you can put a .38 in a .357 revolver but why doesnt a .357 fit in a .38??

last I checked, .38 is larger than .357

isn't the 357 case longeR?

However, a .357 cartridge seems to be a tad longer than one in .38 and would thus prevent the cylinder from closing.

Red-Beard is correct.

The .357 case is too long. What do we win?

This is a joke, right?

cuz its the matrix!

it'll fit.....you just have to get a small hammer and "tap" it in.

Kar98 got it right. The rim of the 357 is manufactured to be a little thicker than the rim of a 38 cartridge.
Why? Because all 357 are strong enough to deal with 38 ammo but not the other way around. IOT, it prevents people from attempting to discharge hot loaded 357 ammo out of a gun that was designed to take 38 ammo only.

Most modern 38's would probably be able to deal with normal 357 ammo. Probably is the big word here....
Can you say KABOOOOM!!

LRdrvr

A .38 and .357 are actually .36 caliber. The reason a .38 is called a .38 is because back when the cartrage came out the cap and ball revolver was .36 caliber and the enclosed caliber was .36 also. The enclosed cartrage was called a .38 so people wouldn't confuse the two when they went to the store to buy ammo[;)]

Sounds like you have your answer!

Checked my sources and you are ALL WRONG!!

Its part of the vast left wing conspiracy.

Actually I just checked with my snubby 38 and there is a rim in the cylinder that will not allow the cartridge to seat 100%

Although the length of the cartridge WILL fit in lengthwise should one decide to drill out that rim.

Considering it is there, there must be a reason so I think I will leave that there. But then I will have to get a snub .357 because now I feel cheated.

Just a mans way of thinking

.357 is the caliber period,and one is a .357 MAG!  Neither one is a 38!  

You can put the same ammount of powder in a 38 special(.357) case as you can in a .357 Mag  case!

So therefore they(the smart guys) made the Mag case a little longer so you couldn't fuck up and put the Mag in the not so strong .357 (38) chamber!


They are both .357 one is Mag one is not so Mag!

Same as .45 ACP and .45 long colt!

Bob [:D]

Huh?  I don't think that's what Kar98 said nor do I think .001 of rim difference would prevent the chambering of a round.  Vagaries of manufacturing are going to eat up more than a thou in tolerance.  There's certainly more clearance than that on my revolver.

Put the .357 rounds into the dryer to shrink them.  After 60 minutes of tumbling, they should fit into your .38.

-934

Damn feds.

I'll give you the .357 idea... But you are totally wrong on the .45 ACP/.45 colt idea.  First of all one of them was originally a black powder cartridge invented about 25 years before the other.  Second, the LC is .452, where as the ACP is .451   One in not the magnum of the other.  Crack head.

[/quote]

I'll give you the .357 idea... But you are totally wrong on the .45 ACP/.45 colt idea.  First of all one of them was originally a black powder cartridge invented about 25 years before the other.  Second, the LC is .452, where as the ACP is .451   One in not the magnum of the other.  Crack head.[/quote]

Exactly

Not quite. The .38 Special was derived from a cartridge which was loaded with a heel-type bullet (sort of a Minie ball, just like in the .22 LR). The bore diameter was 0.375" or 0.38", hence the .38 caliber designation.

Somewhere along the line, cartridges with heel-type bullets were phased out. In the case of the .38 Special, the bullet and bore diameters were reduced to approximately that of the case itself (i.e., 0.357").

The .38 S&W (also called the .38/200 by the Limeys) had its case and bullet diameters increased to match the bore diameter.

Cap & ball revolvers had their caliber designations based on land-to-land measurements, vice groove-to-groove as is the custom on modern American cartridges featuring English units (U.S. metric cartridges are measured land-to-land). Overseas this is all opposite.

It isn't, and it's not what I [i]meant[/i] either.
I was actually referring to the length of the cartridge as most obvious difference between the two calibers, and thought, after this difference in length would be reason enough why you can't fire a .357 from a .38, what with the cartridges sticking out of the chamber and all, thus preventing you from closing it.
I didn't even go into differences in case design or how .357, .38, 9mm &c. are merely _nominal_ calibers, with the actual diameter of the bullet varying quite a ways.

Why?  Because I said so, that's why!!

Uh... 45 LC has a rimmed case and 45ACP has a rimless case. Definitely not the same while both the .38 Special and .357 Magnum have rimmed cases.

Holy Smoke, guys!  In the normal course of events on this discussion forum, everybody gives their "opinions" about stuff.  That is fine.

But a question such as, "you can put a .38 in a .357 revolver but why doesn't a .357 fit in a .38??", is asked, it is time for facts, not opinions.

It has nothing to do with the rim.  They are the same.

It has nothing to do with a calling it a .38 when it was actually a .36 so people wouldn't get confused.  It is a result of the original "heeled" bullet as described by Jim_Dandy.

The .45ACP and the .45LC have no relationship except being nominally .45 caliber.

Elmer Keith (and others) had been experimenting with loading .38 Specials hot for hunting.  He finally convinced S&W to manufacture these hot loads, but they were put in cases that were approximately 1/10th inch longer to prevent them being loaded into older and weaker .38 Specials.  Both the .38 Special and the .357 Magnum actually use bullets that are .357 inch in diameter (nominally).  Elmer also did basically the same thing with the .44 Special with the result being the .44 Magnum.

19119640 is basically correct about the .45LC being a black powder cartridge originally.  The .45ACP was designed to work in the 1911 Browning pistol and to have the same velocity as the .45LC with a smokeless powder and be able to function in a semi-auto.

Opinions are opinions.  Facts are facts.

Because the hammer you are using isn't big enough. The caliber designations are just suggestions provided by the manufacturer to hide the fact that all calibers are interchangable. You just need the  appropriate sized hammer to affect a proper caliber change.

38 special and 357 mag are the same size projectile. It measures .357 diameter. The 357 case is a bit longer .135. Due to this extra length in most 38 special revolvers you can not load the 357's. besides the shoulder in the chamber, the projectile will stick thru the cylinder and keep it from closing.
As for why they call it a 38, I've heard that it is the diameter of the case mouth once a bullet is seated. Haven't been able to verify this yet.

You guys are so full of it. The reason a .357 won't "fit" in a place for a .38 is due to the social barriers erected between the two cartridges. While a .38 is very commonly seen in social situations dominated (indeed, constructed) by the majority .357 culture, a .357 in a .38 culture will stick out like a sore thumb. This is a diversity problem, and can only be solved by federally sponsored program to ensure that all cartridges can be used interchangeably, and that no cartridge is left behind. Furthermore, our society regulary discriminates against larger bores anyway, with virtually no place left for cartridges like the .500S&W and even the .50BMG. These cartridges just don't "fit" in the social construct of the 9x19 or even the .45ACP. We must endeavor to accept the diversity of the various cartridges of the world, so that one day they will all "fit" in.

This politically correct message brought to you by the Rainbow Coalition.

[>:/]

Seems you don't really know what you are talking about,as a 44 special will only just barely give you .45acp power!

And the 45 long colt with the big case features,and jumbo bullet weights will out preform the .45acp in magnum porportions!


Drop the crack head trib son!

 Bob [:D]

hehe

Just think if you wanted to "shrink" the S&W 500

[:D]

You'd need a torch or something to get it hot enough. [:P]