24-7 Dave
Member
While I have been reloading quite a few different pistol cartridges for many years, I just reloaded my first test batch of .25 ACP rounds ever and encountered a very strange case failure I've never seen before (see photo of single case below). I have fired at least 3 boxes of factory ammo through the firearm in recent years and never observed any case deformity whatsoever, so I am questioning my reloading and would like your advice before I move forward. Here is the data:
Pistol: Mauser Model 1910 (Yep, it's a real family oldie!)
Dies: New Lee Carbide dies
Cases: Once-fired FC (sized and wet tumbled with stainless steel pins, so brass was like new inside and out)
Bullets: 50 Grain Magtech FMJ RN
Powder: WIN 231
Primer: WSP
COL: 0.900 with a very slight crimp
Data Source: Lyman Pistol Handbook, 3rd Ed.
I loaded 10 rounds each with the following loads per the Lyman min - max range:
1.0 Gr.
1.1 Gr.
1.2 Gr.
1.3 Gr.
1.4 Gr.
The powder for every round was carefully trickled into the pan of a balance beam scale since the weights are so miniscule. The badly deformed case was in the batch of 1.3 Gr. rounds--the load which actually gave me the best, tight grouping at 10 yards. Out of 50 rounds loaded and tested, it is the only one that was clearly deformed.
In the second photo below, I placed two other cases from the batch of 1.3 Gr. test rounds beside the deformed round for comparison, and to the right of it is a RP factory round that I fired as part of my reference group. There appears to be very slight case swelling in the other two FC cases, as is the case of many of the 1.1 - 1.4 Gr. loads, although nothing more than the two examples shown here, while the 1.0 Gr. reloads and RP factory round show little or no swelling. I will also note that I ran into some ejection problems throughout the testing, but didn't notice the deformed case until I was picking up the empties and placing them back into the manufacturer's plastic ammo tray.
As for the firearm, I didn't notice any irregularities in the chamber walls when I cleaned it, so I am scratching my head over this and would like to hear from the experts before I attempt to reload any more rounds using either of the other powders I have on hand that Lyman recommends (700-X and Red Dot). FYI, I started with WIN 231 because the flakes are much finer and easier to trickle compared to the others.
Any advice/recommendations?
Thank you!
Dave
Pistol: Mauser Model 1910 (Yep, it's a real family oldie!)
Dies: New Lee Carbide dies
Cases: Once-fired FC (sized and wet tumbled with stainless steel pins, so brass was like new inside and out)
Bullets: 50 Grain Magtech FMJ RN
Powder: WIN 231
Primer: WSP
COL: 0.900 with a very slight crimp
Data Source: Lyman Pistol Handbook, 3rd Ed.
I loaded 10 rounds each with the following loads per the Lyman min - max range:
1.0 Gr.
1.1 Gr.
1.2 Gr.
1.3 Gr.
1.4 Gr.
The powder for every round was carefully trickled into the pan of a balance beam scale since the weights are so miniscule. The badly deformed case was in the batch of 1.3 Gr. rounds--the load which actually gave me the best, tight grouping at 10 yards. Out of 50 rounds loaded and tested, it is the only one that was clearly deformed.
In the second photo below, I placed two other cases from the batch of 1.3 Gr. test rounds beside the deformed round for comparison, and to the right of it is a RP factory round that I fired as part of my reference group. There appears to be very slight case swelling in the other two FC cases, as is the case of many of the 1.1 - 1.4 Gr. loads, although nothing more than the two examples shown here, while the 1.0 Gr. reloads and RP factory round show little or no swelling. I will also note that I ran into some ejection problems throughout the testing, but didn't notice the deformed case until I was picking up the empties and placing them back into the manufacturer's plastic ammo tray.
As for the firearm, I didn't notice any irregularities in the chamber walls when I cleaned it, so I am scratching my head over this and would like to hear from the experts before I attempt to reload any more rounds using either of the other powders I have on hand that Lyman recommends (700-X and Red Dot). FYI, I started with WIN 231 because the flakes are much finer and easier to trickle compared to the others.
Any advice/recommendations?
Thank you!
Dave