Inline FabricationReloading EverythingLee PrecisionMidSouth Shooters Supply
RotoMetals2Titan ReloadingLoad DataWideners
Repackbox
Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Misbehaving six gun

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    East Central Illinois
    Posts
    4,490

    Misbehaving six gun

    One of my favorite .44's has started scattering its shots. I thought it was me but I took another gun to the range with the miscreant. Same ammo same conditions and it still acted up. Even shot it off a rest.

    Got it home and gave it a good cleaning. Noticed that the ejector rod housing screw was very loose. Cleaned it and put blue locktite on it.

    Would the loose screw effect accuracy?

    Load is a proven one in the gun. The brass had been loaded several times with full magnum loads. Is tired brass an issue? Some cases split when fired.

    Suggestions welcome.

    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  2. #2
    Moderator


    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Way up in the Cascades
    Posts
    8,082
    Possible, I suppose; but less likely to be the cause than something else. Any leading in the cylinder chambers or bore? You didn't supply a brand name or model......does it have an adjustable rear sight? Might be loose.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Kansas US of A
    Posts
    1,375
    "Some cases split when fired. "

    You mention that like it is a regular occurrence. If so, junk it all. Dunno what you load is but my guess would be bullet pull.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    NW GA
    Posts
    7,243
    Any weird functionality issues? Shaving lead due to poor timing? Any leading of the barrel or cylinders? Front and rear sight tight? Just a bad shooting day?

  5. #5
    Boolit Master


    Walks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    3,028
    Yep a case splits, it lowers the pressure. Therefore bullets from split cases are moving slower, each split case is going to cause a slightly different change in pressure. So bullets are going to leave the bbl moving at slightly different velocities. So different points of impact.

    I load no more then three hot loads, out of a batch of cases. Then reserve them for Target/Cowboy loads.

    That's why it is so IMPORTANT to keep cases together in the same lot, not allowing them to get mixed up.

    So when one cases goes, you know the rest become suspect. Time to toss them and get knew brass.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

    SASS #375 Life

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Northwest Ohio
    Posts
    14,457
    If your brass is splitting its time for new brass Scrap what you have in the batches doing it and start over. The loose screw is part of the issue along with the loose ejector rod housing shifting around and affecting harmonics. If the firearm has seen a lot of full power loads check inside of top strap for gas cutting, forcing cone for wear or roughness, timing and lock up, cylinder end play. barrel cylinder gap.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    East Central Illinois
    Posts
    4,490
    I have been known to be a bit "thrifty" with brass. These are Starline cases that have had nothing but this load in them. Load is NOE Ranchdog 265 rnfp over 22 of H110 with Russian primers. Very accurate in several guns. Gun is a 5.5" Bisley Ruger that has been customized some. It has been shot a lot. Recently had an oversized cylinder stop fitted, cylinder gap set to minimum, and a hardened steel bushing put in by a pistol Smith guild member. It locks up dead tight.

    Gun has always shot the above load well and has put a lot of venison in the freezer. I will break out some virgin Starline cases and see how it shoots.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  8. #8
    Moderator
    Texas by God's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    14,334
    A shot that splits the neck on a centerfire rifle will land out of the group. I can't imagine a straight wall case being different. Brass get tired with age, too- not just times loaded.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master
    rintinglen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Orange, VA NOW
    Posts
    6,492
    If I had to put money down on a bet, I'd go with the tired-brass theory: a split case neck will dump a shot well outside the group, in a random fashion. It is false economy to reload such cases.
    Last edited by rintinglen; 12-12-2018 at 07:36 PM.
    _________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master
    9.3X62AL's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Redlands, NorKifornia
    Posts
    11,551
    Quote Originally Posted by rintinglen View Post
    If I had to put money down on a bet, I'd go with the tired-brass theory: a split case neck will dump a shot well outside the group, in a random powder. It is false economy to reload such cases.
    And that goes double with H-110 as the fuel. H-110/WW-296 depend upon high and consistent bullet pull to sustain combustion start. Splitting or otherwise inconsistent brass will mess things up quite efficiently.
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  11. #11
    Super Moderator


    ShooterAZ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Flagstaff, AZ
    Posts
    12,065
    I'm with the rest of the guys on the splitting cases. Time to get a fresh batch of brass for sure. One other thing to check for is a really worn base pin. This can sometimes cause groups to open up too. If it's a Ruger single action, the Belt Mountain base pins will tighten it right up.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check