WheelMan
Member
I have a bunch of 180 grain total metal jacket (I think that's speer's word, and these aren't speers, but you know what I mean the jacket covers everything, no exposed lead) .44 cal bullets. It's my understanding that you can't crimp a jacked bullet with no crimp grove so I figured I'd just load them kinda light and seat them pretty deep to get a good hold.
Well this worked for about a hundred of them, until I got to the last two. I think this is what happened:
I'd been tromping around in the woods lately carrying my .44 vaquero. I'd load it up with my .44 TMJ reloads and go about my business. Usually I'd fire a round or two, if I saw something small and tasty looking in season... or a crow. Anyway I think what happened is two of these rounds managed to often get in the gun but never get shot and the subsequent beating the took from recoil slowly started to push the bullet out of the case ( I should have been inspecting for that but didn't notice it) Anyway the other day I decided to sit down and finish off my box of these things. I'm down to the last six and after the fourth shot the revolver jams... "Hmmm... I think, revolvers aren't supposed to jam. There's not a single piece of lock work that I haven't replaced or customized in this hogleg and I'm starting to think my do-it-yourself gunsmithing has finally caught up to me.
Dejected I point the revolver skyward and start to withdraw the base pin when I notice two bullet noses sticking out of the front of the cylinder... I was relieved actually, at least nothing was wrong with my gun.
"hmm... those are only 180 grain" I did some quick mental calculations (chamber length - case length - bullet length) and came up with a positive number which told me the following action was going to make a mess. I removed the cylinder and two .44 cases and a bunch of power dumped out on the ground, one of the bullets fell out, but I had to tap the other out with the ejection rod.
I felt dumb, but at least my first reloading flub didn't involve lead poisoning, a fire or an explosion.
Now a question, Is there any way to crimp these no-cannelure bullets (I think a lee factory crimp would work, but is there anything else)? Thanks
Well this worked for about a hundred of them, until I got to the last two. I think this is what happened:
I'd been tromping around in the woods lately carrying my .44 vaquero. I'd load it up with my .44 TMJ reloads and go about my business. Usually I'd fire a round or two, if I saw something small and tasty looking in season... or a crow. Anyway I think what happened is two of these rounds managed to often get in the gun but never get shot and the subsequent beating the took from recoil slowly started to push the bullet out of the case ( I should have been inspecting for that but didn't notice it) Anyway the other day I decided to sit down and finish off my box of these things. I'm down to the last six and after the fourth shot the revolver jams... "Hmmm... I think, revolvers aren't supposed to jam. There's not a single piece of lock work that I haven't replaced or customized in this hogleg and I'm starting to think my do-it-yourself gunsmithing has finally caught up to me.
Dejected I point the revolver skyward and start to withdraw the base pin when I notice two bullet noses sticking out of the front of the cylinder... I was relieved actually, at least nothing was wrong with my gun.
"hmm... those are only 180 grain" I did some quick mental calculations (chamber length - case length - bullet length) and came up with a positive number which told me the following action was going to make a mess. I removed the cylinder and two .44 cases and a bunch of power dumped out on the ground, one of the bullets fell out, but I had to tap the other out with the ejection rod.
I felt dumb, but at least my first reloading flub didn't involve lead poisoning, a fire or an explosion.
Now a question, Is there any way to crimp these no-cannelure bullets (I think a lee factory crimp would work, but is there anything else)? Thanks
Perhaps a taper crimp, or (my revolver favorite) a profile crimp will serve you better. The Lee can imbed the brass into the bullet too deeply for my taste.