Originally Posted by mathman
We start with:

Originally Posted by RiverRider


I have 358156 and have used it for many years, good mold. I also have a brand new 358429 which I have yet to even heat up...and I've been wondering if I can use the crimping groove for .357 Mag and still chamber ammo in my Black hawk. I am assuming the answer is yes, reading between the lines of your post, but is that correct?


Originally Posted by BobWills
That is correct RR. That bullet seated to and crimped in the crimp grove will also fit Smith models 27, 28, 19, 66, 586, 686 ect.



But then we have:

Originally Posted by RoninPhx
this is a solution in 27/28 revolvers as copy/pasted from another forum: "I can tell you for sure that it will fit Smith 586/686, Smith M-19, Ruger Security Six and will not fit Smith M-27/28 if crimped in the crimp groove.

My solution for the M-27/28 was to seat deeper and crimp into (not over) the front driving band, shortening the overall cartridge length to where the bullet was just below flush with the front of the cylinder. I never measured this length, so I can't post it, but the setting is fairly easy. Set your bullet seating die to seat but not crimp. Seat the bullet to the crimp groove and insert the cartridge into the cylinder. Observe how much of the bullet protrudes from the front face of the cylinder. Screw the bullet seating stem down aproximately equal to the amount of bullet nose protrusion you observed and seat the bullet deeper. Check the round in the cylinder again. Repeat this cycle until you have the bullet nose just below flush.

Now, unscrew the bullet seating stem as far as possible so you don't seat the bullet deeper when you adjust the crimping function of the die. Adjust the crimp to your requirements, then, with the cartridge all the way in the die (press handle down), screw the seating stem down until it makes firm contact with the bullet. Then lock the seating stem with its lock nut.


Originally Posted by BobWills
That is a perfect description of how I do it Ron and I thought everyone did it that way.


Seating 358429 bullets the way Ron explained has been a successful method of loading that bullet since it was made. The method he outlined allows you to load the bullet in the different chamber lengths and different brass lengths by crimping it in the correct location which is determined by simple observation of the bullets position in the case relative to the over all chamber length. Some chambers allow it to be seated in the crimping groove, others do not depending on the brass used, but the bullet can be used in most all 38/357 chambered guns using either 38 or 357 magnum brass, or some combination of those components.

River Rider wanted to know if it could be used in his Blackhawk using 357 magnum brass and still be crimped in the crimp groove. The answer to that is yes. It can also be loaded in many other guns, but depending on the brass used, some may require it to be seated deeper in the case and crimped a little forward of the crimp groove. That is easily done as Ron explained and I have used the same method that he explained to do exactly that for half a century with no problems. Many others have done the same thing. It is well understood and commonly used by those who have loaded bullet 358429 in various guns.

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