Author Topic: .38 Special in a .357 Vaquero? (Read 1932 times)

ZVP · « **on:** June 10, 2010, 02:37:43 PM »

Seriously, who has actually had problems (ie: cutting corrosion damage) shooting the shorter .38 special in a Magnum Cylinder?
I have been using both in my new model Stainless Vaquero and do not want to damage it!
Dave

Scibaer · « **Reply #1 on:** June 10, 2010, 02:49:42 PM »

i have a new model vaquero in .357mag, nickle finish with a 4 5/8 in barrel ..
i shoot, .38 specials, very low power loads using 38 brass, 357 brass and i have even made some gallery loads with cut down 38 brass..
i shoot these quite a bit... i have zero cutting or damage in my cylinder throats or forcing cone area of my gun ..
you will need to clean the cylinder and barrel alot more, but for me, i have not had problems like you hear reported by some on this practice...

i also shoot full house .357 mag loads with this same gun, its still as accurate as ever ( more accurate then i am most times )

Dee · « **Reply #2 on:** June 10, 2010, 03:14:35 PM »

ZVP, I was a training officer for police depts, and Sheriff's offices for 20 years. I personally have fired thousands of 38 specials of every configuration, out of numerous 357 magnum revolvers, and have NEVER had a problem of any kind. Gun rag writers are alarmists. Their job is to sell the latest guns, and the latest ammo. They would prefer if you would buy two handguns chambered for each. It makes them seem useful to the magazine owners and gun and ammo manufacturers.

Steve P · « **Reply #3 on:** June 11, 2010, 07:20:42 AM »

Chances of harming a cylinder shooting 38s in a 357 is about nil.............
Chances of harming a cylinder shooting 38s AND 357s is a little higher than nil............but it is done......too often........

The concern is powder and bullet lube residue left in front of the 38 case mouth. You then put in a full house 357 load prior to doing any cleaning and you get a few .001" of powder and bullet lube between 357 brass/bullet and cylinder. 35k PSI 357 loads grind powder residue and lube into your brass. You then eject your dirty brass which lightly scratches your cylinder. Do this a lot and pretty soon you start seeing that nice ring from the scratches your brass is leaving.

Take a short handle and bore mop to clean your cylinder. You don't have enough pressure in your hand to grind any of that stuff into your cylinder. No scratches. No ring. No damage.

Steve

ZVP · « **Reply #4 on:** June 11, 2010, 10:05:06 AM »

Thanks for the replys guys!
I feel a lot better knowing that a simple cleaning will keep my beauty running for a long time.
ZVP

ZVP · « **Reply #5 on:** June 11, 2010, 10:10:18 AM »

Scibaer
I am intrested in your cut down squibs as I have a Cobra .38 Special Derringer that I would love to make some light loads for.
Please can you further describe these little .38's?
ZVP

kynardsj · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2010, 10:21:26 AM »

I recently bought a S&W 686 FTF from a local individual here in Alabama. Beautiful gun that locked up tight. Got it home and couldn't get a 357 to chamber in it. Close inspection showed me that 38's had been shot in it without cleaning the cylinder. A lot scrubbing and an hour later all was good. Just clean your cylinder after a shooting session and you'll be fine.

44 Man · « **Reply #7 on:** June 12, 2010, 04:27:36 AM »

This is one of those 'non-issue things that 'someone' thought could 'theorictically' be a problem, and it got sent around the world as gospel. Just keep her clean. No biggie. I've shot thousands of round of both in the same gun and never had a problem. PS, the gun is easier to clean right after the shooting session than it is a couple days later) 44 Man

kynardsj · « **Reply #8 on:** June 12, 2010, 04:53:48 AM »

44 Man is right. Clean your cylinder when you get home from shooting that same day. The goop in the cylinder of my 686 had been there for a while and was a bear to scrub out.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 12, 2010, 07:00:29 AM »

ZVP, look at any reloading manual for .38 S&W loads. They will have even lower pressures in the 38Spl. brass.

