How to tell if "OLD" remington balloon-head cases are reloadable?

[jjrothWA]

Have a 30 brass cases of 38WCF [aka 38-40] from a neighbor toreload.

how to tell if good? Will have photos of the case interiors and the box nomenclature , dig the "red" price of $2.16 on the box bottom.

Using .401" diameter 180gr coated lead, so will be looking for load data.

any feedback appreciated.

[lyman]

are the primer pockets the same size as modern primers?

I'm not familiar with the older balloon head stuff,

I would stick with BP or cowboy loads for that old brass tho

[Sunray]

Dunno who Fr. Frog is, but the guy is emphatic in saying they are not reloadable. Something about how the cases were made. The primer pocket projects into the interior of the shell case without being enclosed by the case head.
https://www.frfrogspad.com/miscellf.htm
There's 180 grain cast bullet .38-40 data on Hodgdon's site under 'Pistol'.

[barretcreek]

If the box says 'non-mercuric' they were reloadable when they were new. If it's the original box. I say no.

[Tuna]

The big problem with the 38-40 seems to be the wide variation in bore diameter between firearms. Most are well over sized. The balloon headed cases were made for Black Powder and very well may not be suitable for smokeless powder. Best to use Black Powder in old revolvers and save the smokeless loads for rifles with solid case heads. Loading data is hard to find. I have two loads for smokeless powders jacketed bullets only. and none for Black powder.

[jjrothWA]

49047


49048


photos for box nomenclature and case interior

[Johnny P]

The balloon head cases come in two varieties, folded head and solid head. The folded head were made much like rimfire cases, while the solid head was like modern cases except the primer pocket was not fully supported. I loaded .38-40 and .44 Special "solid" balloon head cases early on when brass was hard to find. My loads were mild, and never experienced a problem.

Supposedly Elmer Keith used solid balloon head cases in his quest for higher velocity in the .44 Special because they held slightly more powder.

[Parashooter]

From a 1937 Phil Sharpe book -

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