Big Case Load

[airedale]

So back around 40 years ago at a softball game I met an Airman that was stationed at Griffiss AFB in Rome NY, we got talking about firearms and he told me he was in charge of cleaning up the small arms range on base and had a ton of once fired 38 special brass that was just going to be thrown away and if I was interested he would get me some. I said sure as I had a couple of 357 handguns at the time and figured I could load up some plinking rounds. Well he shows up at my Buddy's sporting good store I was working at with a cardboard box packed with 38 special cases, somewhere around 5000! He did not want a dime but I made him take 10 bucks for his trouble of bringing them out to me. Never did a thing with those cases, they sat up in the loft of my barn all those years. So I got to poking around up there the other day and spotted that box of cases and said to myself I really need to do something with them LOL!

Got the box down and found mice had got in there and made a filthy mess, they had a good old time for 40 years chewing up the boxes and case holders. So for the past few days I got down to business and started cleaning up the cases. I first took them out of their dilapidated boxes and washed them in a bucket of hot soapy water. Dried them good and then de-primed  them all and then ran them through the case tumbler to polish them up. What a job!

For loading I have 500 swaged semi wadcutters and 500 hard cast semi wadcutters to get thing started, I will be using a fairly new powder called TiteWad mainly used for shotshells but also it works well for plinking handguns loads using only 3.5 grains. 

The bad part is all this ammo is going to make me have to buy a new pistol, Geeze!

I was set on the new Colt Python but see they have been having some problems with their early production, The S&W model 27 is a strong contender along with the Ruger SP 101 Match Champion, I will be making up my mind soon.

Al

 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I have had really good luck with Unique as well in the 357 and 38 loads.  With moderate loading you shouldn't have to worry about brass ...lol

I've got a 4" S&W 27  and love it but my best shooter is a  Taurus stainless with a ported 6"(Thanks to Cabin Fever). Just something I find really cool about a wheel gun. I mean besides not having to bend over and search for spent casings.

[DDT]

I still would buy the Python, they ironed out the early spring issues. John Taffin has said that they are good. Watch for his upcoming article in Handgunner.

 

[Nytracker]

Love a big pile of shiny clean brass .... almost like Christmas lights when I was a kid .

[rob-c]

Well what ever you decide on , post some photos of the new revolver please.

 

Edited April 7, 2020 by rob-c

[airedale]

5 minutes ago, rob-c said:

Well what ever you decide on , post some photos of the new revolver please.

Will do, I have been shopping around and there is a  problem with this Corona crap closing down stores for being non essential, hopefully things will get back to semi normal soon. I am also wondering if the permit offices are being affected?

Al

[Marion]

All the damn new snake guns are out of stock. Will they ever become available? Hopefully they make them more than just a limited run

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

[rob-c]

14 minutes ago, airedale said:

Will do, I have been shopping around and there is a  problem with this Corona crap closing down stores for being non essential, hopefully things will get back to semi normal soon. I am also wondering if the permit offices are being affected?

Al

Well one thing is for sure when you can get your revolver you’ll have lots of loaded ammo to break it in with. Just a thought, have you considered a nice single action ? 

[Marion]

Will do, I have been shopping around and there is a  problem with this Corona crap closing down stores for being non essential, hopefully things will get back to semi normal soon. I am also wondering if the permit offices are being affected?
Al

I've heard Westchester isn't approving nothing. Which is really BS. They should have some serious lawsuits headed their way as they are preventing people from lawfully defending their lives and property. But also Long island is also apparently not doing additions either

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

[airedale]

9 minutes ago, rob-c said:

Well one thing is for sure when you can get your revolver you’ll have lots of loaded ammo to break it in with. Just a thought, have you considered a nice single action ? 

I did own a Ruger stainless Blackhawk in 357 many years ago, it was accurate and a good solid piece, I just would prefer a double action now. I also owned  Pythons, a two and a half inch blue and a six inch nickel and a Ruger Security six four inch stainless. Years ago I worked in a gun shop and was a wheel and dealer back in those days and just decided to get rid of most of my handguns mainly because the permit system puts on to many limitations for wheel and dealing. Now with this dumb safe act nothing is easy any more when it comes to firearms.

I do have a nice 1894 Marlin rifle that I can use this ammo in so I do have something to go bang with for now lol.

