38 not so special

[Ranger J]

I could use a little advice.  While I am not new to reloading I do not have the experience of some of you.  I reload three ‘pistol’ cartridges, .44 mag (rifle) 357 mag and 38 SP(pistol).  The only one that gives me any trouble is the 38.  When I use standard primers (CCI) several times in a box of 50 I get primer only misfires.  I am shooting these in my 357 pistol and this usually results in the bullet being run up the barrel just enough to require manual extraction.  At first I thought this might be because I was not cleaning out the flash hole enough but added attention has not helped.  If I change to magnum primers I don’t have the problem.  This is not a real problem in my 357 but my wife has an old Charter Arms stub nose in 38 special and I am a little afraid of firing these (magnum primers) in it.  
The loads I am loading are light target loads using Unique, Herco, Red Dot and I think AA#5.  Is this a problem with the small volume of powder in the shell not catching the fire from the standard primer?  I usually can dump the powder load out the end of the barrel when these misfires occur.  Most of these were crimped fairly tight.  I am at a loss.

[jhm]

Ranger:  Am I reading you post correctly?  Are you saying the primer is going off but the powder isnt ?  And then you have a stuck bullet or one that has just barely cleared the barrel leaving you with Unburned powder in the barrel?  JIM

[Ranger J]

Yes, that is correct.  The primer goes off with just enough power to run the bullet barely into the barrel.  The main powder charge does not go off.  This is with regular primers.  With the magnum primers in the 38 I never have this problem.  In my 357 loads, using regular primers I never have this problem, only with the occasional 38.  In most of the 357 loads I use Blue Dot.

[Reed1911]

Could very well be a powder position problem. Since you are using light loads, I would not be too concerned about the mag primers. Just begin at the starting level and work up. Or you can try changing primer brands.

[Questor]

I don't think you're having the trouble with red dot, because it's a pretty fast powder. You may be having the problem with the others. Try using standard 38 special powders like bullseye or Win 231 and your problem will go away.

[Steve P]

The loads I am loading are light target loads using Unique, Herco, Red Dot and I think AA#5.  

The above powders do not require a magnum primer and work just fine in 38 special loads.  I have (honestly) hundreds of rounds of these loaded at home in ammo boxes.  I spent about 3 weeks and loaded up nearly 5000 357 and 38 rounds.  I have shot them all, light to heavy.

I do not use CCI primers, personal preference, not saying they are not a good product.  They failed me once in a shooting match, I changed my match loads, and used my remaining balance in plinking rounds.

I do have some really, and I mean REALLY, light loads in 38 special.  Make almost no noise.  I make a powder wad for these loads.  I use a sized brass with enlarged flash hole.  I put a nail into the case with tip thru the flash hole and head inside.  I get those foam trays from the meat dept at the supermarket and push the open end of the brass into the foam.  It cuts a nice round powder wad.  After cutting 2-3, I use the nail to push the wads out of the case.  When loading the case, after sizing, I prime, add powder, and put the wad in and push down onto the powder with pencil or similar cylindrical item.  This wad holds the powder in place near the flash hole.  Then seat bullet and crimp as normal.

If this doesn't cure your problem, try Winchester primers.  

Steve  

[jgalar]

I have used reddot and unique for cast bullet rifle loads with very light charges and no fillers. I don't have any problems igniting the powder with standard rifle primers. I use gobs of Unique for light handgun loads, charges under 3 grains in cases larger than the 38spl and haven't had the powder fail to ignite. Unique is damn easy to ignite - sounds to me like you have some bad primers.

[Leftoverdj]

You have something else going on, but I am not sure what. I'd be inclined to suspect the lube on cast bullets  or a lot of case lube inside the case. Tumbling media blocking the flash hole is a remote possibility. I've never had any trouble igniting any of those powders although I have not tried Herco with extremely light charges.

[John Traveler1]

Check your bullet diameters, especially if they are light weight lead bullets.

In over 35 years of small arms ammunition reloading, the ONLY time I've had a problem similar to yours was when I loaded a large batch of .356" diameter light lead bullets into .38 Special cases.   The bullets were intended for 9mm Luger, and I happened to have them on hand and wanted a bunch of .38 Specials for plinking.

Despite medium/heavy crimps on those 125 grain bullets over 2.7-3.0 grains Bullseye, there were dozens of "bloopers" and very erratic ignition incidents. and a few bullet-in-bore episodes.  Apparently the smaller bullet over light powder charges does not "slug up" sufficiently in the chamber throat for good ignition.  Hard, small bullets can do this too.

I asked a veteran competition shooter/gunsmith about this, and he described S&W actually going to tighter chamber throats in their lightweight compact revolvers and .44 Magnums to prevent the dual problems of erratic ignition and bullet jump from heavy recoil.

HTH
John