51 RM, 38 long colt or special?

[will52100]

I'm thinking of adding a 51 RM conversion to the arsonal, and see them listed as eigther 38 long colt or 38 special.  Is there any differance other than chambering depth?  And would it realy mater to shoot 38 long colt in a (I think it's a 1/10" longer) 38 special chamber?

Thanks,

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

The chambers are reamed for .38 Special.  As the .38 long Colt is only a few thou' shorter it can be used, but with .357 diameter bullets.  Mostly I use .38 special brass 'cause its free. And because I need the length to fit my .38 Spl 1866 Yellow Boy.

[will52100]

I understand that, and the 38 long colt was inside lubed .357, where the 38 short colt was outside lubed and bore sized to something like .375?  If I remember rite.

It just kinda seamed funny that there would be seperate chamberings being as there's so little differance in the round lengths.

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[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I think that the only reason for the dual markings is to tip their hat to HISTORY, as about half of the original '51 conversions were .38 rimfire, and the other half - and ALL military conversions, were in .38 Long Colt.

I'm not sure but, if .38 LC wasn't an arsenal developement it was done at the request of the USN!

Originally .38 LC was designed for a heeled .375 bullet.   By the time the army adopted the .38 LC double action revolver the bullet was changed to a slight hollow-base weighing 150 grains. (Bores were still .375!)  Most early .38 Special bullets were adapted from these hollow-based versions by simply making the same design flat-based for a .358 bore.  The result is the traditional weight for a .38 Special bullet being 158 grains!

Isn't history FUN?!  Thats why we're here!  Afterall, a good 1911 or a glock would be totally gamey on a cowboy range - Oh! My apologies - that't IPSC!

[Coffinmaker]

History is a BLAST!!  Pun intended.  Sir Charles put it so well.  There is however a short answer.  NO.  There is no reason not to shoot .38 LC in a .38 Spl cylinder.  NOr any other "short" .38 case for that matter.  With certain smokless powders over the long haul you will get a little "ring around the chamber" of hard carbon at the case mouth point.  That ring can be a pain to remove but other than that, no problem.  there are no accuracy problems either.  The "jump" from case to throat in the camber is so short, the bullet won't emen know it had a jump.
Never mind.  There is no such thing as a short answer.  Well .... yes there is.  "NO." Shoot .38 LC cases.  There I did it.  Short answer.
But ...... anything you buy in a gun shop today, marked .38 whatever, all has .357 bullets in 'em.  Heel base .378 stuff is custom load only.  So, if it comes in a box marked .38, and it ain't +P, go ahead and shoot it.

Coffinmaker

[will52100]

Thanks, I've got several hundred rounds of 38LC brass, and will get the 38spl. chambering.  I was just wondering why they would chamber it for 38LC when there's only 1/10" differance?  I converted a 51 navy and cut down the percusion cylinder and used a 38 spl. chamber reamer for the chambers with no problem.  Then again they might be chambered for 38 spl and just marked 38LC as a marketing ploy.

[Dusty Morningwood]

I converted a 51 navy and cut down the percusion cylinder and used a 38 spl. chamber reamer for the chambers with no problem. 

Got pics of your conversion?  Did you do all of the work yourself.

[will52100]

No, didn't take any pics, it was actualy a 5 1/2" 61 navy pieta that they addvertise as the police model.  I since put a Kirst Konverter in it.  The cylinder handled blue pills just fine, I loaded the 38LC up to low .357 mag levels and clamped the gun to a bench and fired it with a string and me behind a berm.  The thing the cylinder didn't handle was the cut down ratchet teeth very well.  If I'd known more about what I was doing I'd have cut the teeth for a F hand instead of the original percussion single hand.  I did install an ejector, and recountoured the barrel a bit, but the accuracy is not up to my standards.  Maybe if I could line the bore that would help.