hope someone learns from this mistake...i sure did

[ak-fang]

wanted to load up a plinking round for one of my revolvers but wasn't able to find any of the powders listed in any reference. i then decided to use some data for an almost identical round (used the same sized bullet in a tad larger case) that used the powder i had on hand. i reduced the powder significantly in hopes of being as safe as possible. fired the first round and saw some dust fly very close to the target so i thought, "hmm, i guess it works." fired second shot, which made a funny sound. it almost sounded like a black powder pistol and there was a puff of something that blew out in front of the cylinder. the funny sound plus not seeing any dust fly got me curious and i noticed the bullet was about 1 inch shy of making down the 5.5 inch barrel. if my attempt at being safe wasn't so dangerous the situation might have been laughable. lesson learned....not gonna ever load anything i don't get from a reputable reloading reference again.

[mike h]

Good to remind everyone that things can be dangerous when you least expect it.

Glad you've still got your Internet posting fingers.

[Smitty of the North]

It was only recently that I read about not using, Too Light, loads. (Less than the data)

I might have done the same thing, before reading it.

I'm sure some folks will learn something from your experience.

Good Post.
Smitty of the North

[rbuck351]

Loading really light without data can be really dangerous for more reasons than just a stuck bullet. Some powders go nuts when loaded light and can cause very high pressures. Not sure why but it's fairly well known.

[AKBEE]

Long ago I was shooting a model 27 with reloads from my brother. I was shooting as fast as possible DA and all of a sudden there was a catastrophe.
One bullet lodged and the next blew the barrel apart. I was not paying attention to the difference in recoil and was just pulling the trigger. It flayed the top of the barrel apart and even the forcing cone was split. I was very lucky to have not been hurt and since then only shoot what I am sure of!

Glad you did not have a similar experience!

[.338WM]

Every reloading manual I have read in the past 30 years warns of this! READ the manual!

[shimano 33]

Good reminder/statement to those who have contemplated loading "light".

[rbuck351]

It's OK to load light BUT you better use the right powder and going below book levels even with light loads is not a good idea. There is something called Secondary Explosion Effect (SEE) that is not well documented and not regularly repeatable but apparently does happen. To light of loads sometimes detonate rather than burn for some unknown reason causing very high pressures. Anyway, this is an area best left alone.

[Smitty of the North]

It's OK to load light BUT you better use the right powder and going below book levels even with light loads is not a good idea. There is something called Secondary Explosion Effect (SEE) that is not well documented and not regularly repeatable but apparently does happen. To light of loads sometimes detonate rather than burn for some unknown reason causing very high pressures. Anyway, this is an area best left alone.

I thought that SEE only happened with large capacity rifle cases, and slow rifle powders.

I never heard of it happening in a Revolver cartridge. ????

Too light a load in a handgun cartridge can leave the bullet in the barrel, or in the case of jacketed bullets the core can exit, leaving the jacket in the barrel.

For proper ignition, it's a good idea to not load below the data in any cartridge. Not that you would have a problem in every case, though.

Smitty of the North

[ADfields]

I thought that SEE only happened with large capacity rifle cases, and slow rifle powders.

I never heard of it happening in a Revolver cartridge. ????

Smitty of the North

H110/W296 is well known to have potential to detonate in light charges, so much so it has a light load warning on the can. It happens in anything H110 is used in which is mostly handguns, small rifles and 410. I suspect (by no means do I know this as fact) that detonation would be more likely as the case fill percentage falls off so it would be more likely in a larger capacity case.

Black powder is very bad about detonation. You can’t put enough black powder in a properly made black powder rifle to blow it up. A proof load is three powder charges and 3 balls, that assures the most pressure the powder will make . . . most of the powder is just expelled before it ignites. BUT . . . don’t get the bullet seated well leaving air in there with any size charge and it can blow a rifle to smithereens because of detonate. All the powder is light before the bullet even starts moving and you get an extreme pressure spike.



