Another case for near 100% load density

[mnkyracer]

Apparrently I had a brain fart the last time I loaded rounds for my .44 Mag. Load was 12 gr HS-6 with a 271 gr BTSniper swaged bullet, to be shot out of a 14 in. Contender.

This load is not uncomfortable to shoot and is hunting accurate past 100 yds. It has accounted for 3 deer the last 2 years.

During powder measure set-up, I must have bumped the scale causing the weight to jump a notch on the beam. I ended up charging 22 grains of powder instead of 12. I loaded up 50 and went to the range where I found the mistake. On the first shot, recoil was noticeably more. Then, the breach was hard to open and I found that the case was stuck in the chamber. Went home, got the case removed and started to pull down rounds, which is when I found my error.

I thoroughly cleaned and inspected the barrel and could not find any issues, so I loaded 5 rounds with the correct charge and went back to the range. Now, even these rounds are sticking in the chamber, but not to the point that I cannot work them out with my fingers. These did not show signs of flattened primers.

Any ideas where to start looking for problems? If it comes to taking it to a gunsmith, it will be put back in the safe for now due to $$$, or the lack thereof.

[MT Gianni]

Recheck the chamber and do a cerrosafe cast if necessary. You are looking to see if anything is out of specs or if something is stuck in there. If so a light polish may get it out or ruin it depending on the amount of touch used.

[shorty500M]

look for any "NEW" bulges ahead of sloid case head on the brass and also look for pimple type marks from top dead center where sight/scope base screws holes are. 22g of HS6 would generate awfully extreme pressures far beyond even a "PROOF LOAD" and that could have slightly bulged chamber

[cbrick]

Yep, I'd bet if the correct loading is sticking, even slightly there is a bulge in the chamber, when fired the brass swells into the part of the chamber where the bulge is making it tough to get out. I would have the barrel checked for stress cracks also.

Wonderful that your ok but I doubt the T/C barrel is after a near double charge of an already hot load of HS-6.

I've never been much of a fan of fast powders in magnum cases and things like this remind me why.

Rick

[LUCKYDAWG13]

this is on your contender right i think you bent your extractor take it out put a spent
case in see if it falls out if it does you just bent your extractor

[cbrick]

Could be Luckydawg but wow that was a hot charge and with a slightly heavy for caliber bullet ta boot. Guess he could get lucky with it but I would still have the chamber checked for stress cracks before I fired that barrel again.

Rick

[rintinglen]

+1 I'd be darned surprised if that barrel was not bulged. That had to be somewhere in the vicinity of 62,000 CUP, maybe higher, at least 30% over the SAAMI Max, the old 45,000 one, not the new neutered 36,000 one.

[mnkyracer]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I stripped the barrel down and gave it a thorough cleaning and also mic'd several spent cases from before and after the WHOOPS. It does look like there is a slight bulge in the chamber in the area of the sight mount holes. Instead of a slight taper from case head to mouth, the case is nearly straight walled at the 12 o'clock starting halfway up the case. The newly fired cases are approx .002 larger from this point forward.

Looks like a new barrel is in the future.

[shorty500M]

whoops is rite! touch more and bet the barrel would have split lengthwise with an irregular crack running rite through the screw holes

[shorty500M]

i would bet the pressure was actually around a SAAMI proof level for a .454 meaning 90kpsi plus. at any rate it definitely exceeded the elastic strength of the 4140 type alloy in barrel

[LUCKYDAWG13]

well on the bright side you didn't get hurt and you should be able to pick
up a used barrel for around $175 or less

[felix]

Chamber was expanded towards the front of the case. Slower powders (actually, just right) for the application tend to expand the case rearward as much as forward. ... felix