38 colt auto

[don3]

Will the old 38 S&W dies work for the 38 colt auto? I'm sure I saw that some where but not sure where.
Thanks, Don

 

[JWFilips]

My 38 S&W Lee dies say 38 auto on the sizer!
Box says 38 S&W 38 Police and 38 Auto
So I would say yes

 

[don3]

Thank you JW! I just tryed my old Lyman American 38S&W sizer and it worked, now on to the decap/expanding die.
Have you e ver loaded 38 ACP? I found some loads in a old reloading manual for a 125 gr. cast bullet so going to try some 124 9MM bullets.

 

[JWFilips]

No I do not load for 38 Auto
I'm thinking you may need a 38 Auto seater with taper crimp! While my lee die set for 38 SW's sizer says 38 Auto the expander and seater says 38 SW And the seater roll crimps! Atually I use these dies for 357 Mag and 38 Special ( using cast bullet because the do not size thecase as much as a norma 38 Spec / 357 Die does
For my wife's 38 SW I use 9 mm Makarove dies...... They size and expand the 38 SW closer to spec for cast bulletsI know I know it is so confusing but remember if you buy any commercial die for any caliber it willl resize for jacketed bullet not cast!
Actually all my expander plugs for cast bullets are custom made

 

[don3]

Thanks, from what I read the 38 ACP is semi rimed and head spaces on the rim. I'll do a few with these dies and see how things work out

 

[RicinYakima]

don3, that works just fine. Original barrels do headspace on the rim, just crimp the least possible to stop the bullet from being pushed back in the case. Ric

 

[fiver]

yep,, remember they are just holes in a chunk of steel.
38 special dies make pretty good 35 cal rifle neck size dies. you know depending on your case thickness and the diameter of the bullet you wanna use.
your 30 cal. neck size die might just size your 30-30 brass enough to hang onto that 311 bullet with .002 tension. [or .001-0015 if you use brand B brass]

 

[RBHarter]

Shhhh the know all's say you'll throw off the Earth's axis if you neck size 30-30 with a 308 die .......

 

[JWFilips]

If the "Reloading -over there" folks knew how I resize necks, expand necks and size bullets for my old mil rifles
They would cringe!

 

[fiver]

I dunno about it tilting the earth, but wondering why those jaxketed bullets keep on falling in your 308 cases is a lot easier to explain when you notice the expander ball in the bottom of the die case is 306.

 

[Joshua]

My 30-30 FL sizing die currently has an expander ball out of my 7.7 Japanese die set.

Most of my die sets are RCBS. It seems to me that one of the benefits of buying only green, or only blue, or only red, is that this type of parts compatibility is so simple.

 

[Rice Farmer]

Will the old 38 S&W dies work for the 38 colt auto? I'm sure I saw that some where but not sure where.
Thanks, Don

Do you need any 38 Auto (ACP) brass?

 

[don3]

Rich, I just ordered some from Graft but could use more. What are you asking for it? Do you need anything in trade?

Thanks, Don