44 Colt Pressure Question

[Crow Choker]

     Question regarding a 44 Colt loading and excessive bullet seating. On Saturday, Sept. 03, I loaded up 200 rds of 44 Colt cartridges with 25.5 grains of Goex FF black in Starline brass, topped with a 200 g. Mav Dutchman soft lead bullet, sized 0.430. Half the 200 rds I seated CCI large Mag primers, half Win large pistol primers. I seated the bullets using a RCBS 'Cowboy' bullet seater die, but crimped them with a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die. Somehow my 'quality control' personnel slipped up on one of the rounds (he must have been taking an unauthorized break), anyway, while crimping, I found one of the rds that the bullet hadnot been seated fully. I've been reloading metalic ammo since 1976 (prior to that I did 12 guage shotgun reloading with an old Lee handloader), but since that time have only had two 'gaffs'. Once seated a primer upside down and the other forgot to put powder in a 38 Spec rd in the last case of a lot. I spot check around every 25 rds or so by weighing powder from my powder measure with a scale, did so on the last rd and forgot to dump the powder in the last case, caught and found the powderless rd before firing any of the ammo.
     Back to the 44 Colt rd, after finding the rd that the bullet hadnot been seated all the way, I reset the RCBS bullet seater die back in my press to further seat the bullet, but in my haste, I didn't set the die right and seated the bullet deeper than needed, way past the crimping groove. My finished rds measure out to 1.360 in length, but the rd in question measures 1.265. Did the math, that's 0.095 shorter than the rest. My question is how much will the extra compression of the 25.5 grains of FF black powder affect pressure if the round is fired. The round in question is one with a Win LP primer. My revolvers that I have to fire the 44 Colts are a '72 Open Top and/or a Richards II. I'm not that attached to the round in question, so deep sixin' it would not cause a deprivation of sleep, probably is the best route. The bullet is to deep to pull, besides I don't have a collet in my bag of tricks to do so anyway. Have read that you can't put enough black powder in a brass case to really do harm to a firearm(or to a cap and ball chamber), but how does excessive compaction affect the pressure. What say you all??

[Fox Creek Kid]

You'll be fine since it's BP.

[Coffinmaker]

Ditto.  It's BP.  No biggie.

Coffinmaker

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

If it bothers you it can be corrected.  Use an inertial bullet puller to tap it out far enough to reseat correctly.

Don't have an inertial bullet puller!  They are a good investment.

[Coffinmaker]

Or, you'll be fine since it's BP

[wildman1]

I have put 40g 2f Schuetzen in my 45 Colt, Remington cases, 250g bullet. Ya got ta compress it a bit but ya get a nice sharp crack when ya shoot it. WM

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Re Inertial bullet puller.  If you don't have a collet, use the appropriate case holder.  Slip the case into the separated shell holder & upend into the case puller body & screw on the top and whang away.

Inertial bullet pullers are the only way to go with tapered or deeply set bullets.  They are not expensive and come in very handy at "oops" time.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy Crow Choker,

Like the others, I'd say you don't have a worry.  Matter of fact, if you were to dissect that round, you'd find a pretty solid chunk of BP in the case with maybe a tiny bit of looser powder near the primer.  That solid chunk of BP would look a lot like the solid Pyrodex pellets sold in 30 gr pellets for pistol shooters and 50 gr pellets of Py-dex and Triple 7 for the muzzle-gun hunter crowd.  It's pretty harmless stuff, actually as hardened, that is - I'm NOT saying that a 50 gr pellet of Trip7 is harmless!!!  Last weekend I compressed a load near double its' normal, .125" and I fired it along with the others I'd loaded.  I could barely tell a difference.

Sleep easy, pard ... yer hardware should not suffer any.

Keep yer powder dry!

[Crow Choker]

     Thank you all for the replies. I figured the round in question would be safe to fire, but had that 'nagging' question how the extra compression would affect the pressure. Wouldn't have worried if I was firing it in a Ruger or newer top strap Colt. Know most of what is needed to fire off black powder rounds, but some of the finer details such as pressure spikes and such I've never really studied or investigated.
      Sir Charles, ya I've thought about getting an inertia puller, but always thought the cost (even though they're not that expensive) didn't justify the few times I've ever needed one. Quess it adds creedence to the ol' saying "It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it"!!! Good idea on your 'backwoods bullet puller'!
     Need to hit the hay. Just got home from state capital(Des Moines), had to pick-up my son's vehicle and bring home for storage. He was home on leave from US Army, back to Iraq till next year some time (is with combat engineers). Picked up one of my guitars at a luthiers shop for bridge repair and install a Baggs M1 pickup. Sounds 'sweet'! Been sitting here at home playing for last three hours. Wife said it's time to put toys away at get to bed. Up at 5:00 AM to play in a big sandbox with heavy equipment. Big boy toys!!!!
     Steel Horse-Went through Indy last Feb-ifin I knew you resided there, I'd stopped and said "Howdy". I have compressed some cap and ball loads in the past more than normal with no tell-tale effect. Just being carefull and thinking of possiblillities.
     Take care all. Yours, Crow Choker

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Glad things feel "right" for ya now.  My personal  best wishes to your son as well a you and the rest of the "Choker" clan.  I was Army in Desert Storm and wish your Son didn't have to be there.  It's been too many years ...  God bless him and his compadres.

Sincerely,  Jeff

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

You mention a backwoods bullet puller.  I have seen items where folks have drilled a hole in a piece of hardwood, poke the loaded round in to fit on the rim and bang it over a block to allow the bullet to be drawn out by inertia.  The problem is that the bullet and powder are not captured.  Better to buy one.

In googling for a reference I found this site;

http://homemetalshopclub.org/news/may02/may02.html

Scroll done to find a note on making your own press-mounted bullet puller & collets. 

Bonus;  The next item is making a case length trimmer & guage.