Vincerama

Maybe this has been discussed a lot already (haven't gone through every post), but I was thinking that I've often just sprayed hornady one-shot onto clean unprimed cases. Sometimes I just reach up over the case feeder bowl and just blast everything in there for a second if things slow down at the press. I would say I've not NOTICED any primers not going off for mysterious, possibly lube related reasons. If a primer doesn't go off, it's usually due to me fiddling with the strain screw on a revolver. I don't know what's in Hornady One-Shot, if it's silicon spray or whatever, but thought I'd add that thought to the thread.

The pickup tubes work close to 100% of the time, and they are cheap (relatively speaking).

Sorry, It should have said 841 fps NOT 891 fps. 3.6 grains (actually more like 3.55) of Ramshot Competition averaged 841 fps = 134 pf

SNS Casting makes a nice 160 grain round nose. Also a 158 flat point (good for lever guns)

Ah, I just realized that there are two version of the BMT mooner. The one in the photo above is for rimless brass (9mm, .40, .45) and you load your cartridges into channel, then like a wheel, each cartridge is pushed into the clip. I have the .38 special version, which has no channel. It's a piece of plastic with 8 oval holes in it. The clip is held by a magnet into this piece, you drop your cartridges nose first into the holes so the rounds are already lined up with the clip, then you place the lid on it and the lid has two little horizontal "ramps/cams" that push two (on opposite side) cartridges inwards into the clip. When you demoon, you flip the lid over and the ramp/cams are on the inside of the clip facing out, then you twis the lid and the cams push the brass out of the clip. You flip the tool over and the brass falls out together like you're dumping the cylinder of your revolver. Then put new cartridges in, flip the lid and reload it. In other works, the non-channel version seems a lot faster than the channel version and it's probably due to rimmed/not rimmed brass. Also ... sorry for raising this thread from the dead. EDIT: I found this article that actually shows both, and their usage...picture = 1000 words, etc http://www.apextactical.com/blog/index.php/gun-monkey-minute/check-these-puppies-out-new-moonerdemooner/

I highly recommend the BMT mooner tool. However, It also demoons, so there is no reason for the pipe and it demoons way faster than a pipe. Consider this too ... with the BMT mooner tool, if you decide to use expensive Hearthco clips, you don't have to buy as many clips. Between stages, you can fairly quickly demoon the rounds in the clip and reload them. ie; you don't need ALL your ammo pre-moonclipped, you can get away with having enough clips for a stage or two, then simply reload the clips between stages easily if you have a nice tool like the BMT mooner. Yes, it's expensive, but on the other hand it works great and allows you to have fewer expensive moonclips. FWIW, I am using Revolver Supply moonclips (.25 thickness, I think, and nickeled). They fit remington (R-P) brass reasonably stiffly, but I've switched to Starline .38 Long Colt brass which actually fits quite floppy in the clips. However, I've found that the floppiness of the rounds, plus the slight shortness of the Long Colt brass with round nose bullets works quite well. I think "slightly floppy" doesn't work well. Fully tight clips and brass works, and I think super floppy works too. With super tight, everything is in place and drops in. With super floppy (and shorter rounds) the round noses find the chambers and the floppiness lets the rounds self-align (sort of). In my limited experience of course. What helps is a good crimp to reduce the shoulder of the brass from hitting the chamber lips, becauset that's typically the hang up.

