Case failures 40S&W and 10mm

[Fishslayer]

One more time.

Do you notice a big difference between lead and jacketed bullets? Do you notice a big difference with 5 grains more bullet weight? Do you think a starting load for a 135 grain jacketed bullet would be extreme overpressure with a 140 grain lead bullet?

Upon inspection of the blown out case I would suspect the answer to at least one of those questions would be "yes." Possibly a combination of factors combined with a lead bullet with too long OAL stuck in the rifling.

So far the best idea you've come up with is going to a slower powder.
Fast powder, high pressure cartridges, lead boolits and cobbled up data.... YIKES!

 

[GLOOB]

The improved case design has two punch marks on the hull.

II read that the two dots denote outsourced brass. I wonder where all this info comes from? I've purchased recent FC ammo, and some of it has the dots, some doesn't.

 

[Fishslayer]

II read that the two dots denote outsourced brass. I wonder where all this info comes from? I've purchased recent FC ammo, and some of it has the dots, some doesn't.

FWIW the "dot" Federal "dot" headstamps in .45ACP are found on the SPP non toxic loads. Could be outsourced brass I suppose. I also see it in Fed 9mm so that might be a good guess.

 

[john wall]

Look inside your hulls without the dots. If it looks like the Super Balloon hull posted earlier, it is the old style brass.

I am getting very picky about the 40 brass that I will load. If in doubt, I throw it out.

 

[noylj]

Seating the lead bullet to touch the lede/rifling is perfectly safe...IF YOU start at the starting load and work up just like you should every time you change anything in your loading procedure.
Too many people are NOT reading the warnings or really reading their manuals and are jumping into loads (too heavy a bullet for cartridge and too fast a powder for the cartridge) without starting low, simply because someone uses that load.
This MIGHT be OK for action shooters who are loading DOWN for minor loads, but too many try the same "trick" to make major.
Also, too many loaders seem to have NO idea how to determine the proper COL for their gun(s).
I fear a rash of KBs and the press picking up on it and demanding regulation and training if not out-right banning of handloading.

 

[GaryL]

With the 40 I did as walkalong suggested and reduced the load to 4.7 grains of 700x with the 140 grain bullet. Still does 1100 fps and cycles all my 40s except the Beretta that had the case failure. Looks like the extractor was damaged, since it fails to extract about half the rounds. Still think it was a random case failure and not the load, but for target ammo I'm perfectly happy with this reduced load.

As rc mentioned, a lead bullet is not the same as a jacketed one. I have had an interesting time trying to figure out loads with components where the data is lacking. It can be done, but you also have to know when a combination doesn't work, which means looking at a lot of data and proceeding carefully to make sure your bases are covered. In other words, try to stay inside of the published parameters from reliable sources to avoid the Wiley E Coyote method of finding the edge of the cliff after you've gone past it.

Glad you found something that might work for you.

 

[TonyT]

I have never seen any lead bullet date published by Hodgdon for the 40 S&W. When I called them they stated they do not recommend lead bullets in 40 S&W.