" hey grumpy?
I am an inexperience handgun reloader with the idea of loading volume ammo for practice. I loaded a bunch of .38 Specials with 5.0 grains of Unique and 125 grain Ranier jacketed bullets. Just shot some and they seem dirty, plus the front third of the case is smoke hazed.
Is there a cleaner powder to use?
Would a tighter crimp maybe help? There is no cannelure on these bullets.
Might going up in charge weight several tenths help?
Thanks in advance for any ideas."
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/new-reloading-manuals.2379/#post-56752
http://stevespages.com/page8a.htm
that "front third of the case is smoke hazed." is a good indication the powder charge is so low its not fully expanding and sealing the case to the chamber walls or the bullet diam. smaller than ideal or the crimps a bit loose,this tends to allow the powder to only partly burn before the bullet exits the bore,adding a bit more, powder and a firmer crimp tends to allow higher pressure and cleaner powder burns,unique is not a super clean powder but its far cleaner if the pressure higher,so it burns more completely, you might want to look carefully at the suggested starting and max loads and step the charge weight up just a bit higher,getting a bit more pressure in the case reduces soot and seals the case better, yes I know it doesn,t seem like a few tenths of a grain are critical, but youll find the load works better if you add a 1/10 or so more powder and get a decent crimp, work up slowly,in small increased stages and keep notes but IM sure youll find a slightly hotter load and a firmer crimp helps reduce that hazing
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/defau ... er&Source=
http://archives.gunsandammo.com/content ... 38-special
I am an inexperience handgun reloader with the idea of loading volume ammo for practice. I loaded a bunch of .38 Specials with 5.0 grains of Unique and 125 grain Ranier jacketed bullets. Just shot some and they seem dirty, plus the front third of the case is smoke hazed.
Is there a cleaner powder to use?
Would a tighter crimp maybe help? There is no cannelure on these bullets.
Might going up in charge weight several tenths help?
Thanks in advance for any ideas."
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/new-reloading-manuals.2379/#post-56752
http://stevespages.com/page8a.htm
that "front third of the case is smoke hazed." is a good indication the powder charge is so low its not fully expanding and sealing the case to the chamber walls or the bullet diam. smaller than ideal or the crimps a bit loose,this tends to allow the powder to only partly burn before the bullet exits the bore,adding a bit more, powder and a firmer crimp tends to allow higher pressure and cleaner powder burns,unique is not a super clean powder but its far cleaner if the pressure higher,so it burns more completely, you might want to look carefully at the suggested starting and max loads and step the charge weight up just a bit higher,getting a bit more pressure in the case reduces soot and seals the case better, yes I know it doesn,t seem like a few tenths of a grain are critical, but youll find the load works better if you add a 1/10 or so more powder and get a decent crimp, work up slowly,in small increased stages and keep notes but IM sure youll find a slightly hotter load and a firmer crimp helps reduce that hazing
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/defau ... er&Source=
http://archives.gunsandammo.com/content ... 38-special
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