But some smokeless powders just don’t seem to ever detonate and are great for light loads, Bullseye, Unique, Clays, Green Dot, Red Dot to name a couple.

[ak-fang]

H110/W296 is well known to have potential to detonate in light charges, so much so it has a light load warning on the can. It happens in anything H110 is used in which is mostly handguns, small rifles and 410. I suspect (by no means do I know this as fact) that detonation would be more likely as the case fill percentage falls off so it would be more likely in a larger capacity case.

But some smokeless powders just don’t seem to ever detonate and are great for light loads, Bullseye, Unique, Clays, Green Dot, Red Dot to name a couple.

ding, ding, ding! you're the winner! H110 is very well known for causing squib loads and that's what i used! i knew this was the case, but i've never dealt with a shortage like our current one and didn't know i had to buy everything before someone else did...so i'm tried to make do with what i have. hoped a tight crimp and good primer would make up for the powder choice. should've just shown some constraint, shot something else, and waited to eventually get the right powder for the job (i couldn't even find load data for that bullet and powder combination...and that was the point i wanted to convey, don't try making your own load).

[rbuck351]

Years ago when bullseye shooting was popular, there were a few cases where it was suspected to be the cause of blowups in 38spl revolvers using very light loads of Bullseye powder. I have heard that about 1.8grs of BE and the 148gr wad cutter is about as light as you should go. Yep H110/W296 have warnings in most loading manuals not to load below book numbers. Many powders are good with light loads in pistols but I would be careful not to push any of them really light.

[ADfields]

ding, ding, ding! you're the winner! H110 is very well known for causing squib loads and that's what i used! i knew this was the case, but i've never dealt with a shortage like our current one and didn't know i had to buy everything before someone else did...so i'm tried to make do with what i have. hoped a tight crimp and good primer would make up for the powder choice. should've just shown some constraint, shot something else, and waited to eventually get the right powder for the job (i couldn't even find load data for that bullet and powder combination...and that was the point i wanted to convey, don't try making your own load).

Any powder can squib, that is different than a detonation I was talking about. Hard to light powder like H110 would of course be very likely to squib but that is a far better result than a detonation. H110 needs to be loaded hot and is better under heavier bullets, it’s a very good powder but the worst choice I can think of for light loads.

[ak-fang]

Any powder can squib, that is different than a detonation I was talking about. Hard to light powder like H110 would of course be very likely to squib but that is a far better result than a detonation. H110 needs to be loaded hot and is better under heavier bullets, it’s a very good powder but the worst choice I can think of for light loads.

ahh, thanks for the info!

[Smitty of the North]

H110/W296 is well known to have potential to detonate in light charges, so much so it has a light load warning on the can. It happens in anything H110 is used in which is mostly handguns, small rifles and 410. I suspect (by no means do I know this as fact) that detonation would be more likely as the case fill percentage falls off so it would be more likely in a larger capacity case.

Black powder is very bad about detonation. You can’t put enough black powder in a properly made black powder rifle to blow it up. A proof load is three powder charges and 3 balls, that assures the most pressure the powder will make . . . most of the powder is just expelled before it ignites. BUT . . . don’t get the bullet seated well leaving air in there with any size charge and it can blow a rifle to smithereens because of detonate. All the powder is light before the bullet even starts moving and you get an extreme pressure spike.

But some smokeless powders just don’t seem to ever detonate and are great for light loads, Bullseye, Unique, Clays, Green Dot, Red Dot to name a couple.

I didn't know that about H110, however I knew it wasn't good for light loads.

I am unable to find a "light load warning" on the single can I have.

When I finish up the H110 I have, I won't be buying anymore, anyway. The data doesn't seem to give you much leeway for charges.

As to BP, reportedly, it needs to fill the space, and any gap can POSSIBLY act like a barrel obstruction, and damage the barrel. I've never heard of it in terms of detonation.

Smitty of the North