April 7, 2013, 06:34 PM | #1 |
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I'm getting soot...
... on the exteriors of my cases all the way down to the rim. I thought that was a symptom of too little powder, but these were loaded near the max. The brass is new MagTech .32 S&W Long. I didn't size them or anneal first. The powder was Titegroup. Any good advice for staying with the same powder would be welcome.
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April 8, 2013, 11:12 AM | #2 |
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Yes, that is usually the cause. What is your load.?
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April 8, 2013, 11:24 AM | #3 |
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New Starline .32 S&W Long brass, CCI 500 primer, 85 gr MagTech LRN, 2.3 gr Titegroup.
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April 8, 2013, 11:57 AM | #4 |
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Are you seeing any leading in the barrel? if not and the cases are not showing
any stress. I think you could move up just a little. 2.5 grains is Max for Jacketed ammo. As long as you have no leading 2.3 then ease up to 2.5 and see if the case seals.. |
April 8, 2013, 12:12 PM | #5 |
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Starline brass is notoriously "heavy-duty". In fact they specifically tell the BP shooters using their
45 rifle brass that it should be annealed prior to any use with BP. The 32S&W Long pressure standards are akin to that: 12,400CUP and/or 15,500 psi (SAAMI provides both references) I'm going to assume you have the same problem -- thicker brass than such pressures (or less) will seal. I'd suggest annealing the top 1/3 near the mouth of 3-4 cases and see if that solves the problem. (Take care with a good heat sink on the base) Last edited by mehavey; April 8, 2013 at 12:28 PM. |
April 8, 2013, 12:21 PM | #6 |
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Note Mehavey's last sentence. You don't want to soften the head.
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April 8, 2013, 12:27 PM | #7 |
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Note also the Hodgdon's website data indicates 2.3gr TiteGroup is going to get you ~11,000CUP/13,700psi.
What are you firing it in? |
April 8, 2013, 12:28 PM | #8 |
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Re: I'm getting soot...
You should resize new brass.
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April 8, 2013, 01:36 PM | #9 | |
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Quote:
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April 8, 2013, 01:48 PM | #10 | |||
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Quote:
85 GR. HDY JHP Titegroup .312" 1.160" 2.1 723 7,800 CUP 2.4 819 11,300 CUP Quote:
Quote:
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April 8, 2013, 04:45 PM | #11 |
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Re: I'm getting soot...
Everywhere I've read said that new brass should be FL sized. Couldn't tell you why. I've never bought new brass. Just something you might try if you got a couple new cases still.
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April 8, 2013, 05:42 PM | #12 |
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Size it.
Doing so (by definition) "uniforms" everything to consistent parameters. |
April 8, 2013, 06:02 PM | #13 | |
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Quote:
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April 8, 2013, 08:03 PM | #14 |
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Most likely has nothing to do with the soot, per se.
But it is the kind of good handloading discipline that pays big dividends across the board for relatively small investment. |
April 8, 2013, 08:47 PM | #15 |
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Doesn't every trip through the sizer make the brass a little more brittle? After verifying that the brass wasn't too loose for the bullets or too large for the guns, I didn't see a reason to do that.
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April 8, 2013, 09:30 PM | #16 |
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Not really as far as your particular cartridge goes. I wouldn't be too concerned over sizing cycles.
(But then again, I even process new Lapua brass first time out.) |
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