Primer Question

[austinkroe]

So I went out do day with some loads I made with my new Dillon. I quadruple checked every thing and loaded the bullets longer than was suggested. As I was shooting the loads I was checking the brass. I loaded everything at least under .1gr of max. I was using win small primers. And some of the primers ended up looking like this.

I was wondering what the little flat spots around the edges of the hits means. Is it bad? Anything to look out for?

TIA

[yoshidaex]

looks like primer flow. i'm assuming you don't have a extended firing pin.

[austinkroe]

Nope, just the standard sti firing pin. They are minor rounds too. Is this cause for concern? Anything I can do to correct it?

[yoshidaex]

when you say longer, how long? make sure the rounds drop into your barrel and don't stick out past the barrel hood.

Edited October 23, 2007 by yoshidaex

[austinkroe]

When I say longer I mean that Hodgdon recommends 1.090 and I am doing 1.160. They fit in the barrel fine. I can load out past 1.250 without the bullets hitting the rifling they just dont fit in the mag. It was long throated. I just loaded longer for reliability and to use more of the mag up. I figured that loading long was supposed to lower the velocity and pressure.

[wsimpso1]

That is called cratering, and it is a dead giveaway that you are making too much pressure in your ammo. On a hot day, that ammo could be real trouble.

Reasons could be all over the place. Overall length too short, too much powder, cases are heavier than what your data was developed around, your barrel is tighter, your bullets are bigger, blah, blah, blah. In the end, that ammo is too hot for that gun. Solutions are many. There are already many threads on this site on making your ammo better.

The first trick with small pistol primers is to go to small rifle primers... If you have more questions, we are all right here.

Billski

[yoshidaex]

same charge weight for a 1.090 oal as your 1.16? thats interesting. are you using a chrono to develop your loads? going with a longer oal should drop pressure and velocity but without a chrono your guess is as good as anyone elses.

+1 to what Billski said, the use of small rifle primers should get rid of your cratering/flow issue. on top of that a longer firing pin will help also. but before you go and use SRP and a longer firing pin, go back to your loads that didn't cause any of the flow/cratering issues.

care to share your load recipe?

Edited October 24, 2007 by yoshidaex

[G-ManBart]

Going to small rifle primers may hide the symptoms of pressure that's too high, but they won't get rid of the problem itself.

[yoshidaex]

Going to small rifle primers may hide the symptoms of pressure that's too high, but they won't get rid of the problem itself.

+1

I should have mentioned the above suggestions are not the fix all for high pressure issues.

[austinkroe]

124gr MG JHP

OAL 1.160

4.3 gr titegroup

wsp

out of a kart NM barrel

EGW Udie (if it matters)

it was only happening with about 1/3 of the brass. I was using once fired win brass only. All of the powder charges were tested. I loaded them on a new Dillon and this was my first time loading so I thought I should be extra careful. I know that all the charges were 4.3. On the plus side they were really accurate.

Thanks for all the help guys. I took my chrono with me but it didnt work (PACT Mk IV XP).

[Carlos]

Going to small rifle primers may hide the symptoms of pressure that's too high, but they won't get rid of the problem itself.

+1

I should have mentioned the above suggestions are not the fix all for high pressure issues.

A good analogy is: hearing your car's engine begin to knock, so you "fix" the knock by turning up the volume on the radio.

Moreover, the additional priming compound in the rifle primer will likely increase actual pressure of the load.

[Sean Gaines]

try and extended firing pin, also you have a high spot on your breachface thats why you are getting a line on the side of your brass, if it matters to you, at least you can see how many times the rounds have been fired through your gun.

But back to your primer flow, you are getting a high pressure somewhere, check out your crimp to see if you are not getting bullet set back into the case. You could use rifle or magnum primers,which offers a little harder cup, i believe, since you are getting enough strike with the wsp's, I think you would still be ok, just be sure to drop your load a little to compensate.

let us know what you figured out

pk