Reloading Cartridges

American Rifleman, vol 61, No. 17, Jan 18, 1917 – pages 328-329

By Charles Newton

THE owner of a high-power rifle, in