Author Topic: .357 and .38 dies (Read 379 times)

armycar01 · « **on:** September 21, 2005, 11:39:04 AM »

I think I already know the answer, but do .357 magnum dies work for .38 specials?

Thanks

jhm · « **Reply #1 on:** September 21, 2005, 12:08:15 PM »

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 21, 2005, 12:34:12 PM »

Yes , and in most cases they will also do 357 max . :eek:

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #3 on:** September 21, 2005, 02:48:40 PM »

Might have get a crimp die or shorten the seater die. I've seem .357 dies that would not crimp .38 Special. If you haven't bought, get .38 Special or a set marketed as 38/357. You might also keep an eye for a spacer washer. RCBS usta make them and someone still should. They go around the die and take up exactly enough space to raise .38 Special dies to load .357 without other adjustment.

skb2706 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 22, 2005, 04:47:32 AM »

they work fine but .357 mag dies won't crimp .38 sp cases......unless you cut the die down just a bit

Black Jaque Janaviac · « **Reply #5 on:** September 23, 2005, 03:49:52 AM »

As you may gather from the boys' posts, the crimping stage is one of the stages affected.

I use Lee dies on the 4-stage turret press. The 4th die is the factory crimp die. So I set the bullet seating/crimping die high enough that it doesn't crimp either .38 or .357. The crimping is done in the next stage, and that die is very easy to adjust between .38 and .357.

The other stage that is affected in the Lee dies is the powder-thru-expander die. If you bell your pistol cases before seating a bullet, you need to have that adjusted properly. That may be difficult to shorten for a .38.

Some people don't give a hoot about belling or crimping, in which case neither of this matters.

mg66 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 23, 2005, 10:35:30 PM »

I also use Lee 4 stage turret press and use the 4th stage for crimping only. I bought 2 sets of 4 peice Lee Carbide 38/357 dies and put each set one in its own turret ring for doing 38 and one for 357. Then I only have to change turret head to go from one to the other which takes about 5 seconds. Just makes for easier switching and can leave them setup.

To answer your question, Lee's 38/357 dies can be used for both. Only the height settings are different.

In the 4th stage crimp process, I use a light factory crimp on 38 target ammo and a medium crimp on 357. No saying that's the way it has to be done, just the way I do it.