Cut down .38 special cases for .38 colt

[Tubac]

Howdy, I'm new at this blackpowder thing, so please bear with me.
I cut down some .38 special brass to use in my .38 Colt lightnig.
The revolver loaded easily and functioned fine, but the empties were hard to remove rom the cylinder.
I was using 15gr of German 2F and a wad, too much powder?

Thanks,
Tubac

[Adirondack Jack]

The trouble with cut down cases is that straight walled pistol brass is taperd on the inside.  So, when ya cut em back, the case mouthes end up too thick  This is what I suspect is causing the problem.  When the bullet gets whacked in the behind by the charge, that too thick brass expands and doesn't bounce back enough to let go of the chamber.

I went through all sorts of issues with cut down cases in .45, which eventually led me to have proper short brass made.

[Noz]

??Would a 38S&W case work?? They are a lot shorter.

[Arcey]

That 'n maybe the chambers are too big for the cartridge ya came up with.  Allows the brass ta swell way up.

Used ta keep 38s cut to 9mm length in the cart in case I ran into full cylinder reload stages.  Never had a problem with 'em out of the Ubertis.  They came out real quick.....

[Hell-Er High Water]

38 S&W cases are larger in diameter than either the 38 Special or the 38 Long Colt cases and do not work in theses revolvers.

Starline sells both 38 Long Colt and 38 Short Colt, new manufactured cases.  You can buy direct from them or check eBay and you might find smaller quantities than Starline's minimum.

HHW

[Tubac]

Thanks for the info fellas.
I guess i shouldn't have tried to be so cheap.
The pistol is a rebuilt Colt lightning, circa 1884.
Starline it is.

Tubac

[Wills Point Pete]

 You can also buy those cases from Midway, among other places, in smaller quantities. Because I have a neck turning tool I have turned the necks down some for experimental small lots of cases, one can also ream them from the inside. A shortened case that has been turned down the length of the seated bullet looks a bit odd until it has been loaded and fired, then it is just fine for future loads.

[Noz]

Hell-Er High Water
That may be your experience but not mine. I don't like to do anything the easy way. My "carry gun" is a Charter Arms Pit Bull, 5 shotrevolver in 9mm Federal. That is a 9mm rimmed case that Charter Arms decided the world was ready for. NOT. They only produced the gun for 2 years and no ammunition has been made for it in many years.
I take the 38 S&W and using the 38 special shell holder, size it in 9mm dies. It will chamber unsized but will not hold a bullet. I then trim it to 9mm Luger length, load it will 9mm loads and a 356-357 bullet. 38 Special cases will work but they have to be cut down so far that it is not worth the effort.
Why go thru all of this? I got the gun real cheap and then it became a challenge to get it to fire. Charter Arms response to my loading methods was "Well, I guess that would work".
The original 38 S&W was a larger bullet but not the case anymore.

[Dick Dastardly]

There's always inside case reaming.  I've done it and it works.  Slow, but it works.

DD-DLoS

[Capt. Augustus]

I guess I didn't know there was a problem.  I use cut down .38 special cases for my .38 LC even in my R&D cylinder which is fussy for fit.  I guess ignorance is bliss.

[w44wcf]

Tubac,

Since you indicated that the cartridges chambered easily, I would suspect that something is not quite right with the chambers.
Do the cases look scrapped after removing them from the cylinder? If so, that would be an indication of chambers that need some polishing.
 
Note that Capt. Augustus is using cut down .38 Special cases for his .38 LC with no problems.

Good luck,
w44wcf