AA #5 Help with wheelguns

[High_Cap]

Okay I read the manual just looking for some advice on a strange issue to me.

AA#5 I am loading to Min in a 38 spl wheelgun and I am having some strange issues. After firing the cases are sticky, no from over pressure but from unburnt powder and like blowback? These are on the bottom end of 38spl loads. Anyone else have issue like this with AA#5.

I use this powder for my 9mm minor load and have no issues.

The crimp is tight it is a 125gr Half jacket Remington bullet.

[brad3579]

I am new to reloading so this is probably wrong but if the pressure is to low could that cause the case to not expand and not seal. Also do not know if that matters on wheel guns.

[usnret]

Here's what Accurate lists.


38 Special
ACCURATE NO. 5
LOW HIGH
125 HDY HP/XTP 6.1 981 6.8 1,081 16,708
125 REM GS 6.4 1,051 7.1 1,134 16,811
125 (P) RAIN HP 6.4 1,007 7.2 1,112 16,776
125 SF RHFP 5.4 785 6.0 872 16,925

[Seismic Sam]

Unfortunately, you did not tell us what powder weight that minimum load was, and if it was for jacketed or cast bullets. What manual did you use?? Hornady #9 lists min 125 grain JHP loads as 6.6 grains of AA#5.

[High_Cap]

I went with the Speer Manual so it was a 7.1Gr DNR load. Hornady was pretty close to that as well.

After really looking the cases are not expanded just a lot of unburnt powder. I cleaned the chambers and the brass drops right back in.

Just wondering if anyone ever had an issue with AA#5.

Thank you.

[Seismic Sam]

Are ALL the cases like that, or just some of them?? If you have a crudded up firing pin or a weak hammer spring, that can lead to inconsistent ignition, and then you WILL see these signs. The only other thing I notice is that for 125 grain bullets, AA-5 is about the slowest burning powder for those loads, and there are loads in the same Group that use Bullseye, which is extremely fast. The only other thing I can think of is that your powder charges are inconsistent, so how and you measuring out your powder??

As far as AA-5 itself, it's a perfectly good powder like AA-2, AA-7, and AA-9, so it isn't the powder per se. You got something going on with your loads and/or your gun.

[High_Cap]

Consistently just the ones loaded with AA#5.

I will try a faster powder I have a little bit of Red Dot and AA#5. I load the AA#5 in all my 9mm autoloaders and have no trouble.

I am using a Lee powder measure, double checking weights on a electronic scale and a balance beam scale. ( it is not the cheap digital scale).

Thank you for the advice.

[Seismic Sam]

Consistently just the ones loaded with AA#5.

I will try a faster powder I have a little bit of Red Dot and AA#5. I load the AA#5 in all my 9mm autoloaders and have no trouble.

I am using a Lee powder measure, double checking weights on a electronic scale and a balance beam scale. ( it is not the cheap digital scale).

Thank you for the advice.

Damn!! A n00b who has actually read up on his stuff and appears to have his house in order. Can we have a pint of your blood so we can transfuse all the idiots we get in here?

BTW - I use the Lee Perfect powder measure too. Got a $200 Harrell measure, and at low weights it's worthless. Other issues too, so the Lee measure is best bang for the buck.

If you do a search on my name and powder measure, you will find a post on how to set the measure to .01 grain ON AVERAGE for loading non-max loads.

[High_Cap]

Thanks Sam.

This one is just was baffling me. I am going to check on the wheelgun too just to see if there is something causing issues as well.

I will post if I come to a conclusion with AA#5.

[Seismic Sam]

Thanks Sam.

This one is just was baffling me. I am going to check on the wheelgun too just to see if there is something causing issues as well.

I will post if I come to a conclusion with AA#5.

I had this happen once with my Smith 500 due to a gunked up firing pin. The loads were all over the place as far as power, and then I wiped down the frame where the firing pin is with Hoppe's #9 and wiped it clean, and the problem disappeared.