Fullauto_Shooter Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I've been shooting bullets that are .356 diameter in my .38 Super Open gun. Recently, I've seen several folks posting that they're using 9mm bullets (.355) in their .38 Super guns. I'm just curious - which diameter bullet do you use in your open gun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I've been shooting bullets that are .356 diameter in my .38 Super Open gun. Recently, I've seen several folks posting that they're using 9mm bullets (.355) in their .38 Super guns. I'm just curious - which diameter bullet do you use in your open gun? Shoot .355 until the accuracy slips and then go to .356. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 (edited) We shoot .355 because thats what is available .356 would be better SAMI spec on barrels is .355 minus zero...but will allow several thou over you can see a .355 may not work so well in some barrels. I would shoot .356 if I could find them Jim Edited November 14, 2008 by GentlemanJim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I build with .355" barrels and haven't had a single gun yet that wouldn't do under an inch at 25 yards, most will do that same inch to an inch and a half at 50 yards with good ammo. I say shoot .355" bullets unless you have a reason to change. Shooting an Open gun hot and heavy will burn the throat out in 10K rounds or less, MUCH less if you get them really hot, in that case a switch to .356" bullets might save the ruined barrel for a short while. A barrel can be wrecked in as little as 1000 rounds if you get silly, or if you are mindful it can last 50K rounds or more. The shooter is the key here, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I build with .355" barrels and haven't had a single gun yet that wouldn't do under an inch at 25 yards, most will do that same inch to an inch and a half at 50 yards with good ammo. I say shoot .355" bullets unless you have a reason to change. Shooting an Open gun hot and heavy will burn the throat out in 10K rounds or less, MUCH less if you get them really hot, in that case a switch to .356" bullets might save the ruined barrel for a short while. A barrel can be wrecked in as little as 1000 rounds if you get silly, or if you are mindful it can last 50K rounds or more. The shooter is the key here, I put 100K on mine in that last year H. It would still shoot 1@25 easy. The slide decided it had seen enough and cracked in front of the ejection port. STI said to send it back and they would replace it. I'm going to go ahead and replace the whole top end when they ship it back. It'll be nice to have a backup open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Holy shite!!! I haven't done 100K rounds since I started this game!! That is a LOT on one barrel, especially an Open barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 (edited) Holy shite!!! I haven't done 100K rounds since I started this game!! That is a LOT on one barrel, especially an Open barrel. Might have something to do with why both elbows and wrist feel like crap eh? Another 50K to Master. Acutally, It was the last 18 months. Edited November 14, 2008 by JThompson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Geez 12 months, 18 months, that is still a lot of bb's downrange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Geez12 months, 18 months, that is still a lot of bb's downrange Ya, it's something just under 200 rounds a day every day, for 18 months. Basically it's like Micah's dryfire stuff in live fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I would love to be able to shoot that much, but not likely, as much of the time I am in anti-gun regions, like NOW. Not many shooting ranges in London Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIIID Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I use .357 Nosler's. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Geez12 months, 18 months, that is still a lot of bb's downrange Ya, it's something just under 200 rounds a day every day, for 18 months. Basically it's like Micah's dryfire stuff in live fire. That is quite impressive. I'd love to shoot that many rounds without needing a loan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian guy Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Some of that may depend on what kind of barrel you have in your gun. One of my guns has a clark 38 super barrel in it. My gunsmith told me I ought to use .356 bullets in it. So I follow his advice. The other had a schuemann (sp?) barrel in it. He said .355 for it since it was actualy a 9mm barrel. The bullets in question were the montana gold 125 .356 fmj bullet and the montana gold 124 gr fmj .355 bullet. I haven't slugged either of them to check, but I do know the following for the same load substituting one bullet for the other yields the following results : In the clark the .355 bullets give lower velocity than the .356 do. The .356s gave higher pressure signs in the schuemann (primers start to show crater where they didn't before). What works better may depend on brand specs, and or which end of the tolerance the barrel you actually got is. Peter Adams FY 39604 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I had an interesting discussion with Wil Schuemann that I will share. He came to shoot with us and was shooting .357 projectiles through his .355 38 Super barrel. I told him that, obviously, barrel wear was not a concern of his. He laughed and said that the barrel would last a lot longer with .357's than with .355's. His reasoning is that the average barrel is destroyed by hot gasses blowing past a loose fitting projectile and that the wear from jacket friction was far less than the erosion cause by the gasses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxshooter Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I have had the same discussion with Wil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radical Precision Designs Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I do prefer the .356 whenever available, especially in a .355 bore. I believe along with Wil Schuemann and others that my barrel will last longer specifically with hotter loads. Gas erosion of the throat is mostly a by-product of some powders, and it is minimal at most when properly exercised. If you do marathon testing/practice and abuse your guns ... you will pay the price. I also have a 9mm major barrel (Nowlin) that has way over 100,000 rounds through it and the slide also cracked (like JThompson) on the port side horizontally. I installed a new slide and have put at least another 50,000 through it. I have examined the throat with a scope and there are no real signs of erosion. The accuracy has not dropped. All I keep an eye on is the locking lugs. If I could I would also use the .357 bullets, but I don't like the choice available. Once the bullet is slamed into the rifling and made to accomodate to the bore and rifling, the sooner you get it to complete (if possible) seal its path, the better for gas utilization. The bullet may have started as a .357 but by the time it xits the muzzle it will be sized at whatever the bore diameter is. If you were to use the same bullet diameter as the bore it would take a little bit longer to completely seal and allow more blow by gases. The nature of lead being maleable will indeed allow a bullet to expand past its initial diameter (if needed) to fill the bore diameter (within limits) and function. But it is better to seal that bore asap to get the best results possible. Higher pressures ??? Not really, and negligible at most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 I've used all the sizes (.355, .356, .357) with no noticeable difference in accuracy one to the other. 80K+ on one barrel and 60K+ on the other. I think its mostly academic for barrel life since the cost of a new barrel is nothing compared to the cost of 50,000 rounds. You've spent 4x the barrel price just in primers by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M ammo Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 I cast a 122SWC sized in .356 just so you know. Jim M ammo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 I've used all the sizes (.355, .356, .357) with no noticeable difference in accuracy one to the other. 80K+ on one barrel and 60K+ on the other. I think its mostly academic for barrel life since the cost of a new barrel is nothing compared to the cost of 50,000 rounds. You've spent 4x the barrel price just in primers by then. Bingo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 .355's for a LONG time and like JT, will go to .356's when the groups go south. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XD Niner Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 I shot 0.356 125 grain Zero JHPs for a while until the supply became too inconsistent for me to rely upon. I measured many of those and the vast majority came in at 0.3555. I then switched to 124 grain Montana Gold JHPs which are advertised as 0.355. When I measured those I found most were, if you can believe it, 0.3555. I've found the same thing that Shred did. There is no observable difference in accuracy. YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH45 Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 I'm even running the same Zero, 125 grain, jhp, .356 through my Glocks. It improved the accuracy, and I only have to stock one bullet--when I can find them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecichlid Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I can't vote on this one. The bullets I shoot split the difference. I used to run Berry's that would mic at 0.356 but now I am shooting Montana Golds that mic out at 0.3555. My gun shoots better with these rounds. Joe W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansy Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 (edited) Montana Gold .3555" or Hornady HAP .3555" both give me excellent results.. Voted for .355" since they are advertised as such... Edited November 17, 2008 by dansy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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