Wake up call!

[Vulcan Bob]

Well I guess I needed a wake up call with this. Got out to the range today to shoot a few recently aquired S&W's, among them a six inch 28-2. I just grabbed a box of my reloads that have a proven track record in my other 28-2 and 586's. Anyhoo on the forth shot the cylinder did not want to turn and was a bit difficult to open and the ejection of the spent caseings were very stiff and the primer had flowed back into the fireing pin hole and the other three primers were flattend, all signs of high pressure! Looked the gun over and shot some 38 specials with no problems, and checked her out real good when I cleaned it tonite, no damage apperent. I fell victem of the old, if it shoots well in one gun it must be ok in another, wrong! Oh, yes it was cleaned prior to it's first outing, guess I will have to back off that load and work up to what this gun wants to be fed. This reminder of good loading habits was a cheap one as I did not wear any gun parts home!

 

[Skip Sackett]

Bob,

Nothing the rest of us haven't ran into time and time again. Don't beat yourself up over it.

Be careful, just don't beat yourself up.

I had the exact same thing happen when we were testing "THE LOAD". Every firearm that I shot it in had no visible signs of pressure. Then, I purchased a nickel plated M586. Now, that gun is a 357Mag and built on the L frame and should have been able to take a beating. Nope, every case fired stuck! Had to tap them out with the edge of the wooden table at the range!

So, moral of the story, start low, work up, change a component & start over, change guns do the same. We ALL know it. Sometimes, I KNOW too much and don't perform like I know I should!

Glad you are OK!

 

[maglvr]

I stopped paying attention to flattened primers, as a sign of over pressure long ago! If you want to shoot high pressure loads, you will have to live with flattened primers.
I put a lot more faith in sticky extraction, that tells the true tale.

 

[Dale53]

I put a lot more faith in sticky extraction, that tells the true tale.

It depends on the caliber. As a for instance, getting sticky extraction with a "J" frame .38 Special indicates that you are WAY-Y-Y-Y over pressure limits. In fact, your handgun may come apart BEFORE you get extraction difficulties in many handguns.

If you have access to a chronograph, that can help. It is not a pressure gun but CAN help you diagnose problems BEFORE they happen.

I used to run into Bruce Hodgdon around the country, YEARS ago, at various shooting events. I very early learned that except for the magnum revolvers, you really don't get any real indications of excessive pressure in handguns until too late and you are way overboard. It pays to carefully read the loading manuals (both online and in printed form and look at SEVERAL before you load heavy loads).

It is one thing to try to read pressure signs in a strong bolt action rifle. You cannot safely do that with a revolver. Ken Waters' method of using a micrometer to measure case heads CAN be helpful to keep you within safe limits.

FWIW
Dale53

 

[longr]

Bob,

Nothing the rest of us haven't ran into time and time again. Don't beat yourself up over it.

Be careful, just don't beat yourself up.

I had the exact same thing happen when we were testing "THE LOAD". <snip>

I saw something mentioned about "THE LOAD" in another thread yesterday. A search for THE+LOAD turned up 500 pages. Care to enlighten me?

TIA

 

[Skip Sackett]

"THE LOAD" is a designation for one load and only one load. The name "THE LOAD" was coined by our forum member NKJ nut, Jessie, owner of tennesseevalleybullets.com.

The load that it refers to is the starting load in the Speer #8 manual for a 38spl, 158gr LSWC & SR4756 powder. There is no other criteria that it designates, such as velocity, case type, primer type or firearm that they are shot out of.

Plain and simple, that's "THE LOAD". As a disclaimer: That load recipe is well above +P pressure. As a general consensus, most of those that have shot or shoot it today, do so only in 357Mag revolvers or carbines.

It has been suggested that it should only be shot in N frame revolvers chambered in 38spl or 357mag that are of "newer" production. i.e. Heat treated cylinders.

FWIW

 

[acl864]

I saw something mentioned about "THE LOAD" in another thread yesterday. A search for THE+LOAD turned up 500 pages. Care to enlighten me?

TIA

Fair warning, asking about "THE LOAD" can turn an innocent thread into a multi-page p%$$ing contest.

 

[longr]

"THE LOAD" is a designation for one load and only one load. The name "THE LOAD" was coined by our forum member NKJ nut, Jessie, owner of tennesseevalleybullets.com.

The load that it refers to is the starting load in the Speer #8 manual for a 38spl, 158gr LSWC & SR4756 powder. There is no other criteria that it designates, such as velocity, case type, primer type or firearm that they are shot out of.

Plain and simple, that's "THE LOAD". As a disclaimer: That load recipe is well above +P pressure. As a general consensus, most of those that have shot or shoot it today, do so only in 357Mag revolvers or carbines.

It has been suggested that it should only be shot in N frame revolvers chambered in 38spl or 357mag that are of "newer" production. i.e. Heat treated cylinders.

FWIW

Got it. Sounds like "THE LOAD" is The Wicked One whose numbers shall not be spoken of...even in whispers

 

[longr]

Fair warning, asking about "THE LOAD" can turn an innocent thread into a multi-page p%$$ing contest.

I'm too new around here to start any contests. I Better wait a couple weeks...

 

[Skip Sackett]

Got it. Sounds like "THE LOAD" is The Wicked One whose numbers shall not be spoken of...even in whispers

Yeah, that's it. Some have felt that way about it. I don't publish it because to some that is supporting wickedness!

Did we ever talk about where you are in N. Indiana?

 

[longr]

Yeah, that's it. Some have felt that way about it. I don't publish it because to some that is supporting wickedness!

Did we ever talk about where you are in N. Indiana?

I'm up in Marshall Co., where are you from?

 

[Harrison]

Yeah, that's it. Some have felt that way about it. I don't publish it because to some that is supporting wickedness!

Sounds like THE LOAD might also support bulged top straps and cracked cylinders, in some revolvers at least. My hands are arthritic and about half of my hearing is gone. So, I tend to avoid anything much hotter than a medium load, and the only calibesr I shoot bigger than 357 are 40 S&W and 45acp. I guess I am a wimp.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I'm up in Marshall Co., where are you from?

North of you yet.

Sounds like THE LOAD might also support bulged top straps and cracked cylinders, in some revolvers at least.

Well, during the testing NOTHING like that happened. There were 3 of us, Erich (the first), Jessie(the second) and me(the third) that posted our results from our testing. I fired mine in my M14 -2, even posted a video of me doing so, and had no problems at all. Extraction, primers, everything normal. Just like my 3.5gr of Bullseye under the same bullet.

At any rate, why don't we let this one drop?