OK, so I loaded up some .38 Long Colt, which I know you can't quite compare apples to apples with .38 special, but for general reference. with 160 gn rn, no groove, S&S Casting hiTek coated .358 bullets, show from a 4 inch 686+ measured at the muzze with a magnetospeed chrony; OAL I believe was 1.44 ish. Sorry for this non-number, my dial caliper broke. The bullet nose sticks out as much as it did with my .38 special load, but of course the shorter case means the OAL is shorter. 3.6 grains (actually more like 3.55) of Ramshot Competition averaged 891 fps = 134 pf 3.6 grains Clays averaged 846 fps = 135 pf 3.8 grains Clays averaged 888 fps = 142 pf 4.0 grains Clays averaged 919 fps = 147 pf I didn't see pressure signs like flattened primers, and the cases all slid out. I then loaded any remaining rounds into moonclips and shot them through my 627 (The magnetospeed won't strap onto the 627 due to the angled half lug, but straps onto the 686's full underlug. I had considered using a 4.75 inch barelled Vaquero, just so I could load and unload it without unstrapping the chrony, but .. didn't) All the moonclips slid out easily. What I noticed with the clays was that after firing, sometimes this little curl of black smoke would waft out from around the forcing cone area after firing the round. In anycase, I think 3.6 grains of RC or Clays works well. And probably more accurate than I can shoot. I think I will drop the RC charge to 3.5 and use that for the next USPSA match I can get to. I'll chrony that. I had previous done some measurements with .38 special cases and found that 3.55 grains of RC gave about 132 pf or so, versys 134 pf in the long colt case. I mean, there is error of course, and I measured from a 4 inch barrel, not the 5 inches of my 627. Just some data FYI, make of it what you will.

Why would you do this? I mean, OK, I know why ... to make it shorter, but was the inch making that much different?

Resurrecting an old thread. Did this mold go anywhere? I just bought the Lee 358-150 mold as well and your drawing is basically that profile with the lube grooves removed, right? The profile is nice and you can roll crimp into that groove to give you a no-shoulder round that should slide into the chambers... but it's 150 gn, which may not be a big deal. But ideally it would be closer to 160 to make it a touch easier to get minor power factor. But, I guess it's fine, just bump up your velocity. Anyway, I was wondering if you went forward with that mold. I had considered maybe removing the grooves by just filing them away on the mold, but, having no equipment other than files and a dremel, I'm sure I'd destroy the mold. Maybe I'll get the 2 cavity to try out.

I agree. I work in software and there is nothing really physical to send out, but dates slip if you don't want to ship a broken product and want to deal with returns or upgrades of faulty products. But it's also hard to show a product at a show and not have some date to give to prospective customers. I'd rather have a well working product than one that is rushed out the door. I have the dillon case feeder on one 550b, but I have another 550b that could do with a nice lower cost case feeder (that one just does .45).

How I would do it; I would use a latching relay, which has two positions, you provide a signal to switch it on, and another signal to switch it off. At the bottom of the tube, you have a normally closed switch, so when the tube is full, it is off, and when the tube runs dry, it is on. This signal will be used to trigger the latching relay to turn ON and thus runs the case feeder. At the top of the feed tube, I'd add another switch below the original switch and wire them in series. So both of the switches must be depressed to pass current. If a case is just passing by, it won't trigger this, if the tube fills up however, both top switches will be on. This is the signal that will be used to trigger the latching relay to turn OFF. If you want, move your double switch lower than the original switch and use the original as an anti-overflow backup. When you start up the feeder, the state may be undetermined, but maybe powering up the switches will allow the empty switch to turn on the feeder if it's empty. The bad scenario would be if the stack were full and the latch is pulled to the on position. Both of these situations is not "fatal", you just have to turn off your feeder with the main switch until the level of the brass in the tube lowers a bit so that the off signal can be hit. This might cost $10-$20 and requires no programming. The constant feed only bugs me if I'm listening to a podcast or audiobook if I'm reloading, but nothing some headphones won't fix.

Older post but I wandered into it so I thought I'd add my 2 cents. I have the 550 casefeeder. The tubes on mine could have used a few more inches of length as sometimes they detach and jam things up. Some tape fixed that but it's dumb to have to do that. The casefeeder gets in the way of the case feed station... yeah, that's obvious, but it REALLY gets in the way. I figured out how to adjust it so that cases don't press in against the center of the plate and then rebound away, leaving it in postion to get crushed by the resizing die and then causing you a headache as you try to desperately reach your hand in that space through the press to retrieve it. These can all be fixed. My press with case feeder works great and there really is something to be said for a case feeder. It's much more efficient of an upgrade than a bullet feeder. However ... you retrofit the case feeding station, which is also the depriming station and this is where mine angers me ... it flings primers everywhere. Pre casefeeder I NEVER had any primers miss the disposal cup. Now it's at least once per 100. I'm interested to see how this DAA one works. I've already spent the money on the Dillon one, but this should be interesting. It's October now ... did they start selling them?

