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Originally Posted by Unclenick
The above is all an issue with rifle powder and cases. I don't think I've heard of it happening with handgun cases. However, some slow handgun powders, like 296/H110, burn too slowly to remain lit when a bullet jumps forward through the barrel-to-cylinder gap in a revolver. This means that when you underload them, they are not making much pressure when the bullet jumps that gap, and the pressure can occasionally bleed off faster than the powder can make it. This results in the powder burn being interrupted and the load extinguishing and "squibbing out," leaving the bullet stuck in the barrel. The next round fires and runs into that obstruction before the gap is exposed, so all the pressure builds up without the bullet moving forward and making more space. That bursts the gun.
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I have heard of it happening with handgun cartridges, but I can't point to a specific article or web post. It was awhile ago.
I load .45 ACP with Winchester 231, and I can see how this could easily be a factor. A standard load of 5.3 grains of Win 231 doesn't occupy much of the volume in a .45 ACP case. I have to really
look to verify that each charge dropped, and I can easily fit a double charge with no overflow or spillage. With a starting load I could probably fit three drops into the case. So I can see how a light charge could all gravitate to the bottom of the (horizontal) case in use, allowing the primer flame to shoot over the top.
This is why I decided to use Trailboss for .44 Colt and .45 Colt rather than Win231, even though I can find load data for Win 231 in .45 Colt. In that big case, a light load is just the proverbial "drop in the bucket."