[Mad Reloader]

OK, since I actually load BOTH .38 Colt (aka .38 Long Colt)...and .38 Special, thought I'd go in and explain what the dealy is.

We all know the EXTERNAL dimensions of .38 Special and .357 Magnum are for all practical purposes--identical (save for overall length). .38 Long Colt is identical in diameters to .38 Special, just shorter.

(Around 1898-1902, S&W developed the .38 Special by lengthening the .38 Long Colt by 0.13", to 1.16")

Almost ALL of my .38 Long Colt brass is merely mil surp (WCC) .38 Special cut down to 1.03"

Due to the lower action strengths of .38 Colt & .38 Long Colt revolvers, what would be considered standard ballistics for a .38 Special target wadcutter...is kind of on the warm side (or Near Maxiumum) in .38 Long Colt.

Time for a little background/developmental data on the cartridges of this class, going BACK in time:

.357 Magnum. Developed in 1935. Use of actual bullet diameter as cartridge designation done to dissuade use of .357's in older guns with bored-through cylinders...

.38 Special. Developed by S&W at the turn of the last century in an attempt to "boost" the anemic performance of the .38 Long Colt, as was reported from combat action against Filipino "Moro" tribesmen on Mindanao during the Phillipine Insurrection

.38 Long Colt. Revised version of the .38 Colt cartridge ca. 1887, in which the outside-lubed heeled bullet was replaced with one of typical construction. Case lengthened slightly from...

.38 Colt. One of the 2 original Colt centerfire .38's. Case length from the ca. 1870-71 specs was 0.88" Bullet diameter of the heeled, outside lubed projo was 0.375". Same as what one would load for a round ball or conical in a cap-&-ball Navy revolver. This cartridge, like the .44 Colt/.44 Remington, was developed for use in cartridge conversions of the Richards, Richards-Mason and the 1869 Remington-Government types.

There is also the .38 Short Colt cartridge, developed around 1875 and chambered in some of the "House" revolvers. Case length here is 0.762-0.765" Originally outside-lubed heeled bullets were used, and the cartridge looks suspiciously like the old English ".380 Revolver" developed in 1868 for use in British Bulldog, Tranter pocket model, etc. revolvers. Original 1868 specs listed a 0.700" length case (not to be confused with the .380 Revolver of 1932, aka the .38-200, which is merely the .38 S&W with a heavier bullet)

That's the whole spread (excluding .357 Maximum!) in a nutshell.

I wonder...if you use the 1870 version .38 Colts...could you fit MORE rounds in a .357 lever action???? Just a thought!