Educate me on 38 Short Colt and the 627PC

[deerassassin22]

Need all hands education. I was going to get a 929 but I don't like how people are still having issues.

What about a 627PC?

I Have no idea how to even begin loading 38 Short Colt

Educate the young one

[Toolguy]

Search 38 Short Colt on this forum. There are mountains of info and discussions and loads.

[thermobollocks]

If it helps your brain, think of it as 9x19mmR with a .38 sizing die.

.38 seating die and case flare, 9mm seater (unless your .38 one will reach that low), and 9mm taper crimper.

.357-.358 bullets depending on what the gun likes.

Work up to minor with 9mm load data, keeping in mind the cylinder gap may eat 50-100 fps. A 135pf load out of my M&P, translated "directly" into Short Colt, may become a 125PF load.

[Gregg K]

Need all hands education. I was going to get a 929 but I don't like how people are still having issues.

What about a 627PC?

You won't escape S&W quality control issues by switching models. Quality control issues are seen in 627 and 929 models.

Buy the one you like and balances well for you then have S&W make it right if it has a problem.

But, given your username on this forum you may want a gun that can shoot a .357 magnum on occasion.

Edited January 12, 2016 by Gregg K

[thermobollocks]

But, there's more people ditching already-tuned 627s to jump on the 9mm hotness.

[revoman]

Dump all your 627's my way and as far as the 929 being a hotness, I don't think it ever got past lukewarm. There is nothing the 929 can do better except drain you of $1100 and then some more and then you are still stuck with just a 9mm.

The 627 gives you the versatility of shooting 38 short colt, 38 long colt, 38 special, 357 magnum and if you want 38's cut down to 38 super length. Accuracy with the 627 is hands down better than the 929 with any of the calibers mentioned above.

You can load short colt to 9mm specs without the problem of sticky extraction and then when deer season comes around you can drop in some 357's and bring home the venison.

The only advantage the 929 might hold is if you are already set up for 9mm and only want to load for one caliber. Then the 929 is for you.

Again if all these 627's that have been tuned and are race ready are going to the bone yard because of the 929. Where are they in the classifieds or any other sale site?

[jsg]

I was in the same boat recently. Do you have any experience with moon fed revolvers? I have learned everything is much more finicky than my 625.

A few thoughts...

I went with the 627 to have more options and because they seem to ship more messed-up 929 than 627.

38 short colt has been a learning experience. I found a nice minor load with BBI 160 bullets using starline brass and bullseye and hp-38. I have yet to get a good load with those powders and brass using 158 Xtremes. I have a thread running with my testing results.

Expect a stout trigger no matter which you get. Trigger work will be required.

You will need fast powder and heavy bullets to make minor and you will be exceeding any published data I have found. This is why some prefer the long colt or cut down 38 special brass so they feel they have more room for error.

Another thing to consider is it is unlikely that what you already load for you autos will perform in the revo so you will have to load for it specifically anyway.

[BadShot]

I bought both a 627 and a 929 this year. Both needed the same internal work and re-springing. The 929 took a bit more in the spring department, but has settled in at 6 lbs, the same as the 627. I have the usual combination of Starline brass, TK moonclips, and 160 gr bullets for the 627. The 929 took a bit more work, but I settled on Lapua 9mm brass, the TK moonclips that came with the gun, and 135 gr bullets. I use Titegroup for both. The 929 will require the use a race holster. I sometimes shoot both at the same local match. I'd have to give a slight edge to the 627. But both are within a couple of percentage points. At this point I wouldn't be afraid of either of them.

Skip

[jcc7x7]

I went with TG and 160 bayou's

Shoot really nice and made PF without any sticking etc

[acpie360]

Allow me to ask a question alongside the discussion - Would you guys recommend having the 627 cylinder cut to shoot 9mm then?

[bradsteimel]

NO. I had a 327 and a 627 done in 9mm and would not recommend it!!!

It's too much of a challenge to make PF while still being able to extract.

I even rebarrelled them with 5"+ 9mm bbls, and they still don't get the fps that you get with a 929.

My .02 is stay with original cylinder.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bamboo]

If you want to shoot 9mm cases in your 627 you can do it without reaming the cylinder.

Last year I shot primarily revolver with a 627. I tinkered with several different cases, case lengths, cutting cases and using 9mm cases.

You can use 9mm moon clips and cases by grinding the tips of the moonclips so they fit your recess in the 627, then size the 9mm cases with a 38 special sizing die. It worked fine, but I didn't find the juice worth the squeeze.

In the end I did what almost everybody else does....got some starline short colts and don't look back. I wish somebody would have slapped me when I was doing all that experimenting as it would have saved me about 4 months of dead ends.

BTW - I bought 2k of starline short colts and still haven't broken open the 2nd box yet. The nice thing about shooting revolver is you get 99.9% of your cases back.

[bradsteimel]

If you want to shoot 9mm cases in your 627 you can do it without reaming the cylinder.

Last year I shot primarily revolver with a 627. I tinkered with several different cases, case lengths, cutting cases and using 9mm cases.

You can use 9mm moon clips and cases by grinding the tips of the moonclips so they fit your recess in the 627, then size the 9mm cases with a 38 special sizing die. It worked fine, but I didn't find the juice worth the squeeze.

In the end I did what almost everybody else does....got some starline short colts and don't look back. I wish somebody would have slapped me when I was doing all that experimenting as it would have saved me about 4 months of dead ends.

BTW - I bought 2k of starline short colts and still haven't broken open the 2nd box yet. The nice thing about shooting revolver is you get 99.9% of your cases back.

