Looking for some advice from the experts. I have a 1901 Colt New Army chambered in .38LC that I would like to occasionally shoot. I have read sporadic information regarding powder, bullet and case selection. I currently reload .38spl, and am cautiously wondering if I can load a very mild round for my New Army using 158gr SWC and .38spl brass (that I could trim if need be). I realize this will probably give poor accuracy, but for occasional shooting it would be much easier than gearing up for everything that reloading a true .38LC round would entail. Has anyone actually done this before?
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.38 Long Colt
- Thread starter Marcus99
- Start date
gerrycaruso
NES Member
I've never loaded .38 long colt but I've loaded a couple of other obscure calibers. Starline makes .38 long colt brass which they say is shortened .38 spl. For powder, I'd try trailboss. When I called the company they said for old blackpowder calibers, start with 50% and work up to a max. of 75%. You could also fill the case with blackpowder.
Knob Creek
NES Member
Check and see if .38 Special cases will chamber. If so, load .38 special case with wadcutters. That will keep your OAL down. Use Clays, 231 or possibly Trail boss if you can find a load.
It seems like the 148gr HBWC are very popular for reloading .38LC because they will expand enough to fill the .38 bore as did the original heeled bullet. So I will need to order some of those. I've never reloaded wadcutters though; can I use the same bullet seater in my .38spl/.357mag die?
I see Bullseye mentioned a lot. I have W231 but wouldn't that be too fast for these old guns? I need to check again but I don't believe my manuals have any data for .38LC anyhow.
I see Bullseye mentioned a lot. I have W231 but wouldn't that be too fast for these old guns? I need to check again but I don't believe my manuals have any data for .38LC anyhow.
I actually saw some 38 LC at State Line Gun Shop in NH kast summer. You mnight want to give them a call to see if they still nave any.
Also too, avoid going to the Philippines with that particular gun and cartridge![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
Also too, avoid going to the Philippines with that particular gun and cartridge
The Goose
NES Member
I found this on the Colt Forum. Thought it might help. I did not write this nor do I have any experience so take it with a grain of salt. However, I do load a lot of old calibers. Right now I am working on .455 Webley and .476 Enfield with a hollow base bullet. It seems that folks are always trying to figure out safe smokeless loads for these old calibers. The safest thing is to just load them with blackpowder. No concern about charge weights or type of powder, just load as much as the case will hold with a slight compression. Just my .02.
"Right now I am using 2.8 grains bullseye behind a 148 grain Hollow base wadcutter in a 38 special case( this is the classic 38 special mid-range match load). Works good enough and no need to use 38 LC brass. If I use a 38 Long case, I seat the wadcutter bullet out of the case to the same length as when flush loaded in the 38 special case. Using a 38 Long case is kind of a pain when it comes to crimping as I use a 9mm luger seat/crimp die to do that. A older hercules manual listed 2.8 grains bullseye behind a 150 grain bullet for the 38 LC. Since my 1901 has no chamber step, the hollow base wadcutter appears to give better accuracy than a .358 diameter plain base bullet."
"Right now I am using 2.8 grains bullseye behind a 148 grain Hollow base wadcutter in a 38 special case( this is the classic 38 special mid-range match load). Works good enough and no need to use 38 LC brass. If I use a 38 Long case, I seat the wadcutter bullet out of the case to the same length as when flush loaded in the 38 special case. Using a 38 Long case is kind of a pain when it comes to crimping as I use a 9mm luger seat/crimp die to do that. A older hercules manual listed 2.8 grains bullseye behind a 150 grain bullet for the 38 LC. Since my 1901 has no chamber step, the hollow base wadcutter appears to give better accuracy than a .358 diameter plain base bullet."
allen-1
NES Member
Reviving this thread, because it's the only one I can find with any mention of .38 Long Colt.
I shot Walls yesterday with .38 SPCLs in a GP100. I was reloading using moon clips weak handed off a belt for the first time, and Dave N, (the RO running me), went through my split times with me. I'm losing about 5 seconds on each reload, (I can reload strong handed in about 4). Part of that is simply practicing; I've been strong hand reloading since 2012 and just tried this the other day for the first time.
The other part, (and why I'm posting in reloading), is that Dave said that I was losing a lot of time because I'm using .38SPCL rounds. He suggested that I look at .38 Long Colt for that kind of competition. I'd never heard of the round. He said that the case lengths are shorter which will make them drop in (and out) easier, and that I can load them with 9mm rounds which typically have a better profile for feeding, (pointier).
Looking around this morning for any information about this case/round. Looking for brass sources, loading data, even things as basic as do I need another set of dies or can I set up some combination of the .38spcl and 9mm dies that I have?
Thoughts, links, any help would be appreciated.
I shot Walls yesterday with .38 SPCLs in a GP100. I was reloading using moon clips weak handed off a belt for the first time, and Dave N, (the RO running me), went through my split times with me. I'm losing about 5 seconds on each reload, (I can reload strong handed in about 4). Part of that is simply practicing; I've been strong hand reloading since 2012 and just tried this the other day for the first time.
The other part, (and why I'm posting in reloading), is that Dave said that I was losing a lot of time because I'm using .38SPCL rounds. He suggested that I look at .38 Long Colt for that kind of competition. I'd never heard of the round. He said that the case lengths are shorter which will make them drop in (and out) easier, and that I can load them with 9mm rounds which typically have a better profile for feeding, (pointier).
