Tubular magazines and stout loads with "safe" bullets....how really "safe" are they??

[saturno_v]

Questions for the handloading and big bore leveraction experts.

As you well know, many companies (Garrett, Buffalo Bore, Double Tap, etc..) advertise very powerful 45-70 loads with "safe in tubular magazines" bullets with a wide meplat.

My question is: Are these loads really 100% (or VERY close to that number) safe from the potential well known tubular magazine accidental ignition problem??

When you handload (I'm thinking about starting this activity due to ammo cost), there is a need for even more precautions in properly installing and seating the primer for cartridges to be used in tubular magazines??

Thanks!!


Regards

 

[Shadow 7D]

I believe that the safety comes from having not super senisitive primers, or primers with a "stout" or hard cup (military primers) and non pointed bullets, so if the said round was a hollow point with a "military" primer that you had to hit twice to ignite, then yes, I would think that would be a safe round.

If you like lever actions and are paranoid of blowing your magazine, consider falling blocks, all the fun, one round at a time.

Oh forgot, use brass with small pistol, or small rifle primers, not large, that way you have less area to worry about.

 

[Dookie]

Perfectly safe, the tips are a soft material so they flex, the older style were hard and that could cause a problem.

 

[nipprdog]

Perfectly safe, the tips are a soft material so they flex, the older style were hard and that could cause a problem.
Today 05:56 PM

Dookie, you might be referring to Hornday's Leverevolution ammo, but that's not what the OP asked about.

 

[bfoosh006]

God, I hope they are... I've been loading Rem. 405gr Flat SP hot for years in my MODERN 1886 ( 35-39k ish psi ). Seriously they are GTG if they are flat soft points, as for the Hornady Leverevolution bullets, I wouldn't load those hot.
The hard cast bullets should be ok also if they are wide meplated. Make sure your primer is seated below the face of the case.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=796073&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=free&utm_campaign=10614...get this book ! You will enjoy it.

 

[Al Thompson]

Several years back, (IIRC) Precision Shooting (maybe Tactical Shooter?) did an article on tubular magazine ignition problems. Bottom line was that even if you got one to fire in the magazine, the pressure wouldn't get very high. Once again, IIRC, the writer was using something electrical to light the first round off and had problems getting anymore to fire, regardless of bullets used.

While I do not think it's a myth, it does appear to be a non-issue.

 

[Tirod]

Look closer - the classic .30-30 round nose still touches the primer, and if the AR15 is any indication, lightly striking the primer with the firing pin on chambering doesn't make them go off.

When the rifle fires, recoil pushes the barrel and attached magazine backward. Spring pressure against the first round is pushing the stack of cartridges, if there is any give, that happens first. Then the cartridges are pushed base first against the tip of the next in line. That push has to equal the minimum primer striking force per square inch to pop it.

It hasn't been much of an issue in 100 years, just be aware and don't abuse it. Lot's of reloaders will use spire point bullets in lever action magazines - they just don't load more than one in the tube. That's been a old school trick since the "50's.

 

[Daizee]

All primer should be seated below the case head, no?
Wouldn't a push-back in the magazine most likely seat the primer all the way, as long as the meplat of the following bullet is at least as large as the primer pocket, just like a priming tool? Sure the priming tool is probably moving much less quickly, but presumably the meplat already begins by pressing against the primer, and thus avoids a dynamic impact.

-Daizee