Looks like I have a lot of re-crimping to do?

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Yup, pretty stout load in a K frame 357.

I typically only load 19 grains for my blasting loads in my .44 magnum Mountain Gun.

My standard load for 357 is 13.5 grs of #2400 and a 168 gr cast bullet. I don't shoot these lads in my 19. In 1986 I busted the forcing cone on my 4"19 with 150 gr cast bullets. Pics of it are posted on older threads.

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S&W Accumulator

Agreed, this batch going through my M-28 only.

Yes, 14 grs of 2400 in a 357 is definitely not a starting load. Especially in a K frame. I doubt if you can even work up to that amount without excessive pressure. What a shame.

Lee Factory Crimp Die works wonders for heavy magnum loads.

The pics are much better than what I was afraid we were going to see!

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I have some 14.0gr 2400 loads behind a 155gr WFN I cast out of some pretty hard alloy. I haven’t shot them yet but the 13.5gr loads didn’t seem too crazy.

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-Matt

My hunting load in my pre 27 is 13 grains
of 2400 with a 173 gr. Keith bullet and consider it a heavy load.

For yrs I shot a 180 gr cast bullet on top of a full charge of W296 ( current load data ) in a 4" K frame , model 19 357 , never a problem . The gun is still as tight as it was the day I bought it . regards Paul

14gr of 2400 pushing what bullet?
That charge behind a 110gr JHP is a lot different than the same charge behind a 158gr LSWC.

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Without even knowing what weight bullet the op's loaded, since he didn't tell us, how can we know that?

.

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You did not mention grain weight of bullet but I would guess either 180 or 158 grain by your picture. For 158 grain it would be close to maximum load and would require a nice crimp.

I purchased some Buffalo Bore 180 grain 357 magnum hard cast LSWCFP for walking in he woods in Black Bear country. The crimp on those is crazy - but the proof of the pudding is they don't jump crimp.

I download my 158 grain .357 rounds to 12.8 grains of 2400 for my 19's and 66's. I hope that's low enough to avoid any problems.

with a 158gr. bullet and 2400 powder, I use 11-12 gr for fun loads and 13-13.5grs for hunting. I do use 14grs but save them for my Marlin rifle.

I don't load any magnum handgun cartridges anymore, but when I did, I found best accuracy with 12 grs. #2400 and a 160 grain cast H&G SWC. Not an unpleasant load to shoot and I think muzzle velocity was around 1100 fps, maybe a little more. 14 grains of 296 /H110 was comparable in accuracy and velocity, but with that horrendous fireball and significant blast that such powder was known for.

So glad you only have to deal with bullets jumping crimp!!! Saw the title and thought you'd had a gun let go on you. Sincerely. bruce.

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Used as reference for the load was Speer reloading manual Number Nine. There's 158gr. (like I used) loads that go beyond 14 to 14.7 and 140gr. at 16.5 of 2400 ?

In my heavy M-28 the 14 grains seemed equivalent to factory .357 bullets and used that load for years. This K-Frame 19,, had just switched it's 8-3/8" (modified) barrel to 4".. "agreed" too hot for my intended use.

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You should see the crimp BB puts on their 340gr 44mag ammo!!!
If it was not so perfectly done a guy might think they were using a vice.

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So it made your camera not able to focus?

Back in the '70's bought this extra Taper die for this purpose. Will have to go over the 500 shells made using it. Thanks for the info.

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My 13.5/168 cronos avg 1200 FPS +/- depending on which 27 I shoot it out of.

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S&W Accumulator

Not enough crimp? Can you post a close up of the crimp on one of the cases?

MY dies on a 38 special and .357 Magnum are setup for three crimps.

Light target........

Medium loads .............

and Factory (+P) or full hunting loads past 1200 fps.

MY lead loads get a Heavy Crimp when they go past a medium pressure loading, to prevent bullet jump.

In my 19-5 and a 158 lead I used 12.5 grs of 2400 as a full load
for less recoil and accuracy, in the old girl.

Only had slugs poking out of the cylinder with 700gr in my S&W500. Crimp looked heavy enough but still - two shots and cylinder locked.

You definitely need to post a pic of your “crimp”.

See what 15 gr will do

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15gr performs great in my 4.62” Blackhawk.

Not so sure it is crimp alone. What size are those bullets, vs. what size is your expander plug? The heaviest crimp in the world won't hold a bullet that the case doesn't have good neck tension on. As others have said, 14 grains of 2400 may or may not be an appropriate load, but without knowing the bullet weight we can't say. I personally have taken 158s up to I believe 15 grains of 2400 for testing/chronograph purposes in my K frame, and had no issues with pull. I've settled on 13.5 grains.

