Reason for bad load? Stuck bullet in barrel .45lc

redice

Ok I have just started reloading and im doing .45 colt, I believe it was the lee manual that lists 6.6 grains unique starting and 6.8max for 300gran jlfn I tested 10 out of my taurus 44-10 no problems decent group at 6.6 and 606 fps listed fps was I beilive 660 so fine I do have a short barrel.

Go today to test in my marlin lever action limited cowboy edition 1892? bang hit paper at 25 bang paper bang paper next round fires however doesnt sound right and when the chamber unlocks after a couple millaseconds I hear a hiss of gas release.

Now I am almost 100% certain I didnt under load, I am using a rcbs electronic powder measure/scale and do each dump individualy, I have never seen it under charge it goes over and warns you but if its under it always trickles up.

So why do I have a 300 grain jacketed lead flat nose bullet stuck an inch from the end of my barrel? Thats what I found when I took the 5th live cartridge out then looked down the barrel.

Could this be a primer problem, or something more nefarius? Do I need to run a highter fps in the rifle? I wouldent think since all factory ammo is loaded light as well to make sure you dont blow up your old colt, I plan to chrono some factory stuff I have now but that doesnt seem like it would be the problem.

Thanks for your help this is my first one of these so I could use your experiance on the problem.

Tailgunner1954

Not near my manuals at the present time, but LEE tends to be on the light side with their powder charges. My suggestion would be to get a real manual (like the one the maker of your bullet publishes)

captkirk3@dslextreme.com

Sounds like Your Long on Primer and Short on Powder....

redice

hrm for some reason I cant edit my post. Wanted to add I was using remington 2 1/2 large pistol primers.

The one thing that bothered me about using one of the other manuals I have is instead of 6.6 they are like 11.0 in the same load and I wanted to stick within revolver specs so if I ended up shooting it in my taurus or my fathers italian jobby it would be ok, however some manuals eather just list cowboy loads "and only for a couple sizes of lead" or they dont list for revolvers or something else was different about them I dont recal. Seemed as if the lee was the best bet at that time but now I dont know.

I gues I will have to go look again, can I go by velocity whats safe in revolvers for .45colt? That may make it easier to wade threw my manuals. I will go grab some and get some numbers and that now so im not just pulling crap out of my head.


ok
lee
unique 6.6-6.8 677-690 fps
red dot 4.8-4.8 550 fps

Sierra 5th "top of page Ruger, Colt, Dan Wesson, Freedom arms"
unique 8.3-10.5 800-1000 fps

speer# 13 "for Ruger & contender only"
Unique 9.5-10.5 880-952

So from that it seems 8.3 and above is to much for revolvers incept for those few that can take the pressure, I dont know where my taurus is rated probably better than a colt clone or my dads italian but how much better I dont know.

My lever action should be able to take anything the contender can I assume, so am I stuck using the 300's only in my rifle and upping the charge to contender numbers or do I have some other option?

glabray

My copy of the Lee manual lists 6.0 grains of Unique as a starting load (not 6.6) and 6.8 grains maximum. Either way, that isn't a lot of powder in that big case and I'd expect a lot of variability in performance depending on the position of the powder from shot to shot. You might have had very slow ignition from all the powder being at the front of the case and a long way from the primer. However, I would have expected enough pressure to push the bullet out of the barrel at least! Are you shure you didn't miss or vastly underweigh the charge?

bama55

It does sound like not enough powder in that one, IMO. Have you considered using a filler to keep the powder close to the primer for positive ignition? I have loaded .357 mag. with Unique and with a 4" barrel there were flakes that appeared unburned (I changed powder).

BHAVIN

You might look at Hodgdon "Titegroup" powder it was made especailly for large cases and is not position sensitive. Unique is a good old powder but with the amount used your problem could be solved with changing powder.

redice

You may be right on the powder being at the other end of the case I just looked at the cartridges again and one of the 4 there is no poweder burn right near the primer or bottom end of the case all the rest are black.

Now by filler what exactly did you mean? When I did my 45colt bp loads I was going to do 40grains but it wasnt quite enough, and there would have been an air pocket so I concidered using a 1/8 cork wad to take up the space but then thought about it and decided ah hell I will just put 45 grains in. The reason I thought about it is im using 40 grains in my shotshell loads and didnt want to change my measure.

Now I know smokeless is different that an air pocket is ok but in this instance I think your right and the powder may have been to dispursed/or to far from the primer during ignition. So what could I do to correct that? and or is there a better powder for reloading .45 colt that would take up the space better?

Btw the bullet tapped out no problem and the barrel is quite dirty but I assume thats because of the gases/powder not excaping as usual.

edit: thanks BHAVIN I was thinking about picking up some titegroup for reloading 160's er just looked only loading I see for 300gr using titegroup is 5.2-5.8 in lee at 622-682

Tailgunner1954

Alliants website ( http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/index.aspx ) shows Unique 6.8gr (guess where LEE stole got their data from), with a 300gr HP/XTP (jacketed) and a WLP primer, giving 690fps and 12,500CUP.

Personaly I'd work my way up to 7.5gr (or so) of Unique. Don't be suprised if your carbine and your pistol like 2 completly different loads. I'd also try 2400, esp in the Marlin

glabray

Many of the old Alliant powders, such as 2400, Unique, and even Bullseye are not all that easy to ignite. It is very common to find flakes of unburned powder in the bore even with proper loads and a hot primer. I've even had unburned powder flakes accumlate behind the star extractor of a revolver to such a degree that the extractor does not seat all the way in and the cylinder would not close with a new set of rounds. I have much better luck with ball powders.

redice

quote:Originally posted by Tailgunner1954
Alliants website ( http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/index.aspx ) shows Unique 6.8gr (guess where LEE stole got their data from), with a 300gr HP/XTP (jacketed) and a WLP primer, giving 690fps and 12,500CUP.

Personaly I'd work my way up to 7.5gr (or so) of Unique. Don't be suprised if your carbine and your pistol like 2 completly different loads. I'd also try 2400, esp in the Marlin


Is the 2400 also known as herc 2400? I see it listed as that in lee which says 12.5 grains - hrm go figure 12.5... do they only list what it says on the manufacturer website rofl. Anyhow in sierra it says 2400 13.9-18.8 800-1100 fps of course again ruger/contendor only.

Will the 2400 take up more space than what the unique is takeing?

mbsams

I have been shooting 45 Colt for 40 years. The standard black powder duplication load for Unique is 8.0 granes and a 255 lead bullet. your load is light but fine. Unique is one of the very best for the 45. 14.0 of AA9 works best for me. But to answer your question -- I would bet no matter how careful and sure you are, you had one round with little or no powder - a contaminated primer could do this too = I had that with an entire lot of primers once. Stay with Unique and Black powder duplication loads, you won't go wrong.

redice

before lock I made a continuation thread in general, er should have been in reloading but did it quick wasnt thinking...

http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=219737