Stupid revolver questions (from me)

[BryanP]

On Sunday I went to the local range. I decided to limit myself to the pistol range as the rifle range was packed with deer hunters sighting in.

I have an old Taurus 66 stainless, 6" barrel. I bought it used and it's from when this was a 6-shooter design instead of the current 7-shot model. I was firing PMC 158gn JSP's in .357 magnum and WWB 130gn FMJ .38spl.

Firing .38 it never gave me a problem. Easy extraction, accurate, went bang every time.

Firing .357 I had several (4 out of 100) dented primers that required a second time around the cylinder to fire. I noticed that my left cheek was getting speckled/stung when firing the .357 and after several cyilinders extraction was a pain - I really had to smack the extractor to get it out.

I've heard that PMC can have hard primers, so that doesn't really bother me. I only use PMC for plinking ammo anyway.

What I don't understand is why it would be shaving fragments and throwing them back on .357 but not .38. The extraction seems a little odd to me as well. At first I thought that it might be due to leading in the cylinder from firing .38's, but if so why did it start only after firing several cylinders?

 

[fisherman66]

Firing .357 I had several (4 out of 100) dented primers that required a second time around the cylinder to fire. I noticed that my left cheek was getting speckled/stung when firing the .357 and after several cyilinders extraction was a pain - I really had to smack the extractor to get it out.

I'd polish the chambers on the cylinder with a small dap of polishing compound and then try a different brand of ammo (perhaps one that has at least a half copper jacket - winchester white box is one--duh, I just reread that you were using wwb - Is that true for both 38 and 357?)

It may not be shaving, you could be getting hot gasses and unburned powder.

Always wear eye protection (I know you already know this lesson, but it should drive the point home for others).

Do you have feeler guages? Can you measure the cylinder gap?

 

[JoeHatley]

If you shot the .38 special 1st, that probably contributed to your problems.

Front of the chamber and outside the forcing cone area of the barrel were getting dirty. Then when you switched to .357 mag, the rounds weren't seating all the way, causing the light primer hits. The 1st hit was just seating the round.

The additional "blast" from the .357 rounds were blowing the crud from the 1st rounds, back into your face.

Maybe...

Joe

 

[MNgoldenbear]

Might check first to see if it isn't powder getting thrown back. Happens to me all the time with a S&W 686. If it's definitely lead, check the timing (check that all chambers line up with bore and lock up just before firing -- with gun empty, of course!!)

 

[BluesBear]

More than likely it was just powder smut being blown back into your face from the more powerfull magnum loads.

It's a very common occurance and just one of the reasons you should always wear eye protection.

If your revolver was indeed shaving lead there would be ample evidence of that in the cylinder face forcing cone area. Usually lead shaves off to one side only. (usually but not always)

 

[Master Blaster]

The .38 special cases are 1/8" shorter than the .357 magnum cases. When you shoot .38 spls there is a ring of crud left in the cylinder at the case mouth. Then you put in the .357 magnums which have a case that is 1/8" longer. so they are sitting on that ring of crud left by the .38's. you now fire the .357s and some of them that are not seated all the way because they are on the crud ring, get seated by the firing pin strike, resulting in a light primer strike.

The crud that is hitting you can happen with a dirty revolver in any caliber, the blast of he .357 rounds makes it more likely, especially if you are shooting in an enclosed stall where it could be bouncing off the wall.

If its shaving lead, there will be lead residue, lots of it, on the forcing cone and possibly extra lead residue on the cylinder face.

 

[jlh26oo]

The .38 special cases are 1/8" shorter than the .357 magnum cases. When you shoot .38 spls there is a ring of crud left in the cylinder at the case mouth. Then you put in the .357 magnums which have a case that is 1/8" longer. so they are sitting on that ring of crud left by the .38's. you now fire the .357s and some of them that are not seated all the way because they are on the crud ring, get seated by the firing pin strike, resulting in a light primer strike.

YES.

 

[fisherman66]

More than likely it was just powder smut being blown back into your face from the more powerfull magnum loads.

Wow, I've got to lay off the smut. That's gonna give me nightmares.

 

[BryanP]

Powder smut. Now there's a new term for me. Thanks. And yes, I always wear eye protection while shooting.

Thanks for the info everyone.