Stinging my face!

[dondiego]

When I shoot loads out of my .30 cal carbine revolver loaded with Win. #296 powder I get a lot of stinging particles hitting my face and it is quite uncomfortable. Is this normal for this powder or is my barrel gap too wide??? This also happens with some of my .357 revolvers and 296.

[Echo]

Feeler guages will tell you, but M1A eyeball will do pretty good. Should be a SMALL amount of light coming through. If you can slide a business card in there, it's too much.
And what bbl length? But I imagine the 30 Carbine is a fairly long bbl, so Never Mind...

[Pilgrim]

The only time that has happened to me (2 or 3 times) the revolver was out of time. The boolit is hitting the forcing cone out of alignment shaving lead. The revolver (s) need to be repaired (timed) IMO.

[skeettx]

That is normal for my Carbine in a short gun, sorry
2400 will do the same thing
I use a ski mask with eye holes, safety glasses, and DOUBLE ear protection (plugs and muffs)
I feel this is unburned powder escaping,
It is not fun, please check out your gun for the following ailments (see links below)
Mike

some fun reading

http://rugerforum.net/ruger-single-action/10440-looking-used-blackhawk-30-carbine.html

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1401254

p.s. shoot the carbine next to a piece of white cardboard and see it the spitting is powder or lead shavings

[randyrat]

Echo was talking about the gap between the cylinder and barrel...Too tight and a few shots your pistol will lock up from heat expansion, too loose and you get splatter. I'm not a pistol smith so I don't know the correct gap size for your pistol...Seems to me it is about 2K to 6k..It can be tightened up with a correct size shim...the other problem which could be is out of TIME that needs work from a pro or someone that knows more than me.
I would start by checking the gap...Hopefully it is not common to those carbine cartridge pistols

[Shiloh]

.30 carbine from a handgun is the loudest report I have ever heard.

Shiloh

[Mal Paso]

.004"-.006" cylinder gap. Tighter and a burned kernel of 296 will stop the cylinder from turning. Auto Parts stores have feeler gauges cheap.

Make sure the cylinder locks up every time.

[dondiego]

It's not out of time and the cylinder gap is 0.005 inches. I might just start using the full face shield that I use for casting. I will stay away from 296 in this caliber also.

[ironhead7544]

Had this problem with 296 and the 357 Magnum. Try AA#9.

[dondiego]

That is the answer I am looking for. Thanks for the info Ironhead!

[NSB]

I've shot thousands and thousands of rounds out of a lot of different 357s and 44mags and have NEVER, not even once, had powder come back and sting my face. Somethings wrong with the gun if it's happening.

[10mmShooter]

Actually its fairly easy to a little kiss in the face of hot gases simply based on your shooting postion, if you shooting from barricade and based on the angle of the revolver and your positon(where your face is) you can catch the blast from the gap bouncing off the wall or divider or what ever you have the pistol close too.

[dondiego]

I shoot leaning over my gas grill and I'll bet that is the problem! It has an angled/rounded top. I think that the powder particles are bouncing off of the surface and hitting me in the face. There is nothing wrong with this revolver or any of my others. I will do a quick test today and see if shooting it offhand gives the same result.

[dondiego]

Shooting offhand didn't help much. Still getting the 296 particles stinging my face.

[BBQJOE]

So is 296 a really slow powder that just isn't burning up in the chamber?

[skeettx]

Hello
See below, it is #72

http://www.reloadbench.com/burn.html

Mike

[NSB]

So is 296 a really slow powder that just isn't burning up in the chamber?

It doesn't all burn up in the chamber. It makes a heck of a fireball when you shoot it at night (if you want to see how much is getting out the side and out the barrel) but it shouldn't be coming backwards. Something is directing it that way. It's bouncing off something....as others have said in response. I'm not exagerating when I say that so far in my life I've gone through at least 32-35 lbs of WW296. It does make a lot of flame but something has to direct it back at the shooter. FYI...in my younger days, a long time ago, I once was dumb enough to grip the gun by the cylinder to steady it and got a lot of unburned powder particles embedded in my fingers. Took years to work their way out. Only did that once. Duh!

[dondiego]

I have burned several kegs of 296 myself and have only experienced this in some revolvers. I knew that if anyone knew the answer, it would come from you guys.