ME TOO!!! At least you only wasted a lot of time. I was sending those two revo's all around the country to try to turn them into a 929 (that was before there was a 929). I would have been MUCH wiser to just run short colts!

[BallisticianX]

I had a 929....repeat HAD! As it was said the 627 is more versatile and you get a SS cylinder vs the finicky sticky extraction prone Ti cylinder. So I replaced the 929 with a 627. As far as conditions between the two; same deficiencies and same corrective work to make them suitable. Though I thought the 627 had a distinct edge on action feel and pull out of the box, but still nothing to be joyed about. The biggest thing in comparing the two for making a advantageous choice is ease of "making it shoot well. Namely bullet/ammo selection and convenience thereof. A 929 and the 627 comes with the same .3565 to .3575 bore and same cylinder ream/throats, so regardless of which case you use your gonna need a .357-.358 diameter bullet. That bullet diameter is meant for a 38 variant case without concern whereas it bloats a 9mm case. So it requires more case flare to not mutilate bullets when seating therefore more brass to crimp back to place compromising the crimps effectiveness because of greater spring back potential. Getting a suitable 9mm bullet weight in .357 is a challenge whereas a 38 bullet in .357 is a standard. This makes 9mm factory ammunition less likely to be optimal at .355 fired through a 929 whereas any 38 factory load in a 627 is sized appropriately. Despite some claiming its fine I can tell you my former 929 produced lousy groups with .355 or .356 bullets. I then tried .357 & .358 bullets and it shot much better with the edge to .357 pills. Then of course if you want a full house load for whatever reason you can send some .357 magnums down that 627 but your stuck with a 9mm +P in the 929 that will stick on extraction anyhow. So my opinion is the 627 is the better choice for versatility and ease of ownership!. 

[FENWICK7]

good luck on finding accurate reloads for 929 or the 627 in short colt. many have good

luck but i sure didnt. 

[swordfish]

Who is still having issues? I don't have any issues. The only issues I see are when I go way back in the forums. I just bought one, it's flawless.

Ah crap, I've got wine in me and see someone is trying to bump their post count for the classifieds lol.

Anyway, if you want a good load use 3.2gr bullseye for either 38SC or 9mm, and a 150gr Blue Bullet. Used both last night at a match and had no problems. 1.150OAL

[tomv]

Can the same 38SC brass cases be used in 929 and 627 guns interchangeably? I know that 38SC works in both guns but is it necessary to keep brass fire formed in 929 cylinder separate from that fired in 627?

[MWP]

The short colt brass will bulge at the base, but it will go back. I took 32 pieces of brass and fired them something stupid like 20 times, and they all went back to 38 spec. 

It worked well enough, but the headspace was a little long. Similar to 9mm brass with .035 clips. 

[alecmc]

best solution for this ...uh..problem?

 

Buy a 929 and fit in a 627 cylinder...

 

or

 

buy a 627 and fit on a 929 barrel.

 

/winning

[shoots100]

So you buy a 627 and shoot short colts, which you have to pay extra for special brass, or make it yourself, and the short colt is in the same ball park as a 9mm ?

Or you could buy a 929 and load and shoot it.

If your shooting for major power, the 627 is the route, but if your buying it to just shoot short colt, the 929 is the way to go.

I had a 627, 327JM and a 625 too.

Bought a 929, set it up how I like it and never looked back.

I say buy both and sell the one you don't like !

[swordfish]

17 hours ago, shoots100 said:

So you buy a 627 and shoot short colts, which you have to pay extra for special brass, or make it yourself, and the short colt is in the same ball park as a 9mm ?

Or you could buy a 929 and load and shoot it.

If your shooting for major power, the 627 is the route, but if your buying it to just shoot short colt, the 929 is the way to go.

I had a 627, 327JM and a 625 too.

Bought a 929, set it up how I like it and never looked back.

I say buy both and sell the one you don't like !

You still have to sort your brass for the 929. You can't shoot major with an 8 shot unless you shoot Open. 38 SC is nice because you can just buy more brass if you run out. For my 929 I'd have to sort range pickups or buy loaded ammo, then shoot it.

[shoots100]

I load & shoot all types of brass in my 929, as I get free once fired brass from my friends who don't reload.

CED .040" stainless moon clips fit every type of brass manufacturer I've tried.

Still, 38 SC brass isn't cheap and loading them hot shortens their lifespan and cleaning the cylinder is a bitch too.

Been there.

I do like the look of the 627 V comp better than the 929 !

That is one fine looking revolver.

SJC

 

[FENWICK7]

i have dillon 550b. once you set the tool head up for

38 short colt then its same for all other cal. 

 

[swordfish]

On 1/10/2018 at 10:18 PM, shoots100 said:

I load & shoot all types of brass in my 929, as I get free once fired brass from my friends who don't reload.

CED .040" stainless moon clips fit every type of brass manufacturer I've tried.

Still, 38 SC brass isn't cheap and loading them hot shortens their lifespan and cleaning the cylinder is a bitch too.

Been there.

I do like the look of the 627 V comp better than the 929 !

That is one fine looking revolver.

SJC

 

Hot? Why would you load them hot? I use TK clips and not everything fits them, but man the reloads are so smooth and fast with how tight they are when you find the right brass.

Still it depends on what direction you want to go. If you don't mind having some sloppy reloads and droopy clips, it's not bad. 9mm brass is a lot cheaper if you go that route.

I shoot the V Comp and the 929. V Comp is heavy and slow, even though the 929 has a longer barrel. I kinda miss the V Comp after I got the 929 but I don't think I could ever go back unless the 929 broke.