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Where can I find brass for caliber .38-56 wcf?
Have heard that I should avoid Bertram brass because they should be really bad. Opinions?
How about "Quality cartridges"?
Any advice at all should be very much appreciated.
I have a Marlin mod. 1895, TD in .38-56 wcf and I really want to try it out.
It works best if you have an intermediate sizing die like a 40-65 but it can be very successfully done with just a 38-56 sizer die.
Lube up a new unfired 45-70 case with some good resizing lube. I use Imperial sizing wax. Run the case part way into the sizer die, pull it back out, rotate it a bit on the shell holder and run it back in. Do this slowly several times eventually sizing it all the way. When done, debur the case and check for overall length. Trim if necessary.
I have made hundreds this way. You will get a few lube dents and may ruin a few cases in the process but overall it works well.
You may want to check neck wall thickness when completed as brass may thicken there. If so, inside neck reaming will take care of that.
The head stamp will of coarse not be correct when you are done. If you feel you need that, you are stuck buying new stuff from someone who makes it. Buffalo Arms may have some correct head stamped stuff but much of what they sell is formed from other brass, similar to the above process.
The only other thing you might want to do after re-forming your brass to 38-56 is to anneal the final formed cases to undo work hardening during the re-forming process. I even found it helpful when sizing Starline 45-90 down to 40-82, to anneal the cases ahead of time, which made them easier to re-form. The lube I used was about 40% lanolin and 60% castor oil, lightly wiped on each case. Both products obtained at the local drug store and mixed together to give a superb case lube.
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Thank you very much for your information. I really appreciate it.
First I shall try to get cases with the correct headstamp in the bottom and if that is impossible I have to make them from 45-70 cases. For the moment I know only of Bertram brass. When it comes to "Quality Cartridges" I do not know yet if they have the correct headstamp.
Once again, thank you very much for your help.
I should have mentioned that I use straight STP (oil additive) for case lube. Especially when reforming. Just drain the residue from the bottle after dumping in your engine oil. You can't imagine how slick this stuff is.
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I have been loading and shooting the .38-56 for years. All of the information supplied to you is exactly what you need. One thing I would suggest is to stay clear of Bertram Brass. The quality is inferior and the case neck and taper are incorrect.
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