Gary Reeder
when did you have hang fires with full load of powder?
Thursday, August 05, 2021, 14:57

many years ago when I first started hanging around Lee Jurras he told me to always have a full load of powder and if possible lightly compressed. Always have the powder flush against the primer hole. I do and as far as I know I have never had a misfire or hang fire with loading that way. I have had numerous hang fires and misfires with light loads, and a very light load has been known to blow revolvers in half. But I always try to use a powder that will fill up the case and even lightly compress the powder and it has always worked for me. Look at 454 Casull loads. The ones I have duplicated from factory loads were heavily compressed. I figure Bob Baker knows what he is doing. For sure I figure Lee, with his own ammo company, Super Vel, knew a helluva lot more than some of these wannabe experts on the internet.

The only hang fires or misfires I can remember having had nothing to do with the powder. It was with small rifle primers in my 410 GNR or 429 GNR and the 454. With a custom revolver with a light action job and a lighter hammer fall than normal trying to set off the harder cup rifle primers will sometimes give you a hang fire or misfire. Since then we no longer do the really light action job on either of these calibers. We have also switched to small pistol magnum primers on these calibers and have had no problems whatsoever.