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H&R break top- Smokeless or BP?


Guest Possum Stu

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Guest Possum Stu

I picked up an H&R breaktop in 38 S&W this week and am looking to load for it. Picked up some brass a few days ago as well. Not asking for load data (I know the rules...) but does anyone know if they are built to handle smokeless, or do I need to go with black powder? The patent date on the barrel is 1896.

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Guest Joe West, SASS#1532 L Regulator

Good news,

Happy Easter!

More good news, 38 S&W and 32 S&W[short] major factory offerings are made with the old guns in mind and you'll find the load is a very low pressure offering. Check your gun for proper lockup and operation of the moving parts as well as for cracks, then have fun. If you do reload go with the lightest smokeless loads from a good manual {Lyman, Hodgdon} or use a bp/sub. Remember, the .38S&W is a heeled bullet so loading dies and bullets are different than other .38s

Joe West

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Good news,

Happy Easter!

More good news, 38 S&W and 32 S&W[short] major factory offerings are made with the old guns in mind and you'll find the load is a very low pressure offering. Check your gun for proper lockup and operation of the moving parts as well as for cracks, then have fun. If you do reload go with the lightest smokeless loads from a good manual {Lyman, Hodgdon} or use a bp/sub. Remember, the .38S&W is a heeled bullet so loading dies and bullets are different than other .38s

Joe West

 

Are you sure it's a heeled bullet, I've never loaded a heeled bullet in any of my reloads, nor do I recall seeing any in the factory ammo I've shot.

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I believe the original (1876/77) bullets were heeled, externally lubed bullets (like the 22 rimfire bullets). Later, they made internally lubed bullets.The bullet was .361 diameter, a little larger than the 38 Special.

 

For some good articles:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/forgotten_38SW.htm

 

http://www.reloadammo.com/38sw.htm

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.38_S%26W

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Guest Possum Stu

Excellent! Those resources are just what I needed. Thanks so much everyone. Now to track down the right dies and give it a try.

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