My standard heavy .357 load for years was 14.0 gr or 2400 behind 158 gr. LSW. My old Lyman 45th Edition Handbook listed 15.0 gr as max. Speer #11 Reloading Manual listed 15.9 gr. as maximum. Down through the ages all these rhino roller loads have been moderated to less than 15.0 gr. I thought 14.0 gr was a plenty stout load. Accuracy was excellent. With young eyes I could get 1 in. ragged clover leaf groups over sandbags at 25 yards out of my 4 in. M-28, but the muzzle blast was brutal trying to bench shoot the beast. Never had a bullet back out, and never sticky extraction, flattened or cratered primers.

That’s a good point! I’ve only experienced a bullet moving out of the case with a 500 S&W which was solved with a heavier crimp and even that only moved like 1-2mm.

]You definitely need to post a pic of your “crimp”.[/QUOTE]

Here's the photos. Bullets were a no-name buy from Gun Broker in a bag? Looks like missed the crimp groove, those here will know?

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12gr of 2400 with a 158gr bullet is all I put in a K frame. It's plenty.

I've got a 27-2 for the stouter ones.

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Here's the photos. Bullets were a no-name buy from Gun Broker in a bag? Looks like missed the crimp groove, those here will know?[/QUOTE]

In the photo if the bullet is seated deeper than recommend would be more pressure. To me it looks deeper given the profile of the bullet. I like to be able to barely hang a fingernail or see a few thousands on the crimp.

Yes, that load missed the "Can"............

the bullet is seated a little too deep but you came close, only missed it by that much.

You can shoot any load you want buy how often do you tighten the side plate screws? After every outing at the range? Are the screws coming loose or is the little flex in the side plate stretching the screws?
Just wondering?

My most accurate load in my python was 140 gr Speer jhp with 2400 powder. A nice magnum load not too hot.

I use a Redding Profile Crimp die for Magnum rounds. In ancient times (1970's) we'd use a roll crimp and a taper crimp. The Profile Crimp die does sort of the same thing in a single pass.

...being a lighter gun than a medium or heavy frame will be more susceptible to jumping crimp. If you fired those in a heavier frame they might not have backed out. But it looks like a little more crimp right in the cannelure would help.

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Here's the photos. Bullets were a no-name buy from Gun Broker in a bag? Looks like missed the crimp groove, those here will know?[/QUOTE]
Seated too deep, which is preventing the case mouth from rolling into the bullet's crimp groove.

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You need a roll crimp in the crimping groove...Simple..

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Some one my wife new(before we got married) gave re some reloads for self defense, 10.5 grains of 2400 for her charter arms, about the size of a J frame. I wouldn't let her shoot them didn't trust the loads of the pistol.

Got her a Ruger 9mm.

As stamped on the die, that is a taper crimp die. Don't use that for your 357 M loads or you will find yourself in the same place. Get a roll crimp die.

Along with my post above , I have shot more than I can count of the load mentioned , 13.5 grs of 2400 with a 158 gr cast bullet in my 19's , both 2.5" and 4 " barrels and never , ever had a problem . Those 19's are as tight today as the day I bought them . The K-frame 357's are " no weak sisters " . They do have their weakness , the lighter bullets with max 357 magnum loads was / is a problem . It has always been my contention to shoot the bullet size that it was designed for , 158 gr and heavier loaded in a 357 magnum case . It performs wonderfully using the Keith 173 gr SWC loaded on top of either 7.0 grs of Unique or 13.5 grs of 2400 . Those 2 are my most used loads in my K-frame 357's , " still to this day " . Regards Paul

That crimp appears to me to be a taper crimp on a bullet seated (as Nevada Ed says) "...close, you only missed it by that much".

I have a tendency to look at the initial crimp on my magnum reloads and then decide it usually needs just a little more. I like to keep a seating die set with a roll crimp for the hot ones and use the LEE FCD for plated/lead loads. With 38 Special/357 Mag and 44 Special/44 Mag I have two sets of dies so that makes it pretty easy to do.

The comments on the state of factory magnum crimps are ones we should all take to heart.

CHEERS!

Again, it is my opinion that over-expanding cases is one of the most common contribution to many reloading issues...

Redding Profile Crimp die may be in order as well. My standard 357 Magnum load uses 13.5 grs 2400 and either Lyman 358156GC (161 gr) or 358477 (155 gr). If you have plenty of 38 Special cases, 11.0 grs/2400 and cast 158 gr SWC is an excellent “38-44” load, very accurate and will be “kinder” to your Model 19.

Agreed. I had one creep out in my Ruger 44 Special SA, and it was a moderate load - 850 fps. But a big old 240 grain lead SWC has some mass. I was lined up right on the crimping groove, just not quite enough crimp. I had loaded 50 like that; so I ran all 50 back through the seating/crimping die for a tad more crimp. No more problems.

I'm at 14.6 of 2400 pushing a 158 grn jshp out of the 686 running a heavy crimp

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