9mm in a .38

[willie]

Where better to ask about this then here?
https://americanreloading.com/en/9mm...ted-500ct.html
How best should I extrapolate data for a .355 147gr bullet? I think be-86 would be my best bet of what I have to try and reach 1000fps.

1k fps is my goal only because thats what the factory 9mm is loaded to +/-.

I am getting 1000fps with 4" m64 and 950fps with a 4" m10 with a 158gr swc over 5.7 be-86.

In 1970 I did what you are attempting using a different jhp .355 9mm bullet in .38 Spl cases. Pressure will bump up the .355 bullet. I used a 9mm size die to reduce case mouth to provide neck tension and the 9mm expander to flare case mouth slightly. If you lack 9mm dies, experiment by inserting the 9mm bullet into a resized 38 Spl case. If there is sufficient tension to hold bullet in place, run the case into the .38 Spl size die to see if case tension can be increased. If so, you are using this die to taper crimp.

You can achieve velocity goal by using 5 grains of Red Dot. Bum some from a shotgun reloader. I've not used your favorite powder but think it might serve well. In my experiment I used Unique. I had fun.

In the 1960's Lee Jurras of Super-Vel fame put high velocity lightweight handgun bullets on the map. To reduce pressure, he used smaller diameter bullets such as .355 in .38 Spl. The big ammo companies forced him out of business by convincing suppliers not to sell him components.

[jws]

I would be curious to know if there is a way to increase the bullet diameter to get it up to size. Being that it is only a couple thousandths, would it be possible to squish the bullet down slightly in a press or a vice to increase the diameter slightly? Or would it just crush the nose of the bullet? I have never tried it, and it very well may be a bad idea, but not a lot is lost if a couple bullets are destroying trying it.

[03RN]

@willie

Thank you. I was thinking that if velocity was enough they might bump up a little.

I actually think that LC brass might be thick enough to give good tension.

[willie]

[QUOTE=jws;1294003]I would be curious to know if there is a way to increase the bullet diameter to get it up to size. Being that it is only a couple thousandths, would it be possible to squish the bullet down slightly in a press or a vice to increase the diameter slightly? Or would it just crush the nose of the bullet? I have never tried it, and it very well may be a bad idea, but not a lot is lost if a couple bullets are destroying trying it.[s/QUOTE]

A custom specialized die can bump up bullets, but these dies are extremely expensive. For us regular guys the answer is no. In bullet swaging such dies are used to form bullet cores from soft lead wire. I know very little about this topic but surmise that reducing a bullet's diameter might be easier than bumping it up. Doing this with a jacketed bullet would indeed be difficult. Most presses available to us can't handle this task. Those that can require reinforcement.

[willie]

@willie

Thank you. I was thinking that if velocity was enough they might bump up a little.

I actually think that LC brass might be thick enough to give good tension.

I agree. I still have a few 100 once fired cases from my original experiment. They have very thick walls. When I find them, I will happily donate these so you can experiment. My health is such that I can no longer lift but a few pounds and am trying to hire someone to help me sort through 50 years of stored items. I recently gave away a case of belted machine gun ammo because I got tired of stumbling over it.

[BN]

@willie

Thank you. I was thinking that if velocity was enough they might bump up a little.

I actually think that LC brass might be thick enough to give good tension.

I think I used WCC mil brass with a crimped primer. I had my 1050 set to remove the crimp. I also got a little more velocity with the thicker brass.

[willie]

I wanted to add this. The 38 Short case has the same capacity as the 9mm Luger case, and essentially it's a rimmed 9mm. Chopping off .38 Spl cases easily produces these. One can use 9mm data. I never did this but have seen it mentioned from time to time through the years.

[the Schwartz]

Pressure will bump up the .355 bullet.

This was my experience, too. Recovered 90-grain and 115-grain 0.355" bullets (when we could find them) exhibited fully engraved jacket bearing surfaces indicating that there was enough pressure to produce full bore engagement in our ill conceived experiments.

[willie]

Many know that 9mm pistol barrels often have a .357 or 358 bore diameter, but jacketed bullets have a .355 nominal diameter. I think that engineers selected bullets with larger groove diameters to control pressure spikes in this high pressure cartridge. What do our resident engineers say?

[03RN]

So far all fit well in the cases. My Sokol guns throats are tight enough that they stop the bullet from falling through.

I loaded a few up. Hopefully the next day or so I'll get out to Chrono and shoot them.