Issue with .380s

Tatershooter

Tatershooter

Member
Charter Life Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2016
Messages
1,565
Location
Duncan
Rating - 100%
10   0   0
I purchased some .380 projectiles from a guy that had "Midway USA .380 95gr" hand written on a baggie. Not new to reloading, have reloaded 9 and 40 for about 6 years, but new to .380. Processed cases like I have always done but when I tried to seat the bullet on most of them there was little to no neck retention allowing me to push the bullet in farther. I seat and crimp in different steps so I tried a little heavier crimp and it helped with a few, maybe 20%. Adjusted the expanding and crimping dies a couple times but no change. So I did probably what I should have done to begin with and checked the projectiles. I measured 20 and they all weighed between 95.2 and 96.1 but got a surprise when I measured the diameter and all measured .350 and not the .355 that I have read everywhere else. What I learned, don't assume anything in reloading, do the smart thing and verify. I honestly do not think the guy tried to pull a quick one on me and I can not find any projectiles that are .350. Please learn from my mistake.
 
I looked real quick too... don't see a single handgun bullet that's .350.

What do they look like? Can you post a picture? Just curious.
 
Charlie said:
Try not using the expander die.
Click to expand...
That might make the bullets seat with more neck tension, but then you have the issue of the bullet not forming a gas seal in the barrel, or possibly not even grabbing the lands enough to put a spin on the bullet.

I got some 380 bullets from Bayou Bullets one time, that were sized .354. They were terribly inaccurate in my Bersa. I got some more that were sized .356 and they worked just fine.
 
Toprudder said:
That might make the bullets seat with more neck tension, but then you have the issue of the bullet not forming a gas seal in the barrel, or possibly not even grabbing the lands enough to put a spin on the bullet.

I got some 380 bullets from Bayou Bullets one time, that were sized .354. They were terribly inaccurate in my Bersa. I got some more that were sized .356 and they worked just fine.
Click to expand...
Will do, thanks.
 
Eons ago there was an article (in Handloader Magazine, I think) on "bumping up" bullets. The idea was, put a bullet into a sizing die that's a little bigger, and mash things until the bullet expands to about the size of the die. (The opposite of what usually happens in a sizing die.) It might take quite a bit of pressure, maybe a hammer. :)

This is actually a pretty reasonable thing to do to a jacketed bullet, like yours -- if you have to do something -- because springback of the jacket material keeps the core tight.

Your .380 bullets look like good candidates for that kind of maneuver, if you can't get it done in any of the other ways suggested.
 
Scrap them or maybe reach out to Gad Custom Cartridges, if it’s some obscure obsolete caliber they may know about it.
 
Thanks guys, have not had the opportunity to try anything this week. For someone who is retired I seem to stay pretty busy.
 
Last edited:
I would not try to make them work for your application. Too much time, components and effort spent with little to no gain.
I would contact some bullet manufacturers,as others recommended, to solve the mystery. IMO
 
Jmoser said:
en.wikipedia.org

9 mm caliber - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Only the .35 Winchester self loading rifle uses anything close, those are 180s.

Factory Seconds maybe 🤔
Click to expand...
This. I regularly buy midway 2nds and the worst I have gotten is like a couple bullets that were too small in a .308 box. Usually I can't even tell they are 2nds. Maybe this time he got a box of really crappy ones or he bought a LOT of 2nd 380 and took out the really bad ones and put em in a bag. I seriously doubt that midway would sell an entire batch of totally useless 2nds; possibly dangerous ones at that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom