Catastrophic failure on 9mm Reload Help

Canuck44 said:
Wrong again. Grow up. For someone who didn't know 231/HP38 are ball powders suggests folks might want to ignore your opinion when it comes to this subject.

Take Care

Bob

ps Try reading Hogdon's website. FYI they make the stuff.
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I wasn't being an ass. I can't find anything aside from comments saying not to compress so much that you crush the grains but who would do that anyway? If you make a statement it's up to you to back it up which you can't because it's not a thing. Hodgdon says they have compressed loads listed and they are marked as such, that's it. "The manufacturer" has no warning about compressing ball powder. He didn't blow up the gun from a compressed load.
 
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B said:
I wasn't being an ass. I can't find anything aside from comments saying not to compress so much that you crush the grains but who would do that anyway? If you make a statement it's up to you to back it up which you can't because it's not a thing. Hodgdon says they have compressed loads listed and they are marked as such, that's it. "The manufacturer" has no warning about compressing ball powder. He didn't blow up the gun from a compressed load.
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FWIW, I just tried googling this whole "dont compress a ball powder" idea, and I can't find a source either. Lots of people on the internet making the claim, which makes me believe there is likely a source to the claim that I simply haven't found, but I didn't find anything.

I'm not saying either of you is right or wrong, I'm just pointing out that if this is in fact something the manufacturer says, it isn't particularly easy to find. Two pages from Hodgson, titled "Compressed Loads" and "Magnum Loads in Revolvers" make no mention of compressing ball powders.

https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-education/reloading-beginners/compressed-loads
https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-education/tips-and-tricks/magnum-loads-revolvers

Now I'm curious, I want to see a source for this... It has me wondering if this IS something the manufacturers say or if its just an internet gun myth...
 
Canuck44 said:
Wrong again. Grow up. For someone who didn't know 231/HP38 are ball powders suggests folks might want to ignore your opinion when it comes to this subject.

Take Care

Bob

ps Try reading Hogdon's website. FYI they make the stuff.
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Suther said:
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:confused:
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To jump back I tried pressing in any of the 500 (counted them out) reloads I had left. Everything still tight, with no play on the crimp. Measured each round and lowest was 1.09", 95% were about 1.1", no visible wear or cracks.
 
johhny12gauge said:
To jump back I tried pressing in any of the 500 (counted them out) reloads I had left. Everything still tight, with no play on the crimp. Measured each round and lowest was 1.09", 95% were about 1.1", no visible wear or cracks.
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So setback is unlikely. OAL, powder and charge have been confirmed and the rounds were even used without issue in another firearm. Weird...
 
Shot about 50 of the worst looking rounds I could find (shortest OAL), no issues in the 226 although some felt hotter. I think the 320/250 can't take the beating a 226 can. Perhaps different tolerances for ammo? I'm no gun expert but tossing out possibilities. Gonna give the P250 another go tmw with a variety of ammo and see if it holds up.
 
I confirmed powder at 4.3g for randoms, at worst a slight over charge could have been possible. Fired 500+ in the last month from the 226 without issue.
 
Shot the P250 today with a replaced extractor and grip. Shot factory fine and about 100 rounds of various batch time reloads without issue. Waiting on a new extractor for the P320 to do the same test. I think it may be as one Gunner wrote that I may never find out the exact cause of what went wrong, only more likely causes.
 
No, wish I could narrow it down to one thing though. If anything this has taught me to be more careful reloading as after 10 years I've either lost something or it was my time to get a wake up call. I'll be more cognizant in the future.
 
Your loads are near max. You could consider downloading a bit, to give yourself a cushion.

I run an accuracy test in 0.3 gr increments from below Start to max to see what shoots the best.

My "accuracy" load is almost a full grain below max.
 
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Ganderite said:
Your loads are near max. You could consider downloading a bit, to give yourself a cushion.

I run an accuracy test in 0.3 gr increments from below Start to max to see what shoots the best.

My "accuracy" load is almost a full grain below max.
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This is the problem... Who to listen to?

Campro says 4.4 to 4.7 grns for Win 231 COL for 1.090 for 124grn HP, COL 1.120 for 124grn RN Max is 4.8
 
wasrupzuk said:
Personally I’ve never liked 231 in the 9mm.
Dirty and small changes can make big differences.
I use Titegroup.
1.09” is my go to length (CZ’s) as well.
YMMV
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So Titegroup's clean and small changes don't make a big difference? lol.

I'm not sure why anyone cares that the load is near, at or even slightly above max...none of that caused the gun to explode. The likely cause(s) have already been provided. Also, book/data/suggested OAL's should never be used, always determine (and confirm with plunk and spin) your own OAL.

[youtube]AyS9U90IcUc[/youtube]
 
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Bigbubba said:
If it were me I would not shoot anymore of them.
I would be pulling rounds and if I found 1 bad one I would pull them all.

I would not have tried them in the 2nd gun either.

But 2 guns going up in smoke pretty much eliminates the guns as the issue, which only leaves one other option.
The Ammo.

Which is another good reason to keep your ammo batches separated and labelled
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This, as a reloader, I can't see myself continue using reloads of any kind after a kaboom, or a squib.
 
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