beans
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Posts: 248
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Post by beans on Feb 4, 2016 18:21:56 GMT -5
Guys,
I've reloaded for my .357 Mag for over 20 years. Probably somewhere in the vicinity of 5000 rds or more. 38's too. I have never trimmed these case and I'll bet many have been shot 10 or more times. They all have worked great in terms of fitting the gun and also crimping fine at the cannelure. My shooting is purely fun and I've never tried for extreme accuracy/consisteny in my "fun" rounds where I might blast cans at 25 yds or shoot at human silouettes at 10 yds. Same with my 9mm.
So...is it important to trim 38/357 at some point? It would seem that maybe not? What about auto ammo? I can see where the crimp may be more important and a short case might make a weak crimp and a long case could make a super tight one and buckle the case? Yet I have not run into any issues.
I have never even measured my revolver/pistol cases. What do you guys think/know about this?
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Post by dannoboone on Feb 5, 2016 11:56:37 GMT -5
Having been a rifle cartridge reloader for 35+ years prior to ever reloading for a pistol, the first thing I did with Win 45 Colt cases was put the calipers to them. They did vary quite a few thousandths, so the longest got trimmed. Die instructions said to do so in order for the crimps to be correct for the cannelure, so I didn't question it.
Will a straight walled case stretch at all? Bottle neck cases do, but that's practically a whole different ball game. Only by measuring would one know for sure, unless your dies are set for seating/crimping just one type bullet and the cannelure begins to disappear when seating the bullet.
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beans
Full Member
Posts: 248
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Post by beans on Feb 5, 2016 17:57:13 GMT -5
I figured with such common handgun rounds that someone would chime in with an answer.
I agree with Danno in the fact that if you measure 'em and trim 'em all the same, it's probably the best thing. Question is, is it necessary for blamo ammo? It sure saves a ton of time on high volume stuff if you could avoid trimming and inside/outside deburring of the case mouth. Maybe I've been lucky over the years.
And like Danno said, rifles are a different animal. I have had cases really flow and grow, especially when they are new. They ALWAYS get measure and trimmed every time....or at least measured.
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