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Author Topic: Pierced primers on 357 mag  (Read 375 times)

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Offline BrianB

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Pierced primers on 357 mag
« on: May 13, 2009, 03:55:48 AM »
I took mine out yesterday for the first time.  With 148gr Lee mold wadcutters, unsized, and 2.5gr of Clays, I got about one inch groups at 25 yards.  I was using .38 Special cases. 

Then I switched to .357 cases with 158gr XTP's over 16gr of Lil' Gun.  At 25 yards I got one hole groups.  I did not shoot any further than that because I was getting eaten alive by flies and gnats and was ready to get outta there.  Next trip out to camp I will try Lil' Gun, 360 Dan Wesson cases, 180gr XTP's and insect repellant.  If you have some Lil' Gun and 158 XTP's, maybe try that.

I did run into a problem.  About every tenth shot I would get pierced primers.  When I compared the spent cases to cases shot from about 20 other guns, I found that the Handi firing pin was traveling at least twice as deep into the primer as the the others I inspected.  Are you, or anyone else, experiencing this problem as well?  I'm pretty sure the problem lies with the Handi, as I regularly shoot these loads with other guns and have never had any issues whatsoever.
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Offline petemi

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Pierced primers on 357 mag
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2009, 07:38:41 AM »
It's gotta be the rifle.  I've shot thousands of rounds through about 8 different C.F. Handis and never had that problem.  The firing pin is cheap enough, I'd just take a file or dremmel to it and shorten it up a bit.  Just my old dementia working again.

Pete
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Offline quickdtoo

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Pierced primers on 357 mag
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2009, 09:55:51 AM »
Brian, measure the pin projection on the frame with the barrel removed, cock the hammer and hold it with your thumb while pulling the trigger, let the hammer go all the way forward while still pulling the trigger all the way to the rear, the firing pin will protrude from the breech face and you can use the tail of a caliper to measure how much is protruding, normal would be anywhere from .030"-.050". I think using a primer with a thicker cup would solve the problem, I dunno what primer you're using, but as you can see from the link below, there's quite a difference in small rifle primers.  ;)

Tim

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/primers_and_pressure.php
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Offline BrianB

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Re: Pierced primers on 357 mag
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2009, 02:34:25 AM »
I'm using Winchester primers.  Magnum small pistol in the .357's and standard small pistol in the .38 wadcutters.  After hundreds of rounds of the same loads, I've never had a problem. But, then again, I've never seen a firing pin travel so far into the primer either.

I've attached an image of the problem, the casing on the left is one shot and pierced in my Handi.  The others are from random other guns without pierced primers.
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