.38 Special squibs

griaguns

griaguns

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
353   0   0
Location
Vancouver Island B.C.
Ok I'm not new to reloading but I'm stumped.
I have a dillon sqdeal set up just for .38 special.Last month I reloaded 200 158 grn .38 semi wad cutters in tumbled 38 special brass using 4.4 grns of unique weighed on a Lyman digital scale for my S&W mod 14-3.
The first round fired fine then a squib,cleared that and fired 3 more rnds and a squib then 3 more squibs.
I tried 2 more cylinders of loads and had 4 more squibs.
SO I QUIT.went home and pulled the bullets checking the powder charges,they were all fine maybe a 10th of a grain either way.
The shots sounded like a pop and sizzle.
So last night I loaded up 100 rnds using 3.1 grains of bullseye
Shot today and the same results.
I'm using Winchester small magnum primers.
The powder is dry and new.
I just pulled 15 bullets and the charge is perfect
I also loaded 200 9mm rnds with another sqdeal and they worked perfect.
Any one else had similar issues
 
Do you normally use magnum primers? Any chance the primer is pushing the bullet out out of the case before getting a chance to ignite the powder? I don’t even know if that’s a “thing” but... can’t think of much else...
 
I'm also new to reloading the .38 Special. Just a guess but it could be the position of the powder relative to the primer? For that reason, I'm using Titegroup which I'm told is not position sensitive and has worked well for me so far. Also I'm using standard primers, not magnum.
 
Just spitballing here.....

Do you lube your brass? You said tumbled but there was no mention of lube or not. Possible lube contamination? I've had then when some lube got inside some 9mm cases and I got a smokey squib with the loose powder slowly burning in the barrel out the breech.
Do you dry tumble or wet tumble? Possibly some water trapped in the case contaminated the powder?

Either way once it's absorbed into the powder you may not notice it once you pull the rounds.
 
If the primer is not fully seated it can cause a squib load, the firing pin has to finish seating the primer and there is not enough force left to light off the primer correctly. (meaning a slow burn)

On the flip side of this if your primer is seated properly you could have some bad primers. Or another possibility case lube inside the case putting a damper on the powder.

Below the primer should be seated with the anvil touching the bottom of the primer pocket and have a slight preload on the anvil and primer cup.

I seat all my primers by hand to have more feel during seating.

oiIRxun.jpg
 
The brass is not lubed it is a progressive press loading cast hard greased bullets.the primers are seated fully ,I tried to hand seat them further and no movement,I'm leaning towards the primers being magnum although they work perfect in my 9mm
 
The same lot of primers are working fine in your 9mm? If you know the powder to be good (?), and the same primers are working in another load, and you're loading everything correctly... There should be no issue with the ammunition. Look at the gun? Light strikes?
 
All I ever use is win 231 148 gr. Hollow base wadcutters federal small pistol primers taper crimp.
 
I load and shoot 1000’s of Hornady and Speer 158 SWC under 3.0 to 3.5 grains of Bullseye with Winchester, CCI and Federal magnum and non magnum primers out of my 14-3 and never had that happen.
If I was you I would load a few up and hand fill the cases with correct powder charge then see if issue is still there. Try Federal or CCI primers if you can.
You absolutely sure your powder measure isn’t causing the issue? Are the Bullets sticking just past the forcing cone?
 
Some of the flash holes plugged with tumbling media? Any oil on the priming system? If all checks out, try different primers.
 
if he is using a progressive press, the powder measure may also be giving incorrect charge due to the powder type.

take a sampling of 10 and see what you get as an average charge, then do it again if you get the same result. I have found personally that some powers don't work in my powder measure accurately, but only a few.

depends on the press he is using what type of powder drop he's using
 
I once had a kernel of corn wedged into the bottom of my powder thrower. It would throw perfect and then small powder charges. Drove me nuts.

If you don't have wet brass, the only thing I can think of is erratic powder charges.

Unique is a flake powder and does not meter well in some units. But the Bullseye should meter perfectly -so i don't think it is a powder structure issue.

Do you have the drop tube installed upside down?
 
Your not alone...
Same gun, jacketed 158’s same powders.
Same (actually worse) results.
My question would be how do you know it’s a squib?
For me I’m getting bullets stuck in the bore, like a squib, however the sound and feel is normal (unlike a squib).
I resigned myself to the possibility that my gun just doesn’t like the heavier bullet.
Why, I have no idea...
 
wasrupzuk said:
Your not alone...
Same gun, jacketed 158’s same powders.
Same (actually worse) results.
My question would be how do you know it’s a squib?
For me I’m getting bullets stuck in the bore, like a squib, however the sound and feel is normal (unlike a squib).
I resigned myself to the possibility that my gun just doesn’t like the heavier bullet.
Why, I have no idea...
Click to expand...

What primers? Powder? Use lube? Cleaning method?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom