For 38 Short Colt brass do I need a 9mm crimp die?

[rwmagnus]

Or will 38 Special dies work okay?

[jasond]

No, they won't adjust down that far. You have to use the .38 sizer, 9 expander (lets the cases hold the bullets great, too), 9 seater and 9 crimp. I'm using ranier plated, so I have to taper crimp anyway.

Somebody here may know if .38 super dies would work instead.

Starline brass?

You are going to love how much easier it is to reload! It won't be as finicky about the fit of the clips to the brass, either, because there is that much less to wobble around. Using the shorts made me much less bad at this game!

[DougCarden]

I have had great success with the 38 special sizing die, a 9mm size expander, 9x19 seater, and a 9x19 sizing die. You will get the 9x19 coke bottle effect on the rounds, but they work really well. I tried using the 9x19 on swelled base cases, and it worked well, but I think if you dont have any swelled cases ( from 158grain bullet testing... ) then you will do just fine with the 38 special die.

Good luck,

DougC

[Bill Sahlberg]

Since 1996 I have used .38 Colt Shorts with Starline Brass and Montana Gold 130 gr 9MM RN bullets. The .38 Special dies work fine all around on my 650 with only a 9MM crimp die on the last station with a .002 crimp on the bullet. (tapered crimps will not hold!) I use 4.2 gr Hodgdon Universal Clays at 1.100" OAL and of course only Federal 100 primers. This load is accurate, clean burning, and @ 1130 fps. I have 20+ reloads on my brass with only an ocassional case mouth starting to split. Do NOT bell the cases as these are .355 bullets, not .357/358

[rwmagnus]

Thanks guys. Bill thanks for the load data as well.

[S&WIowegan]

Lee sells a .38 Short Colt die set. I installed the the Lee sizer die and seater die in a Dillon 550. I use a 9mm expander/powder drop funnel from Dillon, a Lee 9mm factory crimp die and a .38/.357 shell plate. Works like a charm. You need the 9mm Dillon funnel and factory crimp die cuz the Short Colt cases are .......well ........SHORT!!

Bob

A16841

[revoman]

I use the EGW 38 Special undersized sizing die to size and remove primer. Dillion 38 special powder funnel, use just enough to flare case to accept type and size bullet you are using. Lee 38 Short Colt seating die and Lee 38 Short Colt roll crimp die. You will find with the EGW undersized sizing die you will not have to crimp as much and all you are really trying to accomplish is to remove the flare. This set up has worked for me with .355 bullets to .358 bullets. Pet load 2.8 to 2.9 VV N310, seated 1.175, Federal primer with a 150 grain 38 super bullet sized .357 and .358 moly coated. The 2.9 load average 850 fps, pf 127 and the 2.8 load 825 fps, pf 123. Perfect loads for ICORE or USPSA minor. Do not go above 2.9 grains as I started to get sticky extractions and the 2.9 does not show any signs of high pressure.

http://www.betterbullets.com/products.htm

This is where I get my bullets and I do my own moly coat as Roger can send them lubed or non-lubed. This is all done on my Dillon 650.

Edited January 22, 2008 by revoman

[bobbo5]

I just started playing with 8 short colts in my 686 and a friends 627 8 shot. we started with a 38 357 dillon die set. we had to substitute a 9mm powder funnel to get a flare on the case mouth and a 9mm crimp die as the 38/357 sould not reach the case mouth for the crimp.

Try 9mm load data and be sure to start light. My loads are 2.7 gr. clays with a 160 gr. lead round nose .357 to get about 850 fps. 3.7 gr. clays 125 gr. .356 lead round nose to get about 975 fps.