big difference in federal and rem 38spl ammo - The Firearms Forum

soundguy · 12-04-2012, 03:31 PM

went to the range today to let my mom shoot a variety of 38's.. had a box of federal 38 lrn with me that i had been using in my rosse lever gun. ( no issues.. shot great )

stopepd by walmart and grabbed some remington fmj.. etc.

out to the range.

starting shooting hte lrn federal to use them up.. noticed they chambers .. hmm.. stiff in the revolvers ( charter arms, tarus 85 and a smith ).. stiff but went in without 'forcing' them.. lets just say um.. good and snug..

on the tarus 85 occasionally a shot cartrige with drift back, and due to the snuggness make a drag ont he back of the frame when rotating.. enough drag that you could feel once you had 3-4 of them fired.

ran out of those and switched to the remington fmj

night and day difference.

drop into the cyls like every other handgun ammo and cyl fit i'm used to.. fired fin, no drag.. extracted and fell out when you dumpe dthe pistol cyl over.. the deferal pushed out with the extracor and then you had to finger pick each cartridge the rest of the way out.. though came out easy enough.

so.. what's the deal ? the lrn got a lil lip ?

brass on the wide side of acceptable?

none involved were plus p etc.

all guns in good repair.. most on the newish side... including the rossi lever gun, which digested either round just fine...

odd quirk? or?

in any case.. next outing with mom i'll just grab more fmj....

B27 · 12-13-2012, 04:52 PM

the Federal was evidently loaded to a higher pressure.

I love to plink 7Up cans at 25 yards with my .38/.357 revolvers and a short while ago got interested in seeing whose cheap loads would group best.

I bought 500 of each of the following...

Federal "American Eagle" 158gr. LRN

Remington "UMC" 158gr. LRN

Winchester "USA" 158gr. LRN

Black Hills "Blue Box" 158gr. LRN

The Remington UMC was filthy as all get out.....it also produced groups at 25 yards off the bench less than half the size of all the other loads. 1.75 inches.

Guns used were a six inch model 19, a four inch model 586 and a four inch model 15.

cycloneman · 12-13-2012, 05:10 PM

Over the years this is what i have found.

I had a baby eagle in 40 that blew up on me with fed factory ammo

I had a 308 rifle do the same with fed am eagle.

If i put fed shotgun shells in my mossberg i get crap in my eye. No other brand does this.

So one day i decided to look real close to those fed 308.

This is my opinion only and i am not trying to get in a fight.

Unless it is lake city mil spec by fed i will not buy it, period. In fact you can not give me a fed bullet to shoot in my guns, I simply will not put it in there.
If you take a good hard look at fed lc cases as oposed to any other fed case you will find a difference. Mic it.

In my opinion fed ammo cases other than LC are made to the long side of the tolerence for chambers. I prefer Hornady, Remington, Winchester in that order.

SO i am not suprise to hear your complaint. I simply cant stand fed brass.

soundguy · 12-13-2012, 05:18 PM

hey now.. good idea.. i think I still have a few of those fed 38 lrn unfired. I'll mick ( not caliper ) and compair to the few rem fmj I have left...

I take it my rossi lever gun has a liberal chamber compaired tot he wheelguns..

carver · 12-13-2012, 06:12 PM

Federal ammo is about all I buy. Never had a problem with it in any of my guns! Federal has been making ammo for almost 100 years, they must be doing something right!

soundguy · 12-13-2012, 06:26 PM

it all fired.. it just chamberd and extracted a lil 'stiff' in some of the revolvers.. unlike the rem.. the only 2 ammo's we shot that day.

I was unsure if it had to do with the rem being fmj and the federal being lrn etc?

soundguy · 12-13-2012, 06:27 PM

ps.. federal lrn is all i've ever shot in that rossi lever gun.

goes fine... -0- issues there..

B27 · 12-13-2012, 09:02 PM

.308 Winchester and 7.62x51 are not the same cartridge.

I only WISH I could afford to shoot Federal factory ammo exclusively.

soundguy · 12-14-2012, 07:04 PM

not sure how that applies here?

