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Fire Forming 38-55 (Read 517 times)

4570mike Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 436 Location: On the Peninsula Joined: Apr 11^th, 2013	Fire Forming 38-55 Nov 2^nd, 2025 at 5:30pm	Print Post
	I need to fire form some 38-55 cases. I was going to use some .36 cal. (.375") round balls and a light (3-4 gr.) charge of 700X shotgun powder. I also have some Accurate No. 9. Haven't had to do this before. Any thoughts or comments? Thanks, Mike.


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Oldman1950 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 257 Location: Virginia Joined: Feb 8^th, 2014	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #1 - Nov 2^nd, 2025 at 5:43pm	Print Post
	I have luck fireforming brass with 10 gr. 700x and the rest of the case filled with cream of wheat topped with a thin foam wad to hold it all together. A. J. Palik


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Cat_Whisperer Frequent Elocutionist Offline No 1, 9.3x74R Posts: 3959 Location: Mountains of Virginia Joined: Apr 17^th, 2004	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #2 - Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 9:31am	Print Post
	Oldman1950 wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2025 at 5:43pm: I have luck fireforming brass with 10 gr. 700x and the rest of the case filled with cream of wheat topped with a thin foam wad to hold it all together. A. J. Palik I'm too cheap for COW and use grits.

	Cat Whisperer (trk) Chief of Smoke Pulaski Coehorn Works and Skunk Works Drafted May 1970, Retired Maj. U.S.Army assra #9885
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4570mike Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 436 Location: On the Peninsula Joined: Apr 11^th, 2013	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #3 - Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 9:46am	Print Post
	Cat_Whisperer wrote on Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 9:31am: Oldman1950 wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2025 at 5:43pm: I have luck fireforming brass with 10 gr. 700x and the rest of the case filled with cream of wheat topped with a thin foam wad to hold it all together. A. J. Palik I'm too cheap for COW and use grits. Instant or the 30 min. style


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oneatatime Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4174 Location: Rocky Mountains Joined: Oct 30^th, 2011	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #4 - Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 10:12am	Print Post
	Mike, depends on the primer;-)


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17284 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #5 - Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 10:25am	Print Post
	I've used corn cob from dry tumbler media also as filler. I use old bullet lube over the corn cob media to seal it. Any fast pistol powder or shotgun powder works well for me. Usually around 4-5 grains does it.

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Cat_Whisperer Frequent Elocutionist Offline No 1, 9.3x74R Posts: 3959 Location: Mountains of Virginia Joined: Apr 17^th, 2004	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #6 - Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 3:11pm	Print Post
	4570mike wrote on Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 9:46am: Cat_Whisperer wrote on Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 9:31am: Oldman1950 wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2025 at 5:43pm: I have luck fireforming brass with 10 gr. 700x and the rest of the case filled with cream of wheat topped with a thin foam wad to hold it all together. A. J. Palik I'm too cheap for COW and use grits. Instant or the 30 min. style I live in Virginia. NO self-respecting Virginian would even THINK of using instant.

	Cat Whisperer (trk) Chief of Smoke Pulaski Coehorn Works and Skunk Works Drafted May 1970, Retired Maj. U.S.Army assra #9885
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Babydriver Full Member Online Posts: 150 Joined: Mar 22^nd, 2024	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #7 - Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 4:36pm	Print Post
	I’ve use the cream of wheat and my cases got the measles. No kidding. If any end up in the chamber the next case will come out with dimples.


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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 11949 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #8 - Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 4:48pm	Print Post
	I never fire formed 38-55 brass before. Regular loads fire form just fine. BP or smokeless.
	« Last Edit: Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 5:11pm by westerner »
	A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
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gnoahhh Oldtimer Offline Posts: 994 Location: Gaithersburg, MD Joined: Mar 31^st, 2010	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #9 - Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 6:44pm	Print Post
	Begs the question, fire forming from what? .30-30? .32-40? .32 Special? Begs another question: whyinheck did Winchester name it the .32 "Special"?


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oneatatime Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4174 Location: Rocky Mountains Joined: Oct 30^th, 2011	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #10 - Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 7:30pm	Print Post
	Maybe Special because the factory load was smokeless but it had a slow twist to make it work well with BP reloads?


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17284 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #11 - Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 9:32pm	Print Post
	gnoahhh wrote on Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 6:44pm: Begs the question, fire forming from what? .30-30? .32-40? .32 Special? Begs another question: whyinheck did Winchester name it the .32 "Special"? Maybe to make it "special" compared to other cartridges they already were chambering for that were .32's also? They'd already stolen the .32-40 Ballard to call their own, and the .32-20 was already a WCF cartridge, so not much left for them to use.

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craigster Oldtimer Offline Posts: 766 Location: lost coast CA Joined: Feb 20^th, 2011	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #12 - Nov 4^th, 2025 at 11:32am	Print Post
	gnoahhh wrote on Nov 3^rd, 2025 at 6:44pm: Begs the question, fire forming from what? .30-30? .32-40? .32 Special? Begs another question: whyinheck did Winchester name it the .32 "Special"? Marketing.


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Oakdale Junior Member Offline Posts: 91 Location: Maplewood, MN Joined: Jun 7^th, 2017	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #13 - Nov 5^th, 2025 at 11:05am	Print Post
	Odd question...If you will be breach seating is fire forming really needed? Or do we do things "just because it was always done that way"? Tom


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gnoahhh Oldtimer Offline Posts: 994 Location: Gaithersburg, MD Joined: Mar 31^st, 2010	Re: Fire Forming 38-55 Reply #14 - Nov 5^th, 2025 at 11:45am	Print Post
	There's an alternative way to re-form cases which may or may not be apropos here, and that is by using a hydraulic die to circumvent fireforming. Hornady makes them, but they aren't exactly cheap. I use one to form .22 K-Hornet brass out of regular Hornet brass. It involves water and a lead hammer, and is best done outside because it's messy (or in the living room, your call), but is a surefire way to generate brass without the risk of split cases and avoids the expense of primers and powder while at the same time saving the Cream of Wheat for the breakfast bowl.


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