Clays 230gr Small Primer?

[njl]

This question's been bugging me for the better part of this year. Early in the year (or it may have been late last year), I loaded a batch of 230gr Zero JHP with small primer .45acp brass and CCI SP. The load was 3.85gr Clays. I did a batch of 200 of these, and had my only squibs so far...3 of them, all at a local match. I ended up pulling all the remaining rounds from that batch, and they all had exactly the expected charge.

One of the squibs, I can't remember if it was the first or second, I definitely had unburned powder falling out of the brass/chamber as I extracted the squib case.

3.85gr Clays doesn't exactly fill a .45acp case. Is it possible the primer flash jumped over the powder and simply failed to ignite it? Not knowing what went wrong with that batch, I've been reluctant to load any more SP .45acp, or even reuse the bin of SP primed .45acp brass from pulling down this batch.

I'm curious if anyone has shot a load similar to this with SP and clays and had any trouble or not?

I might reload these components using WST...probably at least 4.6gr.

[mcracco]

I can't imagine a primer ignition with enough energy to lodge a 230gr bullet in the barrel not igniting 3.85gr Clays. If the powder was the right charge and somehow didn't burn it would be all over the place when you extracted the case and bullet. In other words, hard to miss. I suspect no powder or maybe very low charge.

Btw, I shoot with a master class shooter and he loads 4gr Clays with small primer brass. Goes bang every time.

[DougCarden]

Dumb Question?

Did you lube the cases at all? If you have unburnt powder that is indicative of the powder getting contaminated and not burning completely. That load should light off fine, large or small primer.

Good luck,

DougC

[njl]

My old method for lubing brass was to put a little lanolin on my fingers and the brass would get lubed during the trip from the brass bin to the shell plate. I've experimented with One Shot and and Dillon lube (spraying a bit into a ziplock bag, and then massaging it around the brass), but can't remember which method I used on that batch. I didn't think either of those spray lubes was supposed to contaminate powder.

[practical_man]

1348149882[/url]' post='1782772']

My old method for lubing brass was to put a little lanolin on my fingers and the brass would get lubed during the trip from the brass bin to the shell plate. I've experimented with One Shot and and Dillon lube (spraying a bit into a ziplock bag, and then massaging it around the brass), but can't remember which method I used on that batch. I didn't think either of those spray lubes was supposed to contaminate powder.

I have been using 3.8 grains of clays and a 200 grain LSWC for several years, both large and small primers with good results. My guess is that you got something on the primers.

I have never had problems with one shot contaminating powder or primers. Is it possible that lanolin got to primers? Can't think of anything else from what you've written here.

I would load them up for practice at this point, then re-evaluate on the next loading. This is an odd one.

-john dejarnette