357sig Loading

[david_r]

It is possible that your decapping pin domed them and even damaged the one to look like a pierced primer. ETA: You would normally get a primer that was smashed flat at the edges of the primer pocket and with excessive flow into the firing pin hole in the breech with an overpressure. The shell is going to be pushed back against the breech else the gun wouldn't cycle. That reseats and flattens the primer face on the way out of the gun.

Different colored sharpies (remember when they were called marks-a-lot?) spun in the extractor groove can help you keeping your notes with your spent casings.

ETA: Cool -- tell your wife how much money you'll be saving on 11k rounds

 

[SL1]

tell your wife how much money you'll be saving on 11k rounds

And then be prepared for her to tell you how much money she saved on 11K pairs of shoes? STRONGLY suggest not going there.

SL1

 

[HookedOnTheOutdoors]

357 sig reloading

yea.. I don't think I will open that door too wide. Only one of us should be spending money like that at a time

I never thought of the sharpie idea. I like it.

Looks like my test session is in jeopardy for tomorrow. Its supposed to be raining. I doubt the chrony would like that much. its looking like Friday now.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

When you say "domed", you're talking about convex? As in, out toward the firing pin/breach-face?

If so, that would be nearly impossible to happen in the gun. "Mushrooming" happens, which is when either excessive pressure or softer/thinner than normal primer metal begins to form the primer into the exact shape of the primer pocket and it ends up "flat topped" with a ridge around the edge instead of rounded like normal.

"Domed" would be nearly impossible. The primer would be pushed back flat against the breach face.

 

[HookedOnTheOutdoors]

357 sig reloading

That's reassuring. I bet David_R nailed it. The decapping pin caused the doming.

 

[Sevens]

My problem is that I ended up with 11 LBS of Unique thanks to Natchez Shooters Supply refusing to cancel a 1 day old order.

Ha ha, sounds almost like it's Natchez's fault that you made the wrong order and they were quick to process it? Most anyone these days will kill their own dog to get their hands on 11 lbs of smokeless powder.

Natchez is very, very good people and this nugget is the closest thing I've found to a complaint on them.

 

[HookedOnTheOutdoors]

357 sig reloading

Sevens,

No, it went like this:

I stumbled across an 8 LB keg of Unique on Natchez. I wasn't sure that I really wanted that much, but considering they were saying that it was taking them 8-10 business days to process an order, I figured that I would place the order and cancel it if I got lucky locally on a smaller quantity.

It turned out that a local reloading supply store had some Unique stashed under their counter, out of customer sight. The owner graciously sold me what I needed.

At that point I thought the right thing to do was to call Natchez and cancel my order. I didn't need the powder and many other fellow reloaders did.

I called them the next day, a mere 24 hours after the order was placed. I was 33 in the queue and waited my turn. When the rep came on the line he told me that the order was placed and in the queue for processing and that there was nothing that he could do.

They went from "oh my God it will take me 8-10 business days to process your order" to "Ha Ha I have your money now."

I feel blessed that I have so much powder. I do however feel like a hoarder, no matter how unintentional. My wife is suggesting that I keep it, but I would probably share some with someone in need.

 

[HookedOnTheOutdoors]

357 sig reloading

I tested the following and found that there is little difference in velocity between a Winchester small pistol primer and small pistol magnum primers from CCI, Federal and Winchester:

Factory Ammo - Remington UMC 125 gr JHP Average 1353

Winchester Small Pistol -- 7.2 gr -- Average 1321 fps
CCI Small Pistol Mag -- 7.2 gr -- Average 1333 fps
Winchester Small Pistol Mag --7.2 gr -- Average 1325 fps
Federal Small Pistol Mag -- 7.2 gr -- Average 1351 fps

Winchester Small Pistol -- 7.6 gr -- Average 1357 fps
CCI Small Pistol Mag -- 7.6 gr -- Average 1376 fps
Winchester Small Pistol Mag --7.6 gr -- Average 1388 fps
Federal Small Pistol Mag -- 7.6 gr -- Average 1391 fps

Winchester Small Pistol -- 7.9 gr -- Average 1395 fps
CCI Small Pistol Mag -- 7.9 gr -- Average 1406 fps
Winchester Small Pistol Mag --7.9 gr --Average 1383 fps
Federal Small Pistol Mag -- 7.9 gr -- Average 1407 fps

I didn't notice any flattened primers. Haven't measured the cases yet.

 

[HookedOnTheOutdoors]

357 sig reloading

I noticed this while going over the spent cases (see attachment). 2 of the rounds that were loaded with the max load, 7.9 gr of Unique with a CCI 550 small pistol magnum primer have cracked cases. Need to test the accuracy of the different loads but I figure I will end up staying somewhere around 7.4 - 7.6 grains and use whatever small pistol primer that I have available.

 

[HookedOnTheOutdoors]

357sig reloading

Settled on 7.5 grains of Unique with a SPM primer. Excellent accuracy at 25 yards and chrono at 1415 or so. I need a new project now

Thanks again for all of the comments.