12-04-2012, 03:31 PM	#1
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,474	big difference in federal and rem 38spl ammo went to the range today to let my mom shoot a variety of 38's.. had a box of federal 38 lrn with me that i had been using in my rosse lever gun. ( no issues.. shot great ) stopepd by walmart and grabbed some remington fmj.. etc. out to the range. starting shooting hte lrn federal to use them up.. noticed they chambers .. hmm.. stiff in the revolvers ( charter arms, tarus 85 and a smith ).. stiff but went in without 'forcing' them.. lets just say um.. good and snug.. on the tarus 85 occasionally a shot cartrige with drift back, and due to the snuggness make a drag ont he back of the frame when rotating.. enough drag that you could feel once you had 3-4 of them fired. ran out of those and switched to the remington fmj night and day difference. drop into the cyls like every other handgun ammo and cyl fit i'm used to.. fired fin, no drag.. extracted and fell out when you dumpe dthe pistol cyl over.. the deferal pushed out with the extracor and then you had to finger pick each cartridge the rest of the way out.. though came out easy enough. so.. what's the deal ? the lrn got a lil lip ? brass on the wide side of acceptable? none involved were plus p etc. all guns in good repair.. most on the newish side... including the rossi lever gun, which digested either round just fine... odd quirk? or? in any case.. next outing with mom i'll just grab more fmj.... -->

12-13-2012, 04:52 PM	#2
B27 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 415	Re: big difference in federal and rem 38spl ammo the Federal was evidently loaded to a higher pressure. I love to plink 7Up cans at 25 yards with my .38/.357 revolvers and a short while ago got interested in seeing whose cheap loads would group best. I bought 500 of each of the following... Federal "American Eagle" 158gr. LRN Remington "UMC" 158gr. LRN Winchester "USA" 158gr. LRN Black Hills "Blue Box" 158gr. LRN The Remington UMC was filthy as all get out.....it also produced groups at 25 yards off the bench less than half the size of all the other loads. 1.75 inches. Guns used were a six inch model 19, a four inch model 586 and a four inch model 15. __________________ "Do not stand beside the road and argue with a fool...lest others in passing take you also for a fool." Last edited by B27; 12-13-2012 at 04:54 PM..

12-13-2012, 05:10 PM	#3
cycloneman Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Louisiana Posts: 7,407	Re: big difference in federal and rem 38spl ammo Over the years this is what i have found. I had a baby eagle in 40 that blew up on me with fed factory ammo I had a 308 rifle do the same with fed am eagle. If i put fed shotgun shells in my mossberg i get crap in my eye. No other brand does this. So one day i decided to look real close to those fed 308. This is my opinion only and i am not trying to get in a fight. Unless it is lake city mil spec by fed i will not buy it, period. In fact you can not give me a fed bullet to shoot in my guns, I simply will not put it in there. If you take a good hard look at fed lc cases as oposed to any other fed case you will find a difference. Mic it. In my opinion fed ammo cases other than LC are made to the long side of the tolerence for chambers. I prefer Hornady, Remington, Winchester in that order. SO i am not suprise to hear your complaint. I simply cant stand fed brass. __________________ Who are you going to serve today?

12-13-2012, 05:18 PM	#4
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,474	Re: big difference in federal and rem 38spl ammo hey now.. good idea.. i think I still have a few of those fed 38 lrn unfired. I'll mick ( not caliper ) and compair to the few rem fmj I have left... I take it my rossi lever gun has a liberal chamber compaired tot he wheelguns..

12-13-2012, 06:12 PM	#5
carver TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: DAV, Deep in the Pineywoods of East Texas, just west of Shreveport, LA Contributor Posts: 11,297	Re: big difference in federal and rem 38spl ammo Federal ammo is about all I buy. Never had a problem with it in any of my guns! Federal has been making ammo for almost 100 years, they must be doing something right! __________________ Y'all be safe now, ya hear! Lamentations Chapter 5: 1. Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. 2. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. 3. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers [are] as widows. 5. Our necks [are] under persecution: we labour, [and] have no rest. 16. The crown is fallen [from] our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! 21. Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. Last edited by carver; 12-13-2012 at 06:14 PM..

12-13-2012, 06:26 PM	#6
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,474	Re: big difference in federal and rem 38spl ammo it all fired.. it just chamberd and extracted a lil 'stiff' in some of the revolvers.. unlike the rem.. the only 2 ammo's we shot that day. I was unsure if it had to do with the rem being fmj and the federal being lrn etc?

12-13-2012, 06:27 PM	#7
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,474	Re: big difference in federal and rem 38spl ammo ps.. federal lrn is all i've ever shot in that rossi lever gun. goes fine... -0- issues there..

12-13-2012, 09:02 PM	#8
B27 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 415	Re: big difference in federal and rem 38spl ammo .308 Winchester and 7.62x51 are not the same cartridge. I only WISH I could afford to shoot Federal factory ammo exclusively. __________________ "Do not stand beside the road and argue with a fool...lest others in passing take you also for a fool." Last edited by B27; 12-13-2012 at 09:03 PM..

12-14-2012, 07:04 PM	#9
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,474	Re: big difference in federal and rem 38spl ammo not sure how that applies here?