I had been querying about the best dies to resize .38 cases for cast bullet use. Modern carbide dies squeeze down the case until it is two narrow. This leaves three unfortunate results. The bullet sizes on seating, becoming narrower and leading upon firing. The brass is overworked shortening
case life, and of course, that hideous hour-glass looking finished reload. Didn't get that with older steel dies. I don't have those Pacific dies anymore...
So I bought a Lee FCD to resize. I compared it with the external case diameters I encountered with other tooling I already have. Here are my results:
Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 3rd Edition, 1980: .38 and .357 Magnum cases are listed at .379 external diameter along their entire length.
Cases after firing in my .357 Magnum Colt King Cobra: .380 at the head, .380 at the mouth.
RCBS Carbide sizer dies: Finished case external measurement: .376 at the head, .372 at the mouth.
Factory expander plug is .3555" below the bell. RCBS Cowboy expander plug measures .3565 below the bell.
Vintage (Green cardboard box with waxpaper packing) RCBS .38 Super steel resizing die, without decapping rod or expander button: Finished case measures .379 at the head, .376 at the mouth.
Lee Factory Crimp Die: .380 at the head, .378 at the mouth. After resizing cases with the Lee FCD, the .3585-diameter Saeco #382 bullets were not snug enough in the mouth to prevent falling back into the case.
I have completed case prep, resizing 100 Peters .38 wadcutter cases, and 100 mixed brass nickel .357 Magnum cases, with the vintage .38 Super dies and will load them tomorrow. A gentleman from the church and I are going out to the range tomorrow, against steel plates, and I'll see if they lead in my King Cobra or Officer's Model Target. I don't think a .002" squeeze will be too much for the bullets.
If we go to the range, I'll have a report on leading. I am not bench-resting these. Any comments or observations are welcome.
Bisley
case life, and of course, that hideous hour-glass looking finished reload. Didn't get that with older steel dies. I don't have those Pacific dies anymore...
So I bought a Lee FCD to resize. I compared it with the external case diameters I encountered with other tooling I already have. Here are my results:
Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 3rd Edition, 1980: .38 and .357 Magnum cases are listed at .379 external diameter along their entire length.
Cases after firing in my .357 Magnum Colt King Cobra: .380 at the head, .380 at the mouth.
RCBS Carbide sizer dies: Finished case external measurement: .376 at the head, .372 at the mouth.
Factory expander plug is .3555" below the bell. RCBS Cowboy expander plug measures .3565 below the bell.
Vintage (Green cardboard box with waxpaper packing) RCBS .38 Super steel resizing die, without decapping rod or expander button: Finished case measures .379 at the head, .376 at the mouth.
Lee Factory Crimp Die: .380 at the head, .378 at the mouth. After resizing cases with the Lee FCD, the .3585-diameter Saeco #382 bullets were not snug enough in the mouth to prevent falling back into the case.
I have completed case prep, resizing 100 Peters .38 wadcutter cases, and 100 mixed brass nickel .357 Magnum cases, with the vintage .38 Super dies and will load them tomorrow. A gentleman from the church and I are going out to the range tomorrow, against steel plates, and I'll see if they lead in my King Cobra or Officer's Model Target. I don't think a .002" squeeze will be too much for the bullets.
If we go to the range, I'll have a report on leading. I am not bench-resting these. Any comments or observations are welcome.
Bisley