a speed loader the super length is as short as you can go. As Doug states, do a small amount to check if that is what you want. Also Startline will make them if yo by a big enough lot, 50,000 pieces, I believe. Action Pistolero's method seems as if it would help also, Get it roughed in with a chop saw and then trim to desired length. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Hey one guy is trying the bottleneck case for revo. Sorry John, did I say that out loud? later rdd

[10mmdave]

I've been doing this for awhile now, bought the Forster collet case trimmer on sale for around 35-40 bucks,

http://www.midwayusa...er-case-trimmer and a 38spcl pilot.

I used to cut down the brass using a jig I made that held 15 cases and just run 'em through the bandsaw

and then to the trimming setup, found the carbide cutter made quick work of the brass case no matter how

long they may be so I just cut them from what ever length they are to .9

As Doug mentioned, be careful of what brass you use, I found Rem brass would limit OAL with heavy long bullets,

the 160's and 170's, but fine for light 125/135 stuff.

I lucked into 3K Fed 38spcl cases that fit my 686 Brownells 6 shot clips the best and also works great in 8 shot clips I have.

I load the heavy bullets to around 1.29 to 1.3+ and haven't had any problems.

I gent here in Mass also was using the .900 length 38 spcl in his 38 super revo, had tons of cases and a retired Dad with a

lathe at home. To me the 38 spcl loads quicker than the 38 supers I have, yes you get some bulging at the case bottom

but it seems to press out during reloading. I haven't done this a lot except to try it out, I only use the supers for SC games.

It can be time consuming as Bubber states, but if you set yourself up well at the begining and dedicate a slot of time you can

do 1k to 2k cases in a couple hours.

What the heck, it's winter time almost, and maybe a trimmer will come up on BF !!

The last drawback to me is de-burring, I do the inside and outside with the combo tool.

I was going to try just loading and shooting fresh cut brass sometime and see what I get, maybe over the winter.

At the price of brass today I like recycling back to me than selling it off. It's probably a 5 to 1 trade off for used to new brass,

plus make sure your clips like Starline, my 6 shot clips don't hold it well at all.

[lugnut]

Dave- why did you go to .900" with the 38Sp brass? So it would hold the bullets better? Short Colt is 0.754 - 0.761 and long colt is 1.019 - 1.026 according to Starline. Reason I ask is I have a $50 gift certificate and might get 500 for my 627 for now.

Edited November 19, 2012 by lugnut

[10mmdave]

Dave- why did you go to .900" with the 38Sp brass? So it would hold the bullets better? Short Colt is 0.754 - 0.761 and long colt is 1.019 - 1.026 according to Starline. Reason I ask is I have a $50 gift certificate and might get 500 for my 627 for now.

I went the .90 length route after I bulged a barrel using 38 spcl brass and a 100pf load from an SC match.

Drew the gun, punched it out there towards the target and got a "poof" instead of a bang, had the same thing happen in practice a lot of times

and it always bothered me, this time I lodged a bullet about 3/4" from the end of the barrel and, in the heat of competition, pulled the trigger again.

I tried the 38 short Colts a bit and I never felt they balanced right when I went to load them fast, just seemed too stubby.

Yes you can load SC long but with a heavy bullet I like the case tension to help the powder burn.

I also didn't get the accuracy I was looking for with my 95-100 grn bullets either in the SC.

The 38spcl was around in black powder days and there's way too much empty space in there, we've all heard it at table start matches,

that first round sounds funny, maybe even the second, then the others go off fine.

If your looking to start out and plan multipule uses for your revo, 100pf to 130 pf, I think Long Colt might be fine, the difference

between spcl and LC is only about .12, might be plenty. And if not, you can always cut them down later (I'll lend you the trimmer )

Anyway's, this is just how I go about it, not saying it's right, so please don't flame me as to it being wrong.

[okshootist]

I trim mine to .895. Works great in .38 spl. chambers. I haven't tested them in a magnum cylinder. They offer a slight reload advantage over .38 long colt in speedloaders and the reduced case capacity seems to give more consistent velocities. The only cases that I have found that were too thick were nickel plated and should have been sorted out years ago. I use a forster power case trimmer base in a bridgeport mill with a 1/2 inch carbide endmill. If I didn't have those, I probably wouldn't do it, at least for a classic gun. As Bubber noted, I do tend to spray them all over the range. Maybe for moonclips.

[310yuma]

Thanks for all the good ideas, As I am retired I do have more time than money now so I am going to give trimming a try. Today I made a mandrel that is .880

long to replace the pilot at the end of a Foster trimmer shaft, the case can be slipped over it and pushed in trimming the case. I chucked the trimmer shaft in a 1/2 drill

and held the cases with an old Lee hand priming tool. I was suprised how easy the brass cut . I did about 200 cases and case length was very uniform ,

of course the cases then have to be chamfered and this is also very time consuming .

I then loaded them up with 160 grain round nose Bayou Bullets and did not see any case bulging so this looks like an idea that might work

Thanks again

[Dr. Phil]

I take the handle off my old RCBS trimmer and replace it with a stud. I put a cordless drill on the stud, and trim away! Mine run just over .900. Something like .930 or thereabouts. That's just where I ended up in the experiment. Works nice. Good luck!

[RevolverJockey]

The Lee version chucked up in a drill press would work well also. You would only need to trip down the pilot on the trimmer side bit that is easy work for a machinist or craft person.

Lee (no relation)

[paul788]

I'm gonna try this. What are you using for powder with a 158-160 bullet? I've got Clays, HP-38, Titegroup, and Solo 1K. Die set for seating and crimping?

Thanks

Paul

[310yuma]

I have been using both Clays and Solo 1000 in both 38 special and 38 short colt cases. I tend to like the Solo 1000 better as recoil seems softer.

As to dies, I see that most use a combination of 38 special and 9mm dies with Dillon machines. I been reloading a long time and have several Star reloader machines and had

a custom set of 38 short colt dies made. Now that I am loading the cut down 38 special case I just backed them out and so far they have been working good

[paul788]

So far I've had a friend with a lathe cut a seat/crimp die down and ordered a Lee .38 Super trimmer and a Forster .358 inside neck reamer. I'm going to use the 1500 .357 Mag cases I have. Got to make a spacer to slip over the case and cut what sticks out off with a saw. Saw, deprime, trim, ream.

Paul

[Dr. Phil]

I cut .400 off a .357 case. FYI... I shoot 125gr plated bullets. I use 4.3 or 4.6 gr Win 231. Started taper crimping with a Lee 9mm die last winter. Plated bullets don't seem to enjoy roll crimps. Nice transition into the cylinder. 158s at about 4.3 Win 231 shoot nice, just a little more snap. The 125s are nice steel loads.

[DougCarden]

Paul, make sure the cases fit your moonclips before the ordeal....LOL

DougC

[mwx40x40]

Paul, make sure the cases fit your moonclips before the ordeal....LOL

DougC

Paul is running "Bubberized" Comp III's

[Alphamikefoxtrot]

The 38 Short colt cases are the same size as 9mm. The loads are identical. They are not unsafe.

[paul788]

Made a cutting guide out of 1/2" square tubing, hack the case off with a wafer disc in a side grinder. Use a Lee .38 Super trimmer to cut to .900". Chamfer and then ream to .358 with a Forster reamer in a drill.

Had to sort for headstamp since the R-P brass is .016" wall thickness at .900" length and all the other brands are .010-.011" at that length. The reamer would not cut the R-P deep enough.

Now to start loading. I've got some .358 sized lead at 156gr and some .356 jacketed at 150gr. Gonna try Solo 1K and Clays to start with.

Paul