I'm loading .38 specials on my Dillon 650, using HS-6 powder and West Coast 125 grain Bill Mueller bullets. The gun gets real dirty real fast, and there is a lot of unburnt powder after just a few rounds. I think this may be from shots fired by primer after not having ignited all or most of the powder. I've been checking the powder charges, and it seems to be the right amount (7.2 grains). However, it seems like the cartridge is only about one third full of powder. What I think may be happening is that with so little powder in the case, and the powder sloshing around in there, the primer isn't always in contact with enough powder to ignite it. Please help. Am I doing something wrong? What do I do to fix this problem? Thanks for your help.
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38 Special Problem. Please help
- Thread starter branrot
- Start date
A little addendum: I've been doing some searches, and think the problem may be the crimp. When I squeeze some of the loaded bullets, they will get pushed down into the cartridge. I've measured the bullets with a caliper, and they seem in line (.357). Is my problem a weak crimp?
sricciardelli
New member
First, try a tighter crimp. Second switch to magnum primers.
Jim Watson
New member
The case neck needs to be tight on the bullet, more crimp is just a bandaid on a bigger problem. Either your sizing die is not reducing the case enough or your expander is opening it up too big. I bought an undersize .45 ACP die from EGW (made by Lee) so as to keep JHPs from setting back.
Measure your expander plug (Dillon powder funnel.) It should be smaller than bullet diameter. If not, polish it down. If it is, talk to Dillon about a tighter sizer. Or use cast or coated .358" bullets.
HS6 is a rather slow burning powder for a low pressure round like .38 Special. And a ball powder to boot. It will be dirty and erratic, no matter what. I load it in 9mm but not .38 or .45 ACP. Magnum primers might help. Otherwise, when it is gone, try HP38 or Titegroup; or something similar from other brands.
Measure your expander plug (Dillon powder funnel.) It should be smaller than bullet diameter. If not, polish it down. If it is, talk to Dillon about a tighter sizer. Or use cast or coated .358" bullets.
HS6 is a rather slow burning powder for a low pressure round like .38 Special. And a ball powder to boot. It will be dirty and erratic, no matter what. I load it in 9mm but not .38 or .45 ACP. Magnum primers might help. Otherwise, when it is gone, try HP38 or Titegroup; or something similar from other brands.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Try a different powder if the crimp doesn't solve the problem.
No powder is going to burn completely, some are just worse than others.
No powder is going to burn completely, some are just worse than others.
Paul Fitz Jones
New member
Switch powders
Switch powder to WW231 or HP-38
Paul Jones Star Reloaders Discussion and Support group readable by anyone
http://www.topica.com/lists/StarReloadersGroup
Switch powder to WW231 or HP-38
Paul Jones Star Reloaders Discussion and Support group readable by anyone
http://www.topica.com/lists/StarReloadersGroup
john kilgore
New member
You didn't specify what gun your'e shooting it in, so, I can't speculate if you have a gun problem. If you're shooting it in an old S&W Mod.-10 "Victory Model" that has been converted from .38 S&W to .38 Spl, that could be your problem.
However, I think that a weak crimp/case neck would not completely be the problem. It could be you have some deterioated powder, or a primer problem. I had some bad Win540 (same powder except for lot #'s) back in the early 1980's - it had gotten heat deterioation in a shop that was going out of business.
Steve was right- try a different primer, maybe powder too! HP-38/Win231 (essentially the same powders- just different lot #'s) works a lot better for what you're trying to load for.
Load what Hodgdon lists as their max load for best results with HS-6; and use a Federal 100 primer. If your using a CCI primers, that is a big part of your problem. Win. -SP are also good.
I have used the listed powder charge with a 125gr Sierra JHP and JSP bullet and gotten good results.
HS-6 is not a particularly clean burning powder in standard velocity/pressure loads, but not bad either. Accuracy and velocity is usually outstanding though.
The large amount of empty space is normal in most .38spl loadings.
Try checking your brass, I have seen large variations in brass thicknesses. A particularly thin batch of brass could also contribute to your situation.
(I had a bunch of Military .38 brass from an Airforce contract that was so thick, you could not seat a lead bullet sized to .356 without lead shaving... [PGU-85 w/130gr FMJ -or something to that effect]- You can imagine the poor accuracy !!! My brother picked it up on an Airforce range back in the '70's. He said that the original loads made the Airforces Mod.15 S&W's kick like .357's, and the stuff was tack-driving accurate, so he thought the brass might be something special- It was, especially thick to take the phenomenal pressures! Far above SAAMI +P.)
So long TFL...................
However, I think that a weak crimp/case neck would not completely be the problem. It could be you have some deterioated powder, or a primer problem. I had some bad Win540 (same powder except for lot #'s) back in the early 1980's - it had gotten heat deterioation in a shop that was going out of business.
Steve was right- try a different primer, maybe powder too! HP-38/Win231 (essentially the same powders- just different lot #'s) works a lot better for what you're trying to load for.
Load what Hodgdon lists as their max load for best results with HS-6; and use a Federal 100 primer. If your using a CCI primers, that is a big part of your problem. Win. -SP are also good.
I have used the listed powder charge with a 125gr Sierra JHP and JSP bullet and gotten good results.
HS-6 is not a particularly clean burning powder in standard velocity/pressure loads, but not bad either. Accuracy and velocity is usually outstanding though.
The large amount of empty space is normal in most .38spl loadings.
Try checking your brass, I have seen large variations in brass thicknesses. A particularly thin batch of brass could also contribute to your situation.
(I had a bunch of Military .38 brass from an Airforce contract that was so thick, you could not seat a lead bullet sized to .356 without lead shaving... [PGU-85 w/130gr FMJ -or something to that effect]- You can imagine the poor accuracy !!! My brother picked it up on an Airforce range back in the '70's. He said that the original loads made the Airforces Mod.15 S&W's kick like .357's, and the stuff was tack-driving accurate, so he thought the brass might be something special- It was, especially thick to take the phenomenal pressures! Far above SAAMI +P.)
So long TFL...................