I'm looking at recoil springs, actually. I'm figuring on giving Wolff a call to make sure if the springs are the same or different on the 4" vs 5", unless one of you guys happen to know off the top of your head. Being I got it from a Deputy, the stiffer spring would make some sense he would be using +P rounds and a stiffer recoil spring. I hadn't thought of it as I had never had any issues with factory rounds. It wasn't until I started working on loads that I started having fits.
5.2 gr of 231 is showing at the starting load of the data I've got noted for a 200 gr jacketed projectile and mid for a cast, but I'm going to give it another try when I get the recoil spring replaced to see what it does again and rework my other rounds I've had fits with.
I am still a bit perplexed on how I'm not getting good case expansion with what should be a stiffer spring, though. It's not just soot, it's measurements when I put calipers on it. None or very little change in brass dimensions until I get to the point it'll cycle. Maybe I'm stuck in rifle round thought process, but with that and sooting it makes me question if the load is where it needs to be. I may be fixated on something that's not an issue in pistol rounds, but I'm trying to wrap my head around it.