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.38spl BP wads - .360" or .380"?


Orient Express

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I intend to shoot substitute BP. I've just noticed wads for .38spl come in either 0.360" for pistol or 0.380" for rifle. Why is there a difference? I shoot Ruger NMV and Uberti 1873 rifle and have always used the same (smokeless) ammo for both. Can I just use 0.360" for both instead?

 

EDIT: I'll be using Wano which I now know is not a BP sub, so I'll need a wad in addition to the over-powder card.

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1 hour ago, Orient Express said:

I intend to shoot substitute BP. I've just noticed wads for .38spl come in either 0.360" for pistol or 0.380" for rifle. Why is there a difference? I shoot Ruger NMV and Uberti 1873 rifle and have always used the same (smokeless) ammo for both. Can I just use 0.360" for both instead?

 

Do not use lubed wads with BP Substitutes unless you are using Pyrodex.  Most citric acid based subs make their own lube and mixing with BP lube may result in a hardened fouling.

There is no need for a wad in a .38 Special, you're only using approx 1.3cc.  Seat the bullet right on the powder.

The .380 wads are for .36 percussion revolvers.

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16 minutes ago, McCandless said:

 

Do not use lubed wads with BP Substitutes unless you are using Pyrodex.  Most citric acid based subs make their own lube and mixing with BP lube may result in a hardened fouling.

There is no need for a wad in a .38 Special, you're only using approx 1.3cc.  Seat the bullet right on the powder.

The .380 wads are for .36 percussion revolvers.

This might be a dumb question but I assume Wano, which I'll be using, is a BP substitute?

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3 hours ago, Orient Express said:

This might be a dumb question but I assume Wano, which I'll be using, is a BP substitute?

 

Nope, that's true BP not a sub.   If you use BP lubed bullets you don't need a felt wad.  But, some folks do anyway.  

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14 minutes ago, McCandless said:

 

Nope, that's true BP not a sub.   If you use BP lubed bullets you don't need a felt wad.  But, some folks do anyway.  

I'll be using regular smokeless bullets so will need to use an over-powder card and felt wad. Do I need lube as well in between the wad and bullet?

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Go to BIG LUBE bullets for real BP.  Will save you a lot of frustration in the long run and fussing with wads, grits or moon dust.  There are several vendors out there that sell them or order yourself a mold.

This will save you 1-2 years of chasing around.

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PLUS ONE for C.M. Dutch.  Using bullets with smokeless type crayon lube will just give you fits, when with wads.  Simplify your life experience by using "Big Lube" bullets which carry a boat load of BP Lube and wads are completely unnecessary.  WANO is actual BP, NOT a substitute.

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22 hours ago, Orient Express said:

I'll be using regular smokeless bullets so will need to use an over-powder card and felt wad. Do I need lube as well in between the wad and bullet?

Your original post says you are going to use  a BP substitute.  There’s no need for a wad since the subs are compatible with smokeless bullets. 

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I've just ordered a 9mm (0.354") and 19mm (3/4") punch and try them out. If need be I can open up the 9mm punch slightly to get to 0.36". I intend to use cereal boxes for over-powder and over-shot cards. Maybe some 0.06" thick rubberised cork sheet from the automotive store as wads. Is this material OK as it's rubberised?

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2 hours ago, Orient Express said:

I've just ordered a 9mm (0.354") and 19mm (3/4") punch and try them out. If need be I can open up the 9mm punch slightly to get to 0.36". I intend to use cereal boxes for over-powder and over-shot cards. Maybe some 0.06" thick rubberised cork sheet from the automotive store as wads. Is this material OK as it's rubberised?

What do you hope to achieve with the wads?
 

Also, I don’t understand “over-shot cards” for .38 cal. 
 

 

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41 minutes ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

What do you hope to achieve with the wads?
Also, I don’t understand “over-shot cards” for .38 cal. 

Wads are sometimes used between powder and bullet instead of a filler...   With a lubed wad, an over-powder card is good insurance that the lube won't migrate into your powder...  However, I wonder sometimes if that really happens... I've got BP rounds in 45Colt I've loaded many years ago... still fire and go bang, even after careful storage out in my barn... where summer temps often exceed 110ºF.  Although in all fairness, they are in MTM boxes with bullet down.  An over-shot card is nonsense when using a single projectile.   Also, the only sub I understand doesn't require a BP compatible (non-petroleum based) lube is APP.  ISTR there's another, but it's nitro-cellulose based, therefore illegal for SASS.

 

.380 wads are for .36 cal front-stuffers.  Whether long guns or handguns..  And work just as well in anything from .35 to .40 caliber... 

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1 hour ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

What do you hope to achieve with the wads?
 

Also, I don’t understand “over-shot cards” for .38 cal. 
 

 

As I stated above I've ordered a 3/4" punch, obviously for 12g, hence need a over-shot card.

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