Any reloaders out there,
I had a technician that loaded my Super .38 offensive loads for me. I never got the
specs from him for the loads. Sadly, he was killed in a road accident.
I have 8 loads left. They were the only JHP loads that would work in
my Super .38 1911.
Is there any way I could take those 8 loads and determine how they were set up and
loaded. Bear in mind I have never reloaded anything more than cold bud,
so don't laugh guys/gals.
Blackie
Sort of. Use a caliper to measure the OAL, then pull the bullet and weigh it. Then dump the powder and weigh it. Of course the only problem is if you don't know what powder was used.
Quote from: Texas-Mark on March 15, 2017, 07:46:01 PM
Sort of. Use a caliper to measure the OAL, then pull the bullet and weigh it. Then dump the powder and weigh it. Of course the only problem is if you don't know what powder was used.
Thanks, Tex.
it is still above my pay grade. No tools, no scale for the powder, etc... I will use the Super .38 1911 for a plinker, it handles FMJ real well. Of course, FMJ Super .38 is still a lethal load.
Blackie
Quote from: 1911SHOOTER on March 15, 2017, 04:13:40 PM
Any reloaders out there,
I had a technician that loaded my Super .38 offensive loads for me. I never got the
specs from him for the loads. Sadly, he was killed in a road accident.
I have 8 loads left. They were the only JHP loads that would work in
my Super .38 1911.
Is there any way I could take those 8 loads and determine how they were set up and
loaded. Bear in mind I have never reloaded anything more than cold bud,
so don't laugh guys/gals.
Blackie
Find out what specific bullets were used, the manufacturer, type, and weight. Measure the OAL so you know the COAL (Cartridge Over All Length) and the seating depth. Don't bother measuring the powder because you don't know what that is.
What is going on is there is a convergence of the Over All Length, the shape of the bullet, and the power of the recoil. Once you know the COAL and the bullet you can find either an identically shaped bullet or the same ones and load that at the same seating depth. You (or another reloader) will have to experiment on how much powder (pressure), within the confines of the published load for any given powder, to make a round which will feed and cycle. Most people seem to like making 5 or 10-round lots incrementing up in steps of power.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
Just to add to what Kirk said, if you go to a good gun shop that handles reloading supplies someone there will probably be able to ID the powder and bullet. There are Reloading data books that give a breakdown of bullet manufacturer, bullet type, caliber and grain, along with recommended grains of powder, minimum and maximum as well as the coal. If they can't help I am sure they can recommend someone who may even reload for you.
Another suggestion would be to contact your friends wife or relatives who may allow you to check his reloading data. Most, if not all reloaders keep a log of the bullets they have reloaded. Who knows you might get lucky and find your bullets recorded.