Odd brass turned out to be .38 Short Colt

J

Jim Watson

New member
The .41 LC is kind of the archetype of the heeled bullet category. Seems like a clearer history than the .38s.

I have read that the .38 Short Colt is the US version of the English .380 Revolver, seen there ca 1869 for the smaller Bulldogs. Listed in 1939 Stoegers.

I think i will go with Norm Flayderman on the centerfire conversion front.

As far as I know, the 1872 "Open Top Frontier" was strictly .44.
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
Does Flayderman say anything specifically about centerfire conversions?

Your posts are unclear on what it actually says.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
Oh, and the .41s are no clearer.

.41 Short and Long rimfire rounds preceded the .41 Short and Long Colt centerfires.

Same with .32 Short and Long rimfire preceding the .32 Short and Long Colt centerfires.
 
J

Jim Watson

New member
Flayderman says, frex
"Conversion of the Model 1851 Navy. Made primarily in the mid 1870s; total production of about 3800.
.38 rimfire and .38 centerfire. 6 shot cylinders, 7 1/2" barrels, octagonal with ejector rod attached and the loading lever removed and barrel lug plugged."

No breakdown of RF - CF or distinction in value.
Similar description of other .36s.

He does know the difference, listing the 4 1/2" Octagon Barrel Revolver (A 5 shot Pocket Navy conversion.) only in .38 Rimfire.
 
G

griz

New member
Some of the Cowboy Action shooters use them. In a 38 special single action revolve their ejection is more positive. I think that's the main reason you can still get new brass.
 
M

Marco Califo

New member
38 Special Short

Resurrecting this thread with some new pictures.
I have purchased and traded for range brass in 40SW, 9mm and 45 ACP. Sometimes I find a 9mm or 380 in a 40. In a tumbler I wound up with all three inside each other. But, one of these 9mm looking cases was different: Its headstamp says "38 Special C-CBC-" but it is WAY TOO SHORT to be 38 Special (0.755"). My best guess is that CBC is/was making low brass 38 Special ammo, and reducing the airspace left in the 38 Special black-powder era case volume. What do you think?
 

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M

Mike Irwin

Staff
Marco,

There was a thread over at IAI's collector forums where someone said that this cartridge was a product of CBC and was a "mishmash" in that it was designed to fit revolvers chambered for .38 Special, .38 Long Colt, and .38 S&W. Not sure if they would fit revolvers chambered in .38 Short Colt or not.

Apparently a few years later CBC came out with a properly dimensioned .38 S&W round
 
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