I have a 9mm LCR and it's painful to shoot. I was wondering about using light 38 Short Colt data to reload some 9mm brass to shoot in my LCR. Looks like case capacity is close and I wouldn't need to have them hot enough to cycle a slide in the revolver.
I have arthritis in my hands and I can shoot 22 revolvers just fine. I was looking for a way to continue shooting my 9mm LCR.
I don't see why not. Use a fast burning powder but not much of it.
I don't have .38 SC data but .38 S&W goes down to a 150 at 660 in Lyman.
Code Name: JET STREAM
You should be able to drop pretty low in 9mm brass for your revolver since you don't have a slide to cycle. What are you looking at for bullets on this project? If you're using jacketed bullets, 90 gr. .380 bullets may help out a bit more too.
Most of the 9mm revolvers I've had gave really snappy recoil with factory loads. The recoil impulse was very sharp and abrupt. My solution at that time was to return to 38 Spl loads. At one point, Charter Arms "Pit Bull" revolvers in 9mm Federal were terribly cheap, I was tempted to buy one and size 38 S&W brass down in a 9mm die to feed one. Factory ammo was unobtainable, and the ammo was actually selling for more than the new revolvers were.
The good old days...
Last edited by 358156hp; 08-18-2022 at 08:35 PM.
Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem
I prefer the tumult of liberty to the quiet of servitude
-Thomas Jefferson
I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.
.38SC data should be fine in 9mm brass. I used 9mm data for .38SC brass as a reference point but I was loading USPSA minor and not full power 9mm loads. I never had an issue.
I trimmed .38SPCL brass to 9mm length until I scored 2000 Starline .38SC brass, then I used the SC brass exclusively.
Win WST and Alliant e3 were my powders running a 160 grain RN coated lead bullet. I have a handful of these loads left and run them through my J frame on occasion. They aren't bunny fart loads in the Airweight but they don't beat me up like factory +P Gold Dot either. A lighter bullet will be nice shooting.
Once again I send up the @Lost River signal. I'm certain he posted info on this.
"Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA
Beware of my temper, and the dog that I've found...
I found some 38 Short Colt loading data here: https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/rel...c=true&type=53
My 1050 was already set up with Titegroup to load minor 9mm with 147 Bayou bullets.
I adjusted the powder measure to throw the starting load from the Hodgen site. I found some green Bayou coated 135 rn bullets and I loaded some. I wanted a bullet that was visibly different from my normal 9mm load with gold colored bullets. I shot some and they were much more pleasant to shoot than regular 9mm. I loaded more and also found some 115 JHP bullets and loaded some of those with the starting load. They had a little less recoil than the 135 bullets.
I shot them over the chronograph. The 115 averaged 626 fps for 10 shots and the 135 averaged 660 fps for 10 shots. That's in 38 wadcutter territory. Accuracy is acceptable per snub standards.10 yards were in the center section of an IDPA down zero. That's as well as I can do with a J-Frame 38.
Per my records I had previously fired around 500 rounds of my 130 power factor reloads and 147 HST. Most sessions were no more than 20 rounds because of the recoil. I fired over 75 rounds of these loads today with no pain. The arthritis in my hands and wrists had become pretty bad. I attribute it to shooting heavy loads in this 9mm LCR. I'll be loading more of this ammo. Moon clips ejected easily and there were no pressure signs on the primers.
Now, if I could just find a front sight that these old eyes could see that would hit POA/POI.
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