I was testing some new 10mm reloads this morning and one of the cases sheered in half. This is my first time reloading 10mm and I’ve heard it can be sensitive to pressure spikes so better to be safe than sorry. Any help diagnosing is appreciated...
I’ve reloaded over 30,000 rounds of 9mm, 45 ACP, 380 and 38 Special and have never had a case failure like this, even after loading some brass 10-20 times. This was a once fired piece of Sig Sauer factory brass.
My loads were light compared to factory 10mm rounds. I had worked up loads between 5.6 and 6.4 grains of HP-38. According to my manuals (start 5.9 - max 6.6), this range should only produce between 1,000-1,100 fps. The cartridge that failed was loaded with 6.0. Note, the Sig factory ammo I shoot is 1,250 fps.
Couple of possible culprits, maybe?
Primers look a little flat but okay to me…? Brass on the left is a factory Sig round. The others are my reloads, all with same powder charge.
I’ve reloaded over 30,000 rounds of 9mm, 45 ACP, 380 and 38 Special and have never had a case failure like this, even after loading some brass 10-20 times. This was a once fired piece of Sig Sauer factory brass.
My loads were light compared to factory 10mm rounds. I had worked up loads between 5.6 and 6.4 grains of HP-38. According to my manuals (start 5.9 - max 6.6), this range should only produce between 1,000-1,100 fps. The cartridge that failed was loaded with 6.0. Note, the Sig factory ammo I shoot is 1,250 fps.
Couple of possible culprits, maybe?
- Due to the primer shortage I was using magnum primers, which is why I started with loads at the light end of the spectrum. Could a magnum primer cause a spike in pressure without creating a corresponding increase in velocity?
- My OAL was below optimal. I was at 1.235 whereas the manuals I have a OAL range between 1.250 and 1.260.
- Brass: Sig Sauer. Fired once. Large primer pocket.
- Bullet: X-Treme 180 grain RNFP
- Primer: CCI Magnum Large Pistol (350)
- Powder: Hodgdon HP-38
- OAL: 1.235 (range in manuals is between 1.250 and 1.260)
- Press: Dillon Square Deal B
- Pistol: Springfield TRP 1911 10mm
Primers look a little flat but okay to me…? Brass on the left is a factory Sig round. The others are my reloads, all with same powder charge.
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