oddball swaged gas checked .38 spl wadcutter

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  • Last Post 07 July 2017
billwnr posted this 03 July 2017

Has anybody ever seen a hollow point, swaged, gaschecked .38 special wadcutter?   I was given a box of loaded ammo today and pulled one of the bullets as I wanted to show the donor that the WC was reversed.  Upon pulling it I found it to be gas checked and swaged.  Lube appears to be a graphite of some sort.   The box the ammo came in appeared to be a yellow Western box from the 40's-50's era.  Ammo appears to be reloads as the front of the box references SWC bullets.

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David Reiss posted this 03 July 2017

Photo please!

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
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Ed Harris posted this 03 July 2017

Alberts Bullets in Franklin Lakes, NJ made a similar bullet for a commercial reloader in the 1980s.  Jerry Alberts is now deceased, and the swaging machines he had were bought by Federal from what I understand.  Jerry pioneered the process for swaging the HydaShok bullets and figured out how to make them at a high production rate without the bullets sticking on the punch.  He was a clever tool maker who got his start at the Picatinny Arsenal.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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358156hp posted this 04 July 2017

It's not gaschecked, but I do have an original Ideal 38 cal "manstopper" mold from the late 1920s-30s. It's essentially a hollowpoint wadcutter, not a reversed hollowbase design that would have different expansion dynamics. I really need to case a few samples with it. Once again, it is quite different from the hollowbase in bullet profile, and in the cavity, which appears to be designed to expand in a consistent manner, but limit the rate of expansion, and the maximum expanded diameter.

I've been thinking about having Accurate make me a four cavity mould, based on the original design as a base pour, then having Erik hollowpoint all four cavities.

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billwnr posted this 04 July 2017

After I looked at the bullet closer I realized it's not a gas check on the bottom, it's a half jacket.  Haven't seen one of those since we ordered some from Herter's in the 60's.

 

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 04 July 2017

Yup.  Did the half-jackets back in the early 60's.

 

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David Reiss posted this 06 July 2017

Looks like a swaged concoction! 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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Wineman posted this 06 July 2017

I always liked the Hornady and Speer half jacketed 30 caliber 100 grain bullets for my 30 M1 Carbine. Less weight, no leading but let me tell you, a LEE loader in 30 Carbine is a Popeye arm builder. Those little tapered cases are hard to drive in and hard to drive out. Priming is a real challenge. I never had one go off but I'm not sure why? The RCBS Jr press was a godsend when I managed to scrape enough $1.25 per hour together to get it. A neighbor had given me a Lyman Tru-Line Jr press but I had no concept of the 310 tool dies and I gave it to someone who could use it. I still have ~200 Hornady in the stash somewhere.

Dave

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GP Idaho posted this 07 July 2017

Wineman: Not to wander too far off the path of the thread but you're right about the 30 carbine Lee Loader. I picked one up as part of a trade deal and thought it must be out of spec. I have enjoyed the concentric cases that the Lee Loaders provide and often use them instead of the conventional neck dies. I've stopped WHACKING the cases and instead use a cheap Harbor Freight one ton arbor press and things got a lot easier. Gp

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