38 S&W case checker

[metalcruncher]

I reload at a separate facility from my home. I?ve been reloading .38-200 and .38 S&W (black powder) lately. Without bringing an Enfield or a top break to my workshop, is there a gauge available to check my reloads?

I can?t find one available online. Plan B is to buy a used cylinder online and check with that.

The .38 S&W (black powder) hasn?t been much of an issue. The 38-200 with the .361 diameter bullet has been tricky.

[ar15barrels]

I don't know of any commercially produced ammo checker gauges for 38-200.
Are you more concerned with the case diameter not fitting in the cylinder or the bullet diameter?

I pretty simple gauge could be made to check either one but it gets more complicated to check both in a single gauge.
That would take a chamber reamer.
And not just a standard chamber reamer as the standard ones cut chambers larger than the maximum spec for the ammo.
You have to get a reamer made specifically to cut an ammo maximum spec.
It would be $150+ just for the tool.
A simple cylinder gauge could be made for $40 ish to check either case diameter or bullet diameter.

[metalcruncher]

Thanks Randall,
I’m looking to check the finished cartridge diameter. The 200 gr bullet doesn’t have a crimp groove. More like a “shelf” I can roll crimp the brass over. With new Starline brass and a .361 bullet, it takes a hefty crimp to make the crimp diameter around .383-.384 inches to fit either an Enfield or Webley. One-thousandth more than that and the cartridge starts binding halfway into the cylinder.
I was hoping that maybe someone made one in the past. eBay and Gunbroker don’t turn up anything. eBay has some old cylinders for sale and I just may buy one and throw it in with my dies.

[divingin]

I'd guess you could take a known good round and cast an epoxy mold that could be used. Or have a gauge 3D printed?

[ar15barrels]

Or have a gauge 3D printed?

LOL.
3d printing (at least at the consumer level) is nowhere near accurate enough for making gauges.
Also, plastic is not rigid enough for cartridge gauges.