Super BlackHawk Failed - Opinion/Advice?

Something is wrong somewhere. 23 grams is around 350 grains, an impossible load. (Even a .50 BMG won't hold that much!)

If one of your unfired rounds held 6 grains of powder and one 13 grains, you evidently are double charging some cases, explaining the blown cylinder.

Your use of "grams" is bothersome. If you are trying to weigh charges using a scientific scale, I strongly recommend you get an inexpensive powder scale calibrated in grains. There is too much chance of getting your weight systems mixed up.

Jim
 
A bit discouraged. Thought I was very careful. I guess I have to weigh each powder drop? Why have a progressive?
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Use a different powder on a progressive.....as I said earlier. Use something that will show if you double charge. This is a pitfall of progressives and I know, I use two of them. They just require a little more care. Also, weighing completed rounds to verify powder isn't a good idea. If you want to use this powder, be prepared to weigh at least every five rounds or so to see if they are dropping uniform. If not, something's wrong. Too much variation. Be safe.
 
I have loaded many thousands of .38 Special rounds with a Dillon and never double charged any. (Easy to do when the load is 2.7 grains of Bullseye!) It doesn't matter what tool you use, you have to concentrate on the job and eliminate distractions.

Jim
 
Quote:
NoSecondBest, just think, if that dummy Elmer Keith hadn't pushed the limits with the special, we wouldn't have the great .44 mag. Thanks Mr. Keith.
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Elmer blew up his share of guns too
He just didn't post the pictures on the internet
 
I find it interesting that a Hornady powder drop could malfunction to this extent..., it is possible to double charge if the press hangs up
 
yup thats too much powder. That pistol is tough as it gets too.

I never ever trust anything except for my analog scales. You can not. Never ever assume things are always tweaked to perfection. Alway and I mean always check 1 out of every 5 cartridge charges on a scale. Digital or analog whatever. Just check.

I was in a situation where someone was severely injured when an automatic charge dispenser, It will remain nameless, failed and and dropped what we think was a double charge of Lil Gun into a large caliber revolver cartridge. Which also will remain nameless. His Smith & Wesson blew up and so did his index finger

This guy, a friend of mine, had been reloading for almost 30 years. He switched up his setup to a new "improved progressive powder thru" press as he called it. It cost him a lot and I was put in a situation in which I will never forget.

I'm not trying to be anything other than honest when I say: always check. And always have it in the back of your mind that no matter how much money you spend or spent on a setup which makes reloading "faster," that nothing is perfect. Don't reload to save time and money only. Make it a session each time where precision and care is taken to know that your end product is safe and best you can produce. Sorry for the rant.
 
Sorry to hear about your Blackhawk, you might look into getting a powder cop, it takes the place of a die, it has a plunger with a white O ring, in the center that is lifted by the powder charge, the ring is your visual reference, too much powder it stands high, not enough, it does not lift as much.
 
Using Titrgroup to make full magnum, full bore .44 Mag loads is a HORRENDOUS idea right from the start.

If you had been using a proper powder for full-boat .44 Magnum loads (H110, IMR-4227, Accurate#9, Alliant 2400) you would not only not be able to double charge any of them, you wouldn't be able to bust a Super Blackhawk, it's maybe one of the strongest .44's on the planet.

It was a double charge, not an overcharge. And it was a tragic idea to use Titegroup in this role at all.
 
Sevens. In all honesty, I was looking for a "one-stop shop" powder. I was not loading full bore magnum loads. A 240 grain bullet will accept up to 10 grains of Titegroup.

So, why is Titegroup so bad? The is a published recipe. I have only been doing this 3 years or so, I don't have a wide knowledge base.

I reloaded some 454 Casull with Titegroup and with some H110. I used 11 grains of Titegroup and 26 grains of H110. 250 gr hornady XTP bullets. Small rifle primers, Rem 7 1/2.

One of the Titegroup loads had two distinct pops. The primer went, then the powder. I have it on video. I will not be using Titegroup again in the 454 Casull. But, if there is a published load, you are saying I am wrong to follow it?
 
So, why is Titegroup so bad? The is a published recipe. I have only been doing this 3 years or so, I don't have a wide knowledge base.
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It doesn't fill the case more than half way. On your progressive it allows for double charging and there's no way for you to see it. One other thing that needs mentioned: if you double charge one, you aren't charging another. Now you've got a squib load waiting to get stuck in the barrel. Use powders that have volume enough to fill the case half full or more.
 
