I just can't help being retro!

[Charles Graff]

Back about 1962 when I got deep into the 45 ACP round in the 1911 pistol, I bought a new Lyman Tru-Line Jr. press and dies. Many, many thousand rounds were loaded before the holes in the links got oval. Somewhere along that time until today it was sold down river.

A fellow on CB came by a similar press, set up for 38 Special complete with another Lyman 55 powder measure, he didn't know what it was or how to use it. I made him an offer at a price that would be good for me, yet not take him to a skinning. I do have a conscious don't you know.

It got here today and the clean up is done. Now to figure a place to mount it in my crowded shop.

I do so love doing things the old ways. I guess that comes with being a geezer.

 

[smokeywolf]

Crowded shop? Charles, I can still see floor.

 

[Cherokee]

looks nice. I got rid of my old Tru-Line a few yeas ago because I had not used it in years, but I kept the 55 measure.

 

[KHornet]

There is just sort of something cool about the old true line Jr.

 

[Charles Graff]

Cranked out my first batch of 38 Special ammo on the old Tru-Line Jr. this morning. Lyman 358311 sized .358 over 3 grains of Bullseye in Lake City 78
USGI brass. Everything works fine.

 

[Cherokee]

Good old equipment still does the job, then there's those new fangled alum things...

 

[KHornet]

Great pics! Brings back good old memories!

 

[Charles Graff]

Not being willing to leave good enough alone, I thought I would make a new handle for the Tru-Line Jr. The original was a mite flimsy for my taste and longer would give more leverage. While I was at it, I turned a little groove for the pesky set screw to hang out in. Having some steel stock and a lathe I went at it. I need to polish it up a bit and will get to that sooner or later, or maybe not.

 

[Ben]

Charles,

Does you 78' US GI brass have a taper inside the case that creates a bulge on the outside of the case with your cast bullet that you're using ?

Ben

 

[RicinYakima]

Having used tools from 1884 and newer, MOST of the accuracy is using the tool wisely. The only thing modern tools (post 1970) give you is speed.

 

[Charles Graff]

Ben, the brass is thicker, but no bulging.

 

[Ben]

Charles,

I have a thousand empty mil. 38 Specials with crimped in primers ( a pain..........), I have had good luck in past years loading lighter cast bullets like the 105 gr. Lee - 125 gr. Lee in that brass.

I believe ( but might be wrong ) that the military used a 130 gr. full metal case bullet in that round and the taper in the case is perfect for that particular bullet, hence my choice of cast bullets that have similar or slightly lighter weights ?

Using the lighter weight ( and shorter bullet ) keeps the bullet seating shallow in the case and minimizes the " bulge ".

That mil brass will last 15 forevers.

Ben

 

[Charles Graff]

Ben...During WW2 the USGI load was 158 FMJ at about 850 fox. The pressure needed to do this was shooting the old M&Ps loose. If the velocity was dropped bullets started to stick in the barrels. In 1956 the bullet weight was dropped to130 grains and the velocity dropped to under 800 fps.this reduced the pressure and no more stuck bullets.

I will get out the tools tomorrow and find out for sure, but I don't believe the USGI 38 Special cases have an internal taper for the 130 grain bullet. I have fired tens of thousands of GI cases with 150-165 grain bullets without bulging. The round just plunk in the charge holes.

Have you actually had bulged GI cases loaded with nominal weight bullets? Some lots of ammo (WCC if I remember correctly) had crimped primers but most cases did not.

I will report back tomorrow on the internal taper on GI brass vs commercial brass. I am curious now.

Ok..here is the report. Using a Starrett adjustable hole gage, I find a fired LC 78 case and a fired Fedral commercial have about the same depth before the internal taper begins. The wall thickness on the GI brass is .002 inch thicker than the Federal. So thes LC cases are not tapered for 130 grain bullets. I can check WCC and R-P GI brass, bit I am pretty sure the results will be the same.

 

[Pistolero]

I went through my stash of .38 Spl cases, mostly left from a course where I was an
assistant instructor to a well known national instructor, one day revolvers and second
day semiautos, specifically for women students. I don't know exactly what the
loads originally were, but I knew that they were once fired. Of course some of
them have been through my reloading several times now. I split the .38 Spls
cases with another assistant instructor.

Recently, thinking of loading WCs, I used my pin gauges and found that one particular
group of the cases were probably originally WC target. Two cannelures in the cases and
the thin section went just down to the second cannelure. I have put these aside for my
WC loads. The other brass was all similar among different brands, noticeably shorter
parallel walls section than the ones with the double cannelures.

 

[Charles Graff]

Wadcutter brass is real treasure, particularly for hollow base wadcutters. The extra long parallel sides give even tension on the longer WC bullet in the case and won't crush the hollow base if the bullets has one. I have quite a few plus a reserve stash. Here is my reserve stash, all boxes are filled with once fired brass.

 

[Pistolero]

WOW! I may have 100 or 200 cases . . . . . . pretty small stash compared to
yours.

 

[Bret4207]

Charles, that pic of the boxes takes me back to about 1965 when those boxes were new!

Know what you all mean about the old equipment. I like my old Lyman All American turret. Old school, but very effective.