18 gr 2400 45lc Soot

[jonp]

I worked up some loads in my 45 Colt Blackhawk which has a 7.5in barrel. The 2400 works well but I noticed something odd. At 17gr I got a little soot down the sides of the brass. It increased up to 18.5gr where I stopped. The recoil was interesting in that it increased to 17.5gr and then leveled out which I'm taking to mean that is about as high as I need to go with this powder although accuracy was just fine all the way to 18.5gr.
Can anyone give me an answer about the soot? I notice no signs of pressure at all in the brass.

[454PB]

Normally soot on the case means the pressure wasn't high enough to expand the case and prevent leakage, which is where the soot comes from. I'm a bit surprised to hear that with 17 gr. of 2400, unless the boolit was light.

[runfiverun]

17 or 17.5 can often leave a little unburnt powder behind.
i'd be looking at a few things like neck tension, ignition, or how many times the cases have been used.
I have gone up to 19.5 grs of 2400 with no issues [which I know is not max]
but figure I might as well be moving along in powder speed about that point anyway.

[jonp]

The boolit is a 255gr swc. I do know that there is still a little unburned powder in the case even at 18.5gr which surprised me as I thought 19gr or so of 2400 was near or at max with this boolit. Am I wrong on this max charge? The brass has been fired a couple of times but still is in good shape. I resize every loading to make sure and bell just enough to start the boolit and put a healthy crimp on it to keep them in place. The brass does not show much wear at all.

[daniel lawecki]

In my 44 mag I get unburnt powder at 20.5grs of powder they say you don't need a mag primer with 2400 but I wonder.

[44man]

I quit worrying about it long ago. Never mattered my load or primer, just the powder. 296 is also dirty even with max loads. I get lube outside brass too.
I think the pressure drops too fast in revolvers as it goes out the gap, to keep brass tight.
Maybe the extended peak of slow powders is a cause.
Doesn't hurt anything so I just tumble longer.
Now the BFR 45-70 with 4759 is so clean I don't even have to wipe brass and even primer pockets are clean. Go figure!

[Foto Joe]

Try NOT re-sizing on a dozen or so and I'm guessing that your soot problems will be mitigated or disappear altogether.

I load a lot of 45 Colt with Black Powder and don't re-size. Using Black Powder will really let you know where the blow back is happening. Once your brass is fire-formed to the chambers you should notice a dramatic reduction in the sooting. It may take a couple of firings depending upon the pressures, age of the brass etc.

[44man]

Try NOT re-sizing on a dozen or so and I'm guessing that your soot problems will be mitigated or disappear altogether.

I load a lot of 45 Colt with Black Powder and don't re-size. Using Black Powder will really let you know where the blow back is happening. Once your brass is fire-formed to the chambers you should notice a dramatic reduction in the sooting. It may take a couple of firings depending upon the pressures, age of the brass etc.
NOT GOOD with smokeless where you need case tension.

[Jupiter7]

Not all cylinders are the same. One chamber could differ to the next. Fireforming would require having marked brass and cylinder, like brass 1 to chamber 1. Without returning case to same chamber in the cylinder, fireforming is non existent. Sounds like a recipe for a stuck case.

[jdgabbard]

NOT GOOD with smokeless where you need case tension.

Agree with this statement... Not to mention those chambers might not all be the same size. Which means you could have a tough time getting the brass to seat in some.

[Foto Joe]

As far as the not re-sizing, I use this method with smokeless as well albeit at low velocity loads using TrailBoss simply because I see no reason to risk damaging the gun or myself.

Regarding different size chambers and/or stuck cases, it has never been an issue. Although I have one Uberti SAA that has it's own brass simply because has slightly smaller chambers than the other.

In my experience, attempting to meet or exceed the original mil-spec performance of 45 Colt using smokeless can get a little hairy on the pressures. I enjoy shooting the smokeless simply because cleaning up isn't such a chore but loading 45 Colt comes with some adjustments sometimes for individual guns.