I have no issues with titegroup, it's a clan running and money-saving powder. but if you have a process which can allow for a double charge, then I would want a fluffy powder that would over-fill. this is why I don't think I will ever step up to a progressive, even though I really want to. every time I see a horror story, it's always from someone running a progressive, I know mistakes can happen on anything, but I love having all my powdered loads in a tray at one time so I can look them all-over before seating the bullet. I think the only single stage issues I ever see have been squibs instead of doubles, which can be found at the shooters end before blowing a gun to pieces. maybe I just don't trust myself enough for a progressive.

I don't think I could give up this view

I like to see all my powder at once and then move any empty cases AWAY from my table to I don't pick up an empty w/o thinking about it. I don't have any rifle loads that can except a double, so it's only the pistols that concern me. I powder and seat rifle bullets one at a time. sorry about your gun, maybe going backwards in technology could be the right step. it's a whole lot slower though, let me tell ya
 
MrMopar, Having a One-stop shop powder is fine but there are others that will fit the bill better IMHO. I have a brother that swears by Tightgroup. I hate it, it's way too fast of a powder for me.

A lot of people will tell you Unique is hard to meter and burns dirty, but I use it for my one- stop shop powder. It's easier to detect an over or double charge. Some calibers I load won't double charge with Unique, the ones that will are easy enough to see that you would have a hard time NOT catching it.

I will also add that I don't do the progressive thing. I single stage because there is too much going on at one time for me to keep an eye on. I also like that view (^^^^^^^) on every cartridge I reload.
 
I know the weight of the bullet and the case with the powder and the primer. After loading my reloaded rounds have a weight, there is no + /- unless I have cases with weights that do not match.

If the weight of my reloaded rounds do not match it has to be the powder.

F. Guffey
 
We would be amiss if we did not note quite strongly that the title of this thread is profoundly WRONG.

The ""Super BlackHawk Failed"" is not what happened at all.

It looks like the Super Blackhawk performed admirably.

The handloader.....not so much.
 
I am sorry Mopar, but I agree. with someone just perusing google and comes across this thread w/o reading through the whole thing may take away that a BH is a p.o.s.

even if it just turned one person away from the Ruger because of the misleading title and then the picture, that would be too many, because it's undeserving. had nothing to do with a Ruger failure at all......

I understand that people make mistakes and am not knocking YOU at all, I really am sorry for your "loss", and I hope people learn something and make the needed changes to their process. thanks for sharing your experience even though it may be embarrassing, some people wouldn't even share it, so you have my respect for that
 
Many folks keep pointing out that using any fast powder will only fill half the case or less. This is true (and Titegroup may be -the- fastest powder on the market)

My point is...
That is merely a side characteristic of using a fast powder in a large magnum round. The REAL thing to be cognizant of here is that the pressure curve of a fast powder in a large magnum case is a catastrophe waiting to happen.

I do understand the economy angle. I also understand the desire to have only one or two powders to do "everything" but you HAVE to know that you are handcuffing yourself when you do that. You are literally setting yourself up for FAILURE because you choose to run a powder that is simply not appropriate for the task.

I run Titegroup in .44 Mag: 5.7 grains over a cast lead 240gr LSWC for 870fps.
It is a light, target, FUN round.

If you want to make magnum loads... 1,200fps and above, you need to use the proper powder for it. That is s slow burner, one of the ones I mentioned in my previous post.

If you had been using H110 in a Super Blackhawk and you FILLED the case, it wouldn't burst a Super Blackhawk. But Titegroup? Bullseye? AA#2? Zip? Red Dot?

KABOOM.
Those are small pistol powders. In .44 Magnum -- light target loads ONLY.

It's the pressure curve. A fast burning powder reaches it's peak pressure quickly. Way too quickly to be a good choice for .44 Magnum. (and .357, .41, .454, .460, .500)

If you look at the economy, it is not worth it. The powder is very low in cost when you break down the numbers.
 
I can tell you are the helpful one on this board Verminator. Thank you.
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Hope you didn't take offense at what I said.

I meant to clear the name of the Super Blackhawk, not to insult you.

Like somebody said, someone glancing quickly at the thread titles might get a bad impression of a great revolver.

Double charges happen. Guns blow up. That's just a part of life. Everybody makes mistakes.

No reflection on you.
 
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