BLTsandwedge
09-17-2009, 06:40 PM
Great conversation about .38 HBWCs on a few threads here. I've got a bizarre experience to relate.
Back in June I ran across an out-of-the-way gun shop on a long weekend in the Cambria area. There I bought an unmarked box of 500 swaged .38 HBWCs for $15. Feeling great about this, I took them home, inserted head-in-rectum and loaded a few boxes using the same charge as I would for a .38 BBWC ala H&G's design. The charge I used was 3.1g Clays.
At the range the following Saturday I ran through one box and was delighted with the accuracy- but I found some lead at the forcing cone of my S&W 14. The generic HBWCs are lubricated with graphite- I simply resolved to carrying a brass brush next time. I took the second box- absolutely identical to the first- and began shooting. First shot, two holes about 6" apart. Second shot, two more holes. ***!! Somebody was shooting my target- or so I thought. The only other guy shooting was doing benchrest with a .22-250 so I left him alone. Third shot, two more holes. The HBWCs were breaking apart. Not only that, I noticed a visible time delay between the round and the skirt as they struck the target.
From my blackpowder days I've seen a .577 hollow-base skirt flare out when fired with too much powder (pics in Lyman's BP manual). I concluded this was happening with the .38 HBWCs- but for that HBWC to break into two pieces......that's wild. The HBWCs are made of pure lead; in my mind they'd be as malleable as a pure lead .577.
Obviously I laoded the rest with more conservative charges- as in 2.5g Clays- that eliminated the problem. Anyone ever have this happen? Why would the HBWC blow apart?
Back in June I ran across an out-of-the-way gun shop on a long weekend in the Cambria area. There I bought an unmarked box of 500 swaged .38 HBWCs for $15. Feeling great about this, I took them home, inserted head-in-rectum and loaded a few boxes using the same charge as I would for a .38 BBWC ala H&G's design. The charge I used was 3.1g Clays.
At the range the following Saturday I ran through one box and was delighted with the accuracy- but I found some lead at the forcing cone of my S&W 14. The generic HBWCs are lubricated with graphite- I simply resolved to carrying a brass brush next time. I took the second box- absolutely identical to the first- and began shooting. First shot, two holes about 6" apart. Second shot, two more holes. ***!! Somebody was shooting my target- or so I thought. The only other guy shooting was doing benchrest with a .22-250 so I left him alone. Third shot, two more holes. The HBWCs were breaking apart. Not only that, I noticed a visible time delay between the round and the skirt as they struck the target.
From my blackpowder days I've seen a .577 hollow-base skirt flare out when fired with too much powder (pics in Lyman's BP manual). I concluded this was happening with the .38 HBWCs- but for that HBWC to break into two pieces......that's wild. The HBWCs are made of pure lead; in my mind they'd be as malleable as a pure lead .577.
Obviously I laoded the rest with more conservative charges- as in 2.5g Clays- that eliminated the problem. Anyone ever have this happen? Why would the HBWC blow apart?