I have a 1902 Colt military automatic. I have been working up a load for it that will function it reliably but not beat it up. Yesterday I loaded up two small batches (10 rounds each) of .38 auto for it. Both with 121 grain HB plated 9mm bullets. One batch with 3.5 Red Dot. One batch with 3.7 Red Dot. I weighed EACH charge and then carefully eyeballed the cases under a good light to ensure that each appeared to be more or less equal. The brass was once fired W-W market .38 auto that I bought new. These loads are within the recommended range of an old Lyman manual.
Out of the total of 20 rounds I had three that fired "oddly." They did not squib in that the bullet left the barrel and, at eight yards, hit the target at the same height (more or less) as the other rounds.
The bore is somewhat ratty but not horrible. I have a .30 Broomhandle Mauser that had a very ratty bore and when I fired it (before having it relined) it was like a roman candle. This was not that.
I am wondering if maybe the powder has gotten damp or contaminated somehow. I don't have a lot of powder left in the 1# can so I intend to dump it anyway, but I am curious if anybody has any recommendations as to what might have happened and why. I have been shooting, and loading, for about 50 years and never had exactly this sort of thing happen before.
Any info or even guesstimates would be welcome. Unfortunately my previous expert, an uncle who was a rocket scientist and dealt with solid propellants, passed on some years back and is therefore not available.
Out of the total of 20 rounds I had three that fired "oddly." They did not squib in that the bullet left the barrel and, at eight yards, hit the target at the same height (more or less) as the other rounds.
The bore is somewhat ratty but not horrible. I have a .30 Broomhandle Mauser that had a very ratty bore and when I fired it (before having it relined) it was like a roman candle. This was not that.
I am wondering if maybe the powder has gotten damp or contaminated somehow. I don't have a lot of powder left in the 1# can so I intend to dump it anyway, but I am curious if anybody has any recommendations as to what might have happened and why. I have been shooting, and loading, for about 50 years and never had exactly this sort of thing happen before.
Any info or even guesstimates would be welcome. Unfortunately my previous expert, an uncle who was a rocket scientist and dealt with solid propellants, passed on some years back and is therefore not available.