Looking around this morning for any information about this case/round. Looking for brass sources, loading data, even things as basic as do I need another set of dies or can I set up some combination of the .38spcl and 9mm dies that I have?
Thoughts, links, any help would be appreciated.
I feel your pain, shot it in october with an 8 shot. Had about the same reload times.
The longer cases do make it difficult.
Its not uncommon for the 929 shooters to use .38 shorts.
For a .357- I’ve been playing around with the idea of trimming down , starting at .38 long (s&w?).
The issue that keeps running through my head is-
walls requires a certain p.f. To knock the poppers over.
In something chambered for .357, how far can one trim down before freebore negates any p.f. and renders it ineffective.
The longer cases do make it difficult.
Its not uncommon for the 929 shooters to use .38 shorts.
For a .357- I’ve been playing around with the idea of trimming down , starting at .38 long (s&w?).
The issue that keeps running through my head is-
walls requires a certain p.f. To knock the poppers over.
In something chambered for .357, how far can one trim down before freebore negates any p.f. and renders it ineffective.
F.w.i.w- i think the 929 guys are shooting 165’s out of em
Reloading dies for 38 Short Colt
Who makes the better carbide reloading dies for the .38 Short Colt? Are you finding it better to apply a taper crimp or roll crimp?
forums.brianenos.com
The Other .38’s: Short, Long and Everything in Between :: Guns.com
While it usually means that the gun they’re speaking of is a .38 Special, occasionally it is one of the other .38 revolvers out there.
www.guns.com
allen-1
NES Member
with regards to PF. I shot walls in morning, open-auto, my G34 with my standard load - 124 grn XTreme over 4.0 of titegroup. Poppers all fell no problem. That load makes power factor for IDPA/USPSA consistently in all of my 9's, (minor). It's also knocked down any steel I've shot (and hit).
So, I'm thinking I'd want to work up the same sort of load.
Trying to get a handle on Long Colt, maybe even Short Colt. Never heard of them before yesterday.
Appreciate the links, reading them. But right now I'm headed to the beach with a book.
The dies might not be an issue until it comes time to roll crimp it.
Redding or rcbs may make a long colt / s.w set?
good luck, post results. It’ll determine which route i go.
Redding or rcbs may make a long colt / s.w set?
good luck, post results. It’ll determine which route i go.
gerrycaruso
NES Member
Trashcan Dan, the .38 S&W uses a larger diameter bullet than all the other .38s. I think it's .361 but I'm not sure. I don't know why you couldn't cut .38 special brass down to whatever you want. Have you checked Starline Brass for .38 Colt brass ?
Yea i think thats the way to go.
I think when someone says “I want to run .38 short/long/s&w” I automatically think of cutting the brass down to that length.
There were a few dies that you could load and would roll crimp the shorter stuff but i can’t remember who made them.
I think for the low-end cowboy stuff it gets seated and thats it. Or at least profile crimped, not rolled.
Side note-
I’ve noticed heavier (170-180 gr) with that egg shaped nose profile speed load a lot easier.
I’ve noticed heavier (170-180 gr) with that egg shaped nose profile speed load a lot easier.
You can, I did, I don't think I'd do it again. I've got a few thousands pieces of Federal & Remington 38 special cut down to 38 super length (0.900"). I refer to it as mid-colt. It's a LOT of work. You do get all your brass back so that's a plus. The main reason I did it was because Federal & Remington fit the "cheap" revolver supply 0.25" fit tightly. Starline didn't fit well. If it did fit well, I would have just bought Starline short or long colt. The $6-7 each wire EDM'd clips fit starline nicely. Instead I've got 100 revolver supply clips that I paid ~$2 each for.
I use a 38/357 sizing die, 38/357 powder funnel, 38/357 seater die, and a 9mm taper crimp die.
If I was starting fresh I'd get a 929. I've already got two 627's, 100+ clips, and bunch of cut down brass.
allen-1
NES Member
Found this thread via DuckDuckGo; "Short Colt"; hmmmm
www.northeastshooters.com
.38 Short Colts for Competition Revolver... Anyone?
I would like to try out USPSA shooting. I recently purchased a S&W 686 SSR. A guy at my club competes. He told me he loads .38 Short Colts with a 200 Grain Bullet using 2 grains of Bullseye. Sounds pretty odd and I cannot find a lot about it online except for the British doing something...
www.northeastshooters.com
walter62
NES Member
Yes.
0.754 - 0.761 O.A.L.
Status: Backordered
Ship date: To Be Determined
Basically a shortened 38 Special. NOT a substitute for 38 S&W. Can be fired in most guns chambered for .38 Special or .357 Magnum.
500 for $106.00
$0.21/each
1000 for $179.50
$0.18/each
#3900 - 38 Short Colt Brass (Small Pistol primer)
0.754 - 0.761 O.A.L.
Status: Backordered
Ship date: To Be Determined
Basically a shortened 38 Special. NOT a substitute for 38 S&W. Can be fired in most guns chambered for .38 Special or .357 Magnum.
500 for $106.00
$0.21/each
1000 for $179.50
$0.18/each
