The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

Cheapo · March 25, 1999, 05:59 PM

Walt:

I've posted elsewhere about some *intentional* experiments two or three months ago with powderless loads. At least with 125-gr bullets in .357 Mag with my dies, the bullets will stay put.

But with what I loaded on my friend's press in the old college days, the JHP was firmly lodged in the forcing cone with maybe 1/8-inch left in the cylinder. Once the RO declared the thing inoperable, we had to take it upstairs to get a cleaning rod to muzzle-load the thing back into the cylinder, then dump the remaining two rounds.

But I think our other poster's experience shows the possible danger with non-mag primers and hardball powders like H110 and WW296. Since the case volume is taken up with powder, it's far more easy for the primer charge to blow the bullet out into the barrel if the powder fails to light up for *any* reason.

Thus, I'll shoot my 296 loads accidentally loaded with WSPs in practice, but *never* for defense.

And even with the WSPs, they go 75 fps faster than my jacketed loads with identical powder charge. No pressure signs, and almost every case falls out of the upturned cylinder without any assistance from the ejector! :-).

March 25, 1999, 05:59 PM	#16
Cheapo Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 1998 Posts: 986	Walt: I've posted elsewhere about some intentional experiments two or three months ago with powderless loads. At least with 125-gr bullets in .357 Mag with my dies, the bullets will stay put. But with what I loaded on my friend's press in the old college days, the JHP was firmly lodged in the forcing cone with maybe 1/8-inch left in the cylinder. Once the RO declared the thing inoperable, we had to take it upstairs to get a cleaning rod to muzzle-load the thing back into the cylinder, then dump the remaining two rounds. But I think our other poster's experience shows the possible danger with non-mag primers and hardball powders like H110 and WW296. Since the case volume is taken up with powder, it's far more easy for the primer charge to blow the bullet out into the barrel if the powder fails to light up for any reason. Thus, I'll shoot my 296 loads accidentally loaded with WSPs in practice, but never for defense. And even with the WSPs, they go 75 fps faster than my jacketed loads with identical powder charge. No pressure signs, and almost every case falls out of the upturned cylinder without any assistance from the ejector! :-).