Scibaer · « **Reply #10 on:** June 13, 2010, 04:40:01 AM »

ZVP,
i used a 89 grain cast bullet , made for the .380 acp, in a .38 spl case with 1.7 grains of powder
after i knew it would work , i cut down the brass as far i a safely could, about the same length as a .32 auto
i used my lyman 48th manual as a guide and i was careful as i worked the load down, then i cut the brass back in small incriments until i found the sweet spot..
they serve no real purpose other then to have a light gallery load, they make a very quiet pop and actually are accurate out to 20 yards or so...
they kill card board boxes very cleanly

Dee · « **Reply #11 on:** June 13, 2010, 08:25:50 AM »

Quote from: Scibaer on June 13, 2010, 04:40:01 AM

ZVP,
i used a 89 grain cast bullet , made for the .380 acp, in a .38 spl case with 1.7 grains of powder
after i knew it would work , i cut down the brass as far i a safely could, about the same length as a .32 auto
i used my lyman 48th manual as a guide and i was careful as i worked the load down, then i cut the brass back in small incriments until i found the sweet spot..
they serve no real purpose other then to have a light gallery load, they make a very quiet pop and actually are accurate out to 20 yards or so...
they kill card board boxes very cleanly

In my 40 years of reloading I had never thought of doing that. Excellent edge of town squirrel load for my pecan trees and my Model 92.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 13, 2010, 11:02:12 AM »

+1 on those type loads for such.....and that 'big' dia. bullet is so much more effective than a .22L, even though its goin' slow.
As to cutting cases down, other than looking like an overgrown CB, and/or a quick visual on which loads are which, I just use .38Spl in .38s, .357s in 357s.

Scibaer · « **Reply #13 on:** June 14, 2010, 02:25:51 PM »

an over grown cb short is exactly what i was working towards. but cutting the case down does help, as there is so little powder, it ensures that the primer gets to all the powder, when i left the cases longer, i was having some hang fires.

and yeah i can see or feel even what i have, not needing to mark the case or something to know i have a 'back yard bullet' in my hands.
i have not killed a squirrel with one yet, but i would guess they can do the job..
i have also been tossing around the idea of something with a little larger diameter yet.. but i'll hold that closer to the vest for now

Dee · « **Reply #14 on:** June 14, 2010, 02:39:49 PM »

I live on the edge of town with farm land at my back door but, houses fairly close, and 3 or 4 with in seein distance. I have a couple of squirrel lovers in the neighborhood, but I also have some really nice paper shell pecan trees in the back. If I don't keep the squirrels out they cut the pecans before their ready, and drive my Jack Russell nuts at the same time. I have been usin cb caps for years but, my favorite squirrel gun is my Model 92 357 mag. I don't care for bullseye powder but I been wonderin what a couple of grains would sound like out of a 24" barrel.

Frank V · « **Reply #15 on:** June 14, 2010, 03:33:21 PM »

Quote from: ZVP on June 10, 2010, 02:37:43 PM

Seriously, who has actually had problems (ie: cutting corrosion damage) shooting the shorter .38 special in a Magnum Cylinder?
I have been using both in my new model Stainless Vaquero and do not want to damage it!
Dave

Dave though I don't have a New Vaquero or Vaquero in .357, I have shot litteraly thousands of .38 Specials through a model 19 I foolishly traded without any bad side effects. If you clean the cylinder after using .38s & before shooting Mags. you won't have any problems. Good shooting, that's one of the nice things about a .357, shooting cheaper .38s. Enjoy that Vaquero.
Frank

Scibaer · « **Reply #16 on:** June 15, 2010, 03:12:19 AM »

dee, they do make a pop.. but the bullet whizzing thru the air makes about the same amount of noise..
make up 2 or 3 and see if the pop ( more primer then anything else ) is too much..
also Aguila make a .22 round with no gun powder called a Super Colibri .. last nite i killed a 23 pound raccoon with 1 shot with these.
out of my .22 NEF sporter the hammer fall is louder then the report of the ammo. but the range is short, but they will do the job
but make up a few .357 cb's and see if they are what you need, out of a longer rifle barrel i would think they'd be much quieter ..
for handguns i'm a fan of Hodgdon's titeGroup and that is all i have used to make the 357 cb's with

gcrank1 · « **Reply #17 on:** June 15, 2010, 05:45:08 AM »

Scibaer, as regards 'oversize' CBs, I have a .577 Snider case cut down with a .595 round ball in the mouth. Standing next to a .22CB short its a hoot to look at.

Scibaer · « **Reply #18 on:** June 15, 2010, 11:29:07 AM »

i'm sure its a hoot to shoot too ..

OLDPUPPYMAX · « **Reply #19 on:** June 18, 2010, 06:19:09 AM »

I've fired a BUNCH of 38 special rounds with my Uberti 357 mag and have had no problem at all. And of course the recoil is FAR less troublesome.

Swampman · « **Reply #20 on:** June 18, 2010, 06:46:18 AM »

I've fired tens of thousands of .38 Specials in .357 chambers with no problem. I don't even clean them but once in a blue moon.