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swampyankee · March 15, 2012, 02:50:19 PM

Salutations from Maine. My first post is a question. I just began reloading for the 36 cal Navy I converted. I bought some .38 LC with smokeless loads. After I fired the smokeless loads I reloaded the cases with BP. Every reloaded case split upon firing. I tried to lessen the crimp, again splits. I'm using approx. 17 Grains of BP (Pyrodex actually) and reloading with Lee's bench die-38-S-LC.

Are the cases used for the smokeless powder of a lesser thickness than for the BP rounds? Should I back off on the crimp some more? Or are cracked cases the norm for the second time around? OR, I'm I missing something altogether different from the above mentioned.
TIA, Jim

Tuolumne Lawman · March 15, 2012, 10:04:16 PM

It sounds like your chambers are oversized. Is your bore still about .375"? You will need to use eaither heeled bullets the diameter of the bore, or hollow base lead that will expand from .357 to .375"

swampyankee · March 16, 2012, 11:04:45 AM

Yes, I haven't had the bore relined (still .375). And yes I use both heeled and hollow based wad cutters. Now that I think of it, it's probrably because I DO use these projectiles that my cases are cracking. No that can't be it, rethinking that logic tells me it aint logical. The Kirst chambers are .357 and so the round won't expand until it's in the barrel, the chamber walls preventing the round from expanding. Maybe I should mic the chambers.

Sir Charles deMouton-Black · March 16, 2012, 03:33:14 PM

Quote from: swampyankee on March 16, 2012, 11:04:45 AM
Yes, I haven't had the bore relined (still .375). And yes I use both heeled and hollow based wad cutters. Now that I think of it, it's probrably because I DO use these projectiles that my cases are cracking. No that can't be it, rethinking that logic tells me it aint logical. The Kirst chambers are .357 and so the round won't expand until it's in the barrel, the chamber walls preventing the round from expanding. Maybe I should mic the chambers.

I think that if your chamber mouthes are .357, you are stuck with using HBWC. Heeled bullets would be .375 dia.

swampyankee · March 16, 2012, 08:21:40 PM

No the heeled bullets I have are heeled down to .357.

Sir Charles deMouton-Black · March 17, 2012, 01:23:39 AM

Swampyankee; .357 would be the part of the bullet IN the case. If the part in FRONT of the case is .375, and too big for the cylinder throats, that could pose a little problem!

swampyankee · March 17, 2012, 04:04:42 PM

I don't believe that's the reason for my split cases.The cases split whether its the heeled or the HB wadcutters (straight .357) . They both split equally, and actually I've fired more of the HB wad cutters than the heeled.

Delmonico · March 17, 2012, 05:26:11 PM

Myself I'd make a casting of the chambers with some Cerrosafe and check the dimensions.

Sir Charles deMouton-Black · March 17, 2012, 05:32:10 PM

Are the cylinder chambers long enough for regular dime-a-dozen .38 Special cases for your reloads? I don't find I need to use a hard crimp. Just enough to visibly tuck into the crimp groove.

cpt dan blodgett · March 24, 2012, 01:05:25 PM

Short of Cerro Safe casts would shoving an oversized soft lead round ball in to the back side of the cylinder and back out again work? Kind like slugging the bore. If forced all the way thru would give cylinder throat dimension

Sir Charles deMouton-Black · March 24, 2012, 01:49:53 PM

Quote from: cpt dan blodgett on March 24, 2012, 01:05:25 PM
Short of Cerro Safe casts would shoving an oversized soft lead round ball in to the back side of the cylinder and back out again work? Kind like slugging the bore. If forced all the way thru would give cylinder throat dimension

That's the ticket

Delmonico · March 24, 2012, 04:40:50 PM

True, but a pound of Cerrosafe is not that expensive and should be an item every serious gun crank keeps in stock, it's reusable of course.

pony express · March 24, 2012, 08:20:21 PM

If your barrel is not relined, then the proper cylinder would be bored straight through, .375 all the way. If the front of the cylinder is .357, you.ve got the wrong cylinder, that's the one for relined barrell guns. Either way, you should not be getting slit cases with the second reload, I've got .38s that have been reloaded dozens of times before they split.

Who nade your cylinder? You might try posting on the Open tops forum farther down the page, Raven posts there frequently, he's the expert on the conversions.( works with Kirst, making them).

Another thought....Lately Raven and Hoof Hearted have been making some that are chambered for .41 Long Colt case, using a .375 bullet seated INSIDE the case, no need for heel base or hollow base. If you got one of these, then naturally, your .38 cases will split in the oversize chamber. Chamber for that would be about .410 diameter, you could just use a caliper to measure the rear of the chambers to find out if that's what you have.

swampyankee · March 27, 2012, 03:30:41 PM

Actually I used the Kirst and the chamber is cut for .357. Raven will reline the bore to the same size, but I'd rather use HBWC or heeled bullets (it makes the work all my own). I've done something right somewhere along the line because the last time out (recently) not all my reloads split.
I've tried another method to reload the bullets and hopefully it'll pay of even more. I'll see after this freezer zone passes.