I bought the same dies (but for .38 Long Colt, not Short, but same die set) and ... it's a mishmash of dies. I don't have them here, but as I recall some of the dies are .38 S&W dies? So ... still a mix and match.

OK, So I "chronyed" my Ramshot Compeition loads in a 4" S&W 686+. I used a magnetospeed chronograph strapped to the gun, so velocities are at the muzzle. I will be using my 5" 627 for competition, however, I couldn't strap the magnetospeed to the 627 because the 627 PC has an angled underlug right where the strap would hold, the 686 had a full length lug so I could use it. Anyway, I had previously found Ramshot Competition to be nice shooting with 3.0 gn, but I highly doubted it's power factor, and for good reason. I did not reload more 3.0 gn loads. Here's what I found; Using a Hi-Tek coated 160 gn S&S Casting round nose bullet (I believe sized to .358) OAL was 1.53 (+- something. Chosen just because that's what someone else used) All loads were pretty accurate, or as accurate as I can shoot, off hand; (Disclaimer: I'm just reporting my results, in my gun, with my reloading and measuring equipment. These are NOT published. I have not found any published data for a 160 gn coated bullet using Ramshot with these loads. The closest from the Accurate load sheet is 158gn HDY XTP (min) 2.9 = 665 fps (max) 3.2 = 739 fps, but that doesn't make minor power factor. I'm shooting these rounds out of a .357 magnum revolver and my loads exceed the closest published data. Accurate does not list a load using Ramshot Competition for either .38 special +P nor .357 Magnum, etc, etc, so on and so forth, don't sue me if you explode) 3.2 grains Ramshot Competition Average velocity = 746.9 SD = 9.95 Average power factor = 119 3.4 grains Ramshot Competition Average velocity = 774.6 SD = 11.12 Average power factor =124 3.6 grains Ramshot Competition Average velocity = 794.1 SD 9.56 Average power factor = 127.1 So ... at 3.6 gns it's ... iffy, since I heard Ramshot Competition is "inversely temperature sensitive" which means that velocity will vary. I guess powder position might matter too. Anyway, the 3.6 gns shot pretty accurate and didn't feel bad (subjectively speaking of course). I wouldn't call it clean, not in my guns anyway. with 160 gns, you need 781 fps to touch 125 pf. Given the data, I would guess that 3.5 gns would probably hit 125 pf, but with nothing to spare. Now, for ME, this is good enough. Hoping that the extra inch of barrel in the 627 will give me a touch more PF, but hey 127 isn't bad for a club match only guy. I just wanted to post some data here to add to the pool of things you might like to try. Since there is so little Ramshot Comp data and not much .38 special data THAT MAKES minimum power factor. Load books all have .38 special loads of course, but they rarely touch the USPSA minimum power factor. I'll probably stick with the 3.6 gn load for now mostly because I have 8 lbs of Ramshot Competition and I can't find any other use for it as I have nice loads for other calibers with other powders. I do also have an 8lb keg of Clays so I may venture into some clays loads for comparison.

What you had been thinking about is exactly what I was wondering about. It's not insurmountable, it's just that I used one toolhead holding .38/.357 dies to load ... .38 and .357 length cases (with the same powder, the .357s are just longer .38s (Cowboy shooting, .357 length feeds my lever action better)). I don't want to buy another toolhead and set of dies so I just adjust up and down and it's just a small inconvenience. So I take loosen the powder measure to adjust and leave the powder in there, and even if I empty it, some powder falls out anyway. So I thought there might be a handy thing where I can take the measure off, slip some dood-dad on then adjust it and then put the measure back on. Since it's not as simple as "Oh, just put a toothpick into this hole", I'll accept an answer of "No, just live with it".

Whenever I want to adjust the bell created by the powder-through-funnel on my 550, I have to put a sized case with a reinstalled primer into the powder measure stage and then, by trial and error, loosen or tighten the powder die. All it really does is lift the entire powder measure assembly. But if the measure has powder in it, it drops powder every time, which is annoying (and is why I install a spent primer into the test case). The belling/flaring, is done by the drop-through-powder funnel, but the only thing holding it down is the powder measure assembly ... I think. Is there anyway to block the upward movement of the funnel so that you can adjust the die without having the powder measure attached? I just find it annoying, even though it's not something that is done often. basically "Is there anyway to adjust the bell from the powder funnel without the powder measure attached?" Thanks!

So after months of just doing kid stuff and vacation stuff and too much working, I finally got a chance to get back to some shooting fun. I decided to use up some of my Ramshot Competition because I have an 8 pounder of it and nothing else to load it in (originally it was to be for .40 S&Whey shoot really nice! I think this is my go-to load for this gun/bullet combo!, but a local competitor mentioned that he could never make major PF with it without exceeding published data). So I used Eggman's load as a guide with my 160gn S&S casting coated bullets. They shoot really nice, but I haven't had a chance to chrono the load yet, but informally, it's a pretty good load and ramshot competition meters like water. I don't think that load will make minimum power factor though, as it "feels" really light and using Ramshot's load data as a rough ballpark shows it too slow. It needs 781 ft/s to touch 125 pf with a 160 gn bullet. I'll load up some clays loads as well next time to see what I can get. For plinker rounds though, the Ramshot Competition is soft, and accurate (but doesn't make min pf).

With respect to expensive moonclips, I think that if you buy the BMT Mooner tool, you can get away with fewer expensive clips because between stages, you can very quickly de-moon the good clips and refill them with that tool. Similar to topping off semi auto magazines. This is my theory anyway.

Sound like you are onto a fix! The recoil of firing a live round is moving the loose cylinder back/forth. I’m interested to see if your tightening of the cylinder fixes it, good luck!

How long are your loaded rounds? Could they somehow poke out too far forward and lock up the gun? Are the primers seated below the surface of the back of the cartridge? if you loaded up some dummy rounds can you dry fire them? did it feel different thumb vockingbthe revolver into single action feel different with empty cases than it did with loaded cases? I’m wondering if your thumb on the hammer has more mechanical advantage than the DA trigger and your thumb could overcome some obstruction that the da trigger pull can’t. with dummies in the gun if you feel the cylinder with your hand as you pull the da trigger .. does it feel different than with snap caps or empties? does this alpha project gun open up like a S&W where you can see the lock work moving as you pull the trigger?

They will fit the same holsters, since both are N frame revolvers. If you plan to get the performance center 627, it is a five inch barrel so you’d want to get that to also fit your four inch 625. I’m not use if the open front on a five inch holster works fo a four inch gun but the closed holster certainly would.

Gomar83, they all look similar. Buy the cheapest one! Then just practice with it. I don't think any of them is worse than any other one. The one I bought has an enclosed front/top so I can't swing the barrel forward until it has cleared the holster completely. I just have to practice with it ... the holster draw is a pretty small part of the game.

I wish I bought that one. I have the closed front N-frame one that I bought from Speed Beez for my 625 4-inch, but have since bought a 5" 627 and it's nose sticks out the front, which is fine except that I'd prefer that the muzzle be covered to prevent damage from bumping into stuff. I think a glued on piece of plastic might work, but your holster seem speedier!

I have some Sport Pistol too. (I buy powders whenever PV has a hazmat free day and often go overboard). But I like Sport Pistol in 9mm so I'll save it for that. (off topic, maybe PM if you want)... Also, you're in Toronto? I grew up in Mississauga! How is the pistol competition scene up there? I started after I moved to California. I have a friend in Mississauga/Oakville area that has some nice guns that I can't buy in California (Shadow 2 for one), but he's not into IPSC, which I keep trying to push him to try.

Sound like something I need to try. I have a jug of ram shot competition because people said it was “poorman’s Vv320”. Then was later warned that it can’t make major of in .40 without going quite a bit beyond the published max. I don’t know if that is true but as a result I just left the jug unused. I’ll test my way up with it in .38 hopefully it will work. I also have a jug of clays to try as well. Thanks for all the tips guys, I’ll work some of them up to see what works for me and the 627!