38spl conundrum!

[HardBall]

"With HP38 some that go off have a very large primer strike and some a very light pinhole!"

This tells me you're primary problem is with your revolver, not powder or primer. Your firing pin strikes should look similar within the same brand/type of primer. I have a S&W 637, very similar to your 642. If it were my weapon, I'd pull the side plate and have a look inside.

I put in a set of ISMI springs in my wife's 637 because she has a touch of arthritis in her trigger finger and the stock DA trigger pull was too difficult for her. Neither of our revolvers have ever had a FTF with Magtech, Remington, Winchester or Federal factory ammo or with CCI-500 primers and W231 / HP38

If you're not comfortable taking a S&W revolver apart, call Smith & Wesson

Here's the number from their website:

https://www.smith-wesson.com/customer-service/contact-us
(USA) 1-800-331-0852
Mon-Fri 8:00AM-6:00PM Eastern Time

 

[Jim Watson]

What is your charge weight and OAL? Only bullet I ever stuck was with HP38 and a 125 with the same powder charge and same OAL as I had been loading 158s. Other cartridges out of the same batch were very erratic. The powder was getting against the base of the bullet as I brought the gun up from low ready and was just too far away from the primer flash to ignite. I seated the bullets deeper and it all went away.

Also, you say "pinhole." Do you really mean pinHOLE as in a pierced primer? Or just a small indent?

 

[Blue68f100]

If the gun has a rebound FP spring, if failed will cause inconsistencies. The reason is that the FP is not being hit at the same position. Seen this on several simi-auto but have not seen the case on revolvers.

 

[Axis II]

What is your charge weight and OAL? Only bullet I ever stuck was with HP38 and a 125 with the same powder charge and same OAL as I had been loading 158s. Other cartridges out of the same batch were very erratic. The powder was getting against the base of the bullet as I brought the gun up from low ready and was just too far away from the primer flash to ignite. I seated the bullets deeper and it all went away.

Also, you say "pinhole." Do you really mean pinHOLE as in a pierced primer? Or just a small indent?

Very small/fine indent NOT a pierced primer. sorry!

 

[joneb]

I would install a new main spring in that gun.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Sounds like someone did a trigger job and cut down the hammer spring.
Replacing the hammer spring will restore the hammer strike at the expense of increasing the trigger pull.
Another solution is to switch to Federal primers.
All my competition revolvers have trigger jobs set to ignite Federal primers. Substitute CCI primers will give misfires.
J-frames utilize coil springs so will require spring replacement. A -K,L,N frame use a leaf spring and strain screw. Often, the strain screws are backed out to reduce spring tension, and are easily corrected by turning screw inward to increase tension.

 

[rskent]

I also changed grips from boot grips to the larger Hogue grips would this cause issues?

I'll put my money on the grips.

 

[Whiterook808]

I will say that my Colt Gold Cup National Match strikes the primers very lightly and I must use Federal primers in any loads I put up for it. This is a characteristic of these pistols, apparently done at the factory to lighten the trigger pull. Your gun is not a target pistol, so I would not use it for SD or carry it until that issue is resolved.

Edit:
Sorry if that sounds pedantic. Your gun should not be sensitive to primer brand, so I am just suggesting that it needs looking at. That thing should be whacking those primers pretty good.

 

[Axis II]

Well I set off 5 empty 38spl cases today with the S&B primers that would never go off. I'm guessing I got a bad batch of HP38 but then I noticed in my little box of bullets to be pulled there are about 4 9mm cases that didn't go off with S&B primers also loaded with HP38. Im now wondering if it's not dead primers because the 9mm bullets didn't move at all. I've worked up 9mm loads with CCI and the S&B and mixed them up and sure enough last range trip I had 3 S&B not go off mixed randomly in 3 magazines. Seeing how cabelas doesn't discount the S&B primers anymore once my 2k is gone I'll pay extra for a better brand.

 

[Walkalong]

Not a single failure to fire with the on sale S&B primers I bought. I've used them in 9MM and .32 Long so far.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Not a single failure to fire with the on sale S&B primers I bought. I've used them in 9MM and .32 Long so far.

I have only bought 2000 and I did shoot them all already. I also did not have a single failure. Note, I only bought them at the time because they were in sale, I usually shoot CCI primers followed by Winchester.

 

[guyfromohio]

Over-crimping my .38spcl loads made them key-hole and rip the paper. Too much crimp maybe?

 

[Blue68f100]

Well I set off 5 empty 38spl cases today with the S&B primers that would never go off. I'm guessing I got a bad batch of HP38 but then I noticed in my little box of bullets to be pulled there are about 4 9mm cases that didn't go off with S&B primers also loaded with HP38. Im now wondering if it's not dead primers because the 9mm bullets didn't move at all. I've worked up 9mm loads with CCI and the S&B and mixed them up and sure enough last range trip I had 3 S&B not go off mixed randomly in 3 magazines. Seeing how cabelas doesn't discount the S&B primers anymore once my 2k is gone I'll pay extra for a better brand.

When you break them down check to see if the anvil is in place, as well as the pillow pack. I've had a few primers over the decades that the anvils did not stay in upon handling. I've only had 1 name brand primer that did not have the primer compound pillow, in 4 decades of hand loading.