Anyone load for the .38 Long Colt?

freakshow10mm · 08-22-2010, 07:43

Or know where to find factory ammo? Got a local guy looking for it. I'd rather buy factory and sell it to him than spend money and load a couple hundred rounds and be done with it. I saw Starline draws brass for it. Who makes dies? Graf's has brass but no loaded ammo.

unclebob · 08-22-2010, 07:48

Lee makes dies for it. Would be the cheap way too go for dies.

WiskyT · 08-22-2010, 07:58

I think a 550 with a casefeeder would be enough for that round...

freakshow10mm · 08-22-2010, 08:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclebob

Lee makes dies for it. Would be the cheap way too go for dies.

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiskyT

I think a 550 with a casefeeder would be enough for that round...

Because that response is entirely relevant to loading 100-200 rounds in a one time deal.

WiskyT · 08-22-2010, 08:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by freakshow10mm

Because that response is entirely relevant to loading 100-200 rounds in a one time deal.

Right, that would be what we call a "joke".

ustate · 08-22-2010, 08:33

Ultramax sells it under their 'Cowboy' line. Don't know if they have it in stock or not though.

http://www.ultramaxammunition.com/cowboy.php

unclebob · 08-22-2010, 09:43

I think you can trim 38 Spl. Brass down too 38 long colt. None of my books has anything with .38 long Colt in it. Not even my old Lyman book has it.

freakshow10mm · 08-22-2010, 10:19

I saw Ultramax and BHA load for the 38 LC so I'll just go with them instead of giving myself a headache. Thanks for the help guys!

JerryO · 08-24-2010, 00:45

.38 long colt.

I bought a colt .38 in the 50's. (made in 1901)

It has straight thru chambers, well only a slight taper anyway.

And the barrel has a .357 bore with .364 grooves.

Early models had something like .380 chambers and .380 grooves in the barrel. The bullets were heeled, like a .22 long rifle. The final design was the .38 special with about a .380 case and a .357 bullet. Mine was an in between design, why I don't know. Nor do I know what should be shot in it.

I use to shoot .38 specials with lead bullets, but got a lot of flyers. Perhaps 148 grain hollow base wad cutters would expand enough to fill the grooves and with .357 brass could come close to the end of the cylinder.

I have seen .38 long colt ammo, but without a description of what chambers or barrel groove diameters are expected.

So it seems to me, the first thing to do, is to find out what chambers and throats are in the cylinder, then what bore and grove diameter are in the barrel.

JerryO