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Any remidies for too much space in the case?

mstrblastermstrblaster Member Posts: 249 ✭✭✭
edited March 2009 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
I have been loading down 38 specials for my wife to shoot from her short barrel airlite. I have been working on loads, and have gotten down to 3.6 to 4.3 gr of 231 with 125Gr hp's. I am finding that the first couple of rounds shoot fine in her revolver, and then one tends to get stuck in the barrel. I remembered an article that I read about powder being close to the primer. I started tipping up the barrel on the revolver, and found that all rounds then fired. I'm assuming that so little powder is spreading out in the case, and the primer is not sparking all of it. Has anyone used any type of spacer or wad to help with a problem of this type. A friend of mine suggested seating the bullet quite a bit deeper. Thanks for any help you can give me!!
To my mind it is wholly irresponsible to go out into the world incapable of preventing violence, injury, crime, and death. How feeble is the mindset to accept defenselessness, how cheap, how cowardly, how pathetic. Ted Nugent.
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Comments

  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Put a heavy roll crimp on the case into the bullet cannelure. Ball powders tend to be harder to light due to the deterrent coatings. It sounds like you are getting poor ignition.
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  • 1911 Gunslinger1911 Gunslinger Member Posts: 747 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You can use angel hair from the crafts section of stores to fill the space, you can also use 38 short colt cases to load reduced rounds, it is much shorter than a 38 special and works better with light charges.
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  • peabopeabo Member Posts: 3,098
    edited November -1
    If you are loading practice ammo, get the 148 grain hollow base wadcutters.
    They are long and are loaded deep enough, even with the end of the 38 spl. case, to take up a lot of air space in the case.

    The case is crimped over the end of the bullet.

    Don't take my word for it, but I believe I was loading 2.8 grains of Bullseye.
    This load was a target load for the model 52 S&W.

    Check your manuals, they should list this combination.


    Thanks---Peabo
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  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,438 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There are several errors being made. First is the choice of bullet. That 125 JHP is so short it is creating more case volume, which exacerbates the ignition problem. It is also a jacketed bullet, which means it has higher friction in the bore, leading to sticking the bullet at slow speeds.

    You are using a ball powder at what I suspect is a below-start-level charge weight. As peabo explained, that leads to poor ignition and incomplete burning.

    I second his suggestion of a lead 148 wadcutter. You can also find light lead bullets meant for Cowboy Action Shooting, plus load data for that sport. Peabo's classic Bullseye load is superb. If you need an alternate powder, look for a fluffy single-base flake powder. RedDot, TiteGroup or Clays would be perfect. A powder meant for low velocity lead bullets is the VERY fluffy TrailBoss.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
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  • rongrong Member Posts: 8,459
    edited November -1
    Push a small bunched up piece
    of toilet paper in the shell
    to keep the powder firm to
    the primer-works everytime
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