Being a Lyman 310 fanatic and needing a set of 38 S&W dies, I bought these. It is a new in box set of Lyman dies for the Tru-Line Jr. Press. The boxes are marked 38 S&W-L. The only die marked is the seating die and it is marked 38 SW DA.

These are indeed 38 S&W dies, but..now get this. The expanding die is marked .386 and indeed measures .386. What the hey!

This is not a blow to my plan as I have an extra 38 Special expander I have shortened in the lathe so the .358 expander will work on it.

With a thread adapter the FL size die works well on the bench press sizes 38 S&W cases to perfection. I have an old nickel plated Lyman No 3 for 38 S&W so all is go.

What the heck kind of 38 S&W is marked 38 S&W-L and needs a .386 bullet? Somebody have any idea? Anybody?

Meaning a 38 Long colt? That would be a neck size like you say, but a bullet in the 360's.

It's for a left handed Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver.

.......rare, of course, but known to the more learned cognoscenti.

Otony

It's 38S&W long, the same cartridge as 38colt. S&W refused to rollmark Colt anywhere on their guns, so they renamed the cartridge.

JLF

The 38 Long Colt has a bullet diameter of .361 and a case neck of .381

The 38 S&W has a bullet diameter of .361 and a case neck of .3855

A the diameter of the heel of a heeled bullet is SMALLER than the diameter of the bullet, not bigger. So a smaller expander is needed not larger.

The expander in his die set is .385 (marked 386) which is larger than the 38 LC case and as large as the 38 S&W case. A round loaded with a .385 bullet most likely would not chamber in either the 38 LC or 38 S&W.

This is weird!

Could it be to just bell the case a bit by adjusting a little at a time rather than pushing the case over the .385" part of the 'expander'?

.....which you realize, I hope.

Otony

nm

had the wrong stamp. They used the 38, but then was still using the S&W-L from the run of 32 S&W Long dies that he had just finished.

I am beginning to believe you are correct. It was a factory screw up with the wrong expander put in the set to boot. This might be the reason it was unsold all of these years.

Otony

0.386" inside diameter. That was the diameter of the heel portion of the heel-base bullet. The outside (forward part) of the bullet ran from 0.400" to 0.408". The hollow-base bullet was 0.386" full length. In a lot of years of looking, I have not found another cartridge that uses 0.386" bullets.

I think someone put the wrong expander in it when they shipped it years ago.

.......think we have a winner!

Otony