What risk do I run...?

[danbrew]

A little background. I bought a S&W 325 Night Guard not so long ago and really enjoy it. I also bought about 500 rounds of Aguila 230g ball ammo. So I'm out plugging away with it last weekend and I can't advance the cylinder after 5 shots. Hmmm. I take stock of the situation and realize that the bullet in cylinder 6 is poking at the front of the cylinder and preventing it from rotating. I gently push it back in and open the cylinder and pull out the moon clip and realize that the crimp on this round wasn't so good and firing the other 5 rounds has unseated the bullet. I tap out the bullet and get back to shooting. It happens a few moonclips later, also on round #6. I figure it's the crimp on this ammo and not that big a deal. I can shoot the ammo in a 1911 and be just fine.

But... and here's the question part. Man, I've got a lot of this ammo and would like to use it in the 325. Do I need to worry about unsafe pressures or other nutty problems if a bullet becomes unseated and I'm still able to rotate the cylinder. It occurred to me that this brand of ammo has already demonstrated the crimp isn't sufficient for this hard hitting revolver. Having said that, though, would it be a big deal? Suppose the bullet does move forward and separates from the case. The primer would ignite the powder and send the bullet downrange. Accuracy might suffer a bit (maybe?), but what about damage to the gun?

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

 

[Fumbler]

I'm no expert, but I don't think it'd hurt a thing.
If a bullet jumps crimp then the pressure should be less, if any change at all.
The problem with pressure is when the bullet seats farther into the case, as with repeated chambering of the same round in some autos.


Why not just load 4 rounds at a time? You'll have to load it more often but you won't have to fumble with manually rotating the cylinder.

 

[IMtheNRA]

I think the type of crimp is the problem. Revolver loads generally require a roll crimp, and the rounds that are mostly used in semi-autos, such as .45ACP, are made with a taper crimp.

Your revolver is acting like the kinetic hammer that reloaders use to disassemble rounds. During recoil, the entire gun accelerates back, and the heavy bullets get pulled out of the brass. This effect is especially effective with a light-weight gun, like the Nightguard series, which, as your wrist already knows, accelerates very quickly.

I'd use that ammo, but just two or three at a time, in order to minimize the potential mess that spilled powder would create.

I use taper-crimped .45ACP ammo, both home-made and Winchester White Box, in my 625, which is a much heavier, slower gun, without any of the bullets backing out, even when I load all six chambers.

 

[Oro]

I would not shoot the ammo in the gun. Recoil can set a badly crimped bullet forward or backward. Usually they go forward and you notice. You won't notice the ones set backward.

Set the ammo aside for an auto or trade it for something more consistent.

 

[ugaarguy]

The risk is low pressure causing a squib, and that resulting in a round lodged in the bbl. I'd get other ammo for the 325.

 

[.38 Special]

You could also buy an inexpensive loading press and a crimp die and "fix" the ammo yourself. And if/when you decide to take up handloading, you'll have a head start.