Al 

[rachunter]

I was expecting to see a load of Case knives,but that's where my heads been lately.

Good hit on the brass I always wanted a Ruger gp100 with a 6" barrel,but couldn't find one around here.Maybe someday. 

[Steve D]

22 hours ago, airedale said:

Will do, I have been shopping around and there is a  problem with this Corona crap closing down stores for being non essential, hopefully things will get back to semi normal soon

Al

I have a early model s&w  model 60 in .38 special I would part with if it is something you might be interested in. I bought it for the wife  but she won't carry so it just sits on the shelf.

 

 

 

 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

46 minutes ago, Steve D said:

Al

I have a early model s&w  model 60 in .38 special I would part with if it is something you might be interested in. I bought it for the wife  but she won't carry so it just sits on the shelf.

 

 

 

 

Steve,

 

If Al doesn't take this PM me what you are looking to get for it. I know a lady that is looking for a pistol just like this. 

[Steve D]

2 minutes ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

If Al doesn't take this PM me what you are looking to get for it. I know a lady that is looking for a pistol just like this. 

I will do that..... I figured I would do it all through pm to keep the traffic down.

[airedale]

Thanks for the offer but I prefer a 357 model because I also have quite a bit of 357 ammo and I like to have adjustable sights because I screw around with different bullet styles, weights and powders so most of the time point of impact changes with those different loads. I do like the S&W model 60 pro model pictured below a lot.

Al

[airedale]

I would like to mention that back in my gun shop days we had a customer come in with a blue model 60 chambered in 38 spl, he fired some "Plus P" ammo out of it and blew out the side of the cylinder and also knocked off the top strap. We sent the gun back to Smith and Wesson with a couple of stuck empty Plus P cases still in the gun. I got a phone call from the company a few days later that under no terms was Plus P ammo to be fired out of their J Frame revolvers and for us vendors selling those gun to make sure customers know that fact.

Now that was some 40 years ago and manufacturing has come far as they now make model 60 J frames chambered in 357 mag capable of firing full powered loads with no problem. I do not know if their policy is the same with Plus P ammo when it comes to current production. I would fire just regular 38 spl in a model 60 chambered in 38 spl to be on the safe side.

By the way they replaced the gun but the owner was lucky he only got a nice dent in his forehead firing the high powered stuff. There was a warning printed in their manuals so the customer was at fault.

Al

Edited April 8, 2020 by airedale

[Daveboone]

I have a Smith model 28- it is the service version of the 27, not as pretty though. Wonderful pistol, smooth as silk, great accuracy. They and the 27s are goinig for mint nowadays though! I remember dad paid 200.oo for it used in 1979. You may want to look at Smith 686...the L frame. They are similar to the Python in that they have the bbl underlug which assists with shooting alot. 
A friend has one I am waiting to buy off of him. I dont need it, but I will suffer....

I saw at Gander Outdoors a week or two ago, the Cicero location, about 1/2 dozen Smith .38s, model 10-5, for about 280.00. probably south american police trade ins. They certainly showed wear, but were mechanically very sound. I was seriously looking at one for a woods knock around.

[airedale]

My annual "Trump Tax Cut firearm" A Henry brass frame single shot in 357 mag to burn some of this 38 special stuff. I am a fan of single shots and I had been giving the Henry a serious look since they were announced a couple of years ago, with all this ammo to shoot the 357 chambering sealed the deal. The covid crap made the purchase go slower than I liked. Seems to be a quality rifle and I can't wait to shoot it, waiting for the little 2.5 X lightweight Leupold scope to come in early this week. 

Al

Edited June 19, 2020 by airedale

[helmut in the bush]

Nice

[SpacemanSpiff]

Love the rifle and optic choice. That will be a sweet little rifle. Hope to see some pictures of the whole package as well as a range report. Bet it shoots lights out. 

[airedale]

Got the Henry all set up and ready to fire, accouple of minor things had to be done to assure fit and easy operation. The scope base I picked up was too long if the rear sight was to be retained so I had to shorten it, I used Burris low quick detachable rings which made getting at the hammer a tight squeeze so a hammer spur was added to take care of that problem. Got the little 6 oz Leupold all mounted up and bore sighted so she is ready for some range time evaluation.

Al