Best Reload

Reloading for 400 Astra?

newell asked:


I own an Astra 400 in 9mm Largo. It was for export to America and was chambered for 9mm Large or .38 Colt. NOT .38 super. Could I load .38 super for this gun, provided I lower the powder charge to .38 Colt levels?
sigh. I said this was a special export version chambered with a compromise chamber for 9mm Largo and .38 Colt Auto. .38 Colt Auto has much lower chamber pressure than .38 super, but identical dimensions.

Best Reload

Tags: Astra, Compromise, Reloading

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 16th, 2009 at 5:59 pm and is filed under Hunting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Reloading for 400 Astra?”

1. Best Reload says:

   July 18, 2009 at 9:17 pm

   Best Reload

   I would look into trimming cases to the Largo length and stick with the loads you find in a recognized re loading manual. If your pistol is, in fact, a Largo.

   If I read you right… dont try to mimic a .38 super loading… 38 super works at very high pressures and I would suspect an Astra would fail violently if a .38 super lever round was fired through it.

   Again …from you posting I am not sure if your Astra is actually a 9 largo … or 9mm luger or a .38 colt (short or long?)
2. Best Reload says:

   July 21, 2009 at 9:06 am

   Best Reload

   9 mm largo is an obsolete round from about the turn of the 20th century. There is only one match for it, namely the Winchester 9×23mm. Only the brass can be used for reloading as the Winchester is 75-100% more powerful than the Largo.
   .38 ACP & Super is a semi-rimmed round and cannot be used without turning the rim. Also it is .010 short.
   Now here is where the fun comes in: Find some 9×23 Win brass and some reloading dies.
   I did the research on the cases, now you do the research and find some.
3. Best Reload says:

   July 23, 2009 at 1:53 pm

   Best Reload

   Apparently Old Western Scrounger has done just that.
   Please measure case volume carefully to be sure.

   Check out 9mmlargo.com and the Star site for more.