TDA

Are you sure that they are not brass plated steel?

Are you using a Lee seating die?

Dillon presses Dillon dies No problems whatsoever Very consistent ammo.

That was my first thought as well...

XL650 and SDB are different, but I can't say what a 550 uses.

It's a self induced problem. The brass does not need to be perfectly clean and spotless for function properly. Dry tumbled brass works just fine without all of the headaches of wet tumbling. (tarnishing, water spotting, sticking powder funnel, etc.) Just my .02...

If you understand our legal system, Hodgdon's phone response to the question makes perfect sense...

I get primers looking like that as well in 9mm and .40 with S&B primers fired from my Sig's and haven't been overly concerned with it. I shoot Beretta's as well, but I don't really rely on them to judge anything, as they always exhibit "primer flow" around the firing pin. Next time I'm loading, I'l try a few CCI primers for a comparison.

Steve, Are you resting the muzzle or your hands on the 4x4?

OAL was 1.150" and I only got to 918fps at 4.6. I switched to 700X and my starting load of 4.4 gave me 964fps with no primer issues.

Here is WST at 4.4gr, 4.5gr, and 4.6gr with a 180gr lead bullet. You can easily see the difference in the primers. 4,4 was good, 4.5 was beginning to crater, but 4.6 was cratering and starting to push the firing pin dimple back out with only a slight increase in velocity.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but I use 158 grain coated RNFP and don't use any of those powders that you list. I also only shoot 1 7/8" and 4" barrels.

Do you have a chronograph? Go to the Alliant website and find the data for Unique and Bullseye. It would seem that a 125 grain GDHP is of the same weight and would have a similar profile to what you want to use. Reading the "WARNING" on the site, it states to not exceed the loads published and to start 10% below the loads shown and work up from there. It also shows that the loads were established using a 6" barrel, so regardless of what any published data shows, the chances of ever finding published data for the exact projectile and barrel length you are using, as well as the exact conditions you will be shooting in, would be nearly impossible. If you are new to reloading. it seems awful confusing, but with time you will be able to interpolate the published data into something that will give you good starting points to work up your loads.

All three of those powders have published load data for that weight bullet in .38 Special.

9mm and .40 share a shell plate? If you have a case feeder just get a .40 conversion kit. Then you'll need .40 dies. Another powder measure makes it nice so you just swap out the entire tool head when you switch from 9mm to .40 and you won't have to tinker with adjusting the powder measure.

I needed 5.1 to get to 165pf with a bare lead 180 at 1.150" using a 4.4" barrel.

I just checked some .40 mixed head stamp that I loaded on my SDB and there is only .002" variation. My presses are mounted to a steel table that weighs well over 1000 lbs and there is no flexing or movement of the presses whatsoever. There is no substitute for a solid base for the press. If your press is moving around at all consistency goes out the window.

I just finished loading on my 650 with the "floppy" tool head with pins when I saw this, so I just checked 20 rounds, and the OAL deviation was.002". You've got something else going on there...

I believe that under certain conditions it can raise pressure, as it seals in the bore tighter causing a spike when it first engages the rifling.

Throw the gauge in the trash and go shooting...

Remove the shell plate, then the two socket head cap screws to the right side of the primer tube. Lift up the primer assembly by the tube and it's off...

What did you change between group 8 and group to to increase the power factor? Both are 147's at 1.135" with 3.0...

I guess that the logical answer to that would be to ask why you are asking if anyone has chrono'd the load or if anyone has specifics on it?

I was getting a bulge with 180gr CNFP, but it wasn't an issue until I tried them in my Beretta...and it locked up feeding a round fairly frequently.. Went to a Mr Bulletfeeder expander and it was a lot better. Then I made a new seating die to match the bullet profile exactly and the problem was solved. I have a XL650 for .45 and .38 Spec,, and 9mm, but load .40 on a SDB so I didn't have the luxury of just buying a different seating die.

I just ran across a Speer SP case.