Found While Loading .38 Special

chris downs · April 20, 2021, 03:39 PM

Loading .38 special I find this cartridge. I found it when I was crimping and felt nothing on the upstroke. The short case is a .38 Long Colt.

pwc · April 20, 2021, 04:09 PM

What is that rupture on the right side of the 38?[

**44 AMP** · April 20, 2021, 04:30 PM

So, clearly you didn't do a proper job of inspecting your brass before loading.

chris downs · April 20, 2021, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwc

What is that rupture on the right side of the 38?[

I had a crushed .38 special cartridge that was not yet deconstructed and I used it only here for the photo of its length.

chris downs · April 20, 2021, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

So, clearly you didn't do a proper job of inspecting your brass before loading.

Obviously. I bought 1000 used cases and ran them thru a case gauge after resizing (caught a couple of 357 mag cases that way). But I had never even seen a .38 long colt!

**44 AMP** · April 20, 2021, 10:48 PM

What kind of gauge?

Might just be my personal OCD but when I buy a bunch of bulk brass, I look at each and every one, before loading, (usually when filling the ammo boxes) looking for are they all the same headstamp? and any other differences.

Have found the occasional .44Mag case mixed in with .45 Colt brass.

A lot of the "once fired" brass is range pick up, (often just swept up) and often loaded into bags by weight, not precise hand count. The better guys will fill the bag by scale weight, and then toss in two or three more cases, just to be sure.

chris downs · April 21, 2021, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

What kind of gauge?

Hornady case gauge. The .38 long colt drops in perfect into the gauge.

Crunchy Frog · April 21, 2021, 09:58 AM

The .38 Colt (later known as .38 Short Colt after a longer version was developed) is, in a way, the parent cartridge of the .38 Special. It was developed for use in early cartridge conversions of .36 caliber percussion revolvers and was topped with a heeled outside lubricated bullet. Think of a scaled up .22 Short and you have the idea.

.38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt cartridges can be fired in .38 Special revolvers. Some cowboy action shooters who load “Frontier Cartridge” (ammo charged with black powder or a black powder sub) like the shorter case which makes for a more manageable pistol load when filled to capacity.

**44 AMP** · April 21, 2021, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Hornady case gauge. The .38 long colt drops in perfect into the gauge.

I don't use that gauge, I am not really familiar with it. Is it for .38 Special? If the .38 long Colt drops in perfectly, what does a .357 case do??

Is it, possibly only checking the rim (for proper headspace) and not the case length?? OR, Might it show a too long case, but not a too short one, since revolvers generally don't care much about cases that are short but do care about ones that are too long?

chris downs · April 21, 2021, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

I don't use that gauge, I am not really familiar with it. Is it for .38 Special? If the .38 long Colt drops in perfectly, what does a .357 case do??

Is it, possibly only checking the rim (for proper headspace) and not the case length?? OR, Might it show a too long case, but not a too short one, since revolvers generally don't care much about cases that are short but do care about ones that are too long?

Too long a case and the top of the case head sticks out the top when the case mouth engages the bottom of the case. It cannot find a short case that has the same case diameter and same rim geometry.

higgite · April 21, 2021, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Obviously. I bought 1000 used cases and ran them thru a case gauge after resizing (caught a couple of 357 mag cases that way). But I had never even seen a .38 long colt!

Am I the only one who checks headstamps for brand and caliber when I buy once-fired brass?

ballardw · April 21, 2021, 08:02 PM

Caliber is just a second check while sorting by brand for me.

**44 AMP** · April 22, 2021, 04:32 PM

Quote:

It cannot find a short case that has the same case diameter and same rim geometry.

I suspected as much. I use my calipers instead of dedicated case gauges, for that very reason. Also, I already have them, and they do every caliber eqully well.

I just set the caliper jaws for the length I'm looking for (max length or trim to length, etc) and then pass the brass through the jaws. Too long is obvious, and so is too short. Just right barely fits, too long won't fit at all and too short slips through with excessive "slop".

Quote:

Am I the only one who checks headstamps for brand and caliber when I buy once-fired brass?

No, you're not the only one....

April 20, 2021, 03:39 PM	#1
chris downs Member Join Date: January 6, 2005 Location: MO Posts: 91	Found While Loading .38 Special Loading .38 special I find this cartridge. I found it when I was crimping and felt nothing on the upstroke. The short case is a .38 Long Colt.

April 20, 2021, 04:30 PM	#3
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,821	So, clearly you didn't do a proper job of inspecting your brass before loading. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

April 20, 2021, 10:48 PM	#6
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,821	What kind of gauge? Might just be my personal OCD but when I buy a bunch of bulk brass, I look at each and every one, before loading, (usually when filling the ammo boxes) looking for are they all the same headstamp? and any other differences. Have found the occasional .44Mag case mixed in with .45 Colt brass. A lot of the "once fired" brass is range pick up, (often just swept up) and often loaded into bags by weight, not precise hand count. The better guys will fill the bag by scale weight, and then toss in two or three more cases, just to be sure. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

April 21, 2021, 08:02 PM	#12
ballardw Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 1,411	Caliber is just a second check while sorting by brand for me. __________________ -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ All data is flawed, some just less so.

April 20, 2021, 04:09 PM	#2
pwc Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2018 Location: AZ Posts: 236	What is that rupture on the right side of the 38?[

April 21, 2021, 09:58 AM	#8
Crunchy Frog Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2008 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 591	The .38 Colt (later known as .38 Short Colt after a longer version was developed) is, in a way, the parent cartridge of the .38 Special. It was developed for use in early cartridge conversions of .36 caliber percussion revolvers and was topped with a heeled outside lubricated bullet. Think of a scaled up .22 Short and you have the idea. .38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt cartridges can be fired in .38 Special revolvers. Some cowboy action shooters who load “Frontier Cartridge” (ammo charged with black powder or a black powder sub) like the shorter case which makes for a more manageable pistol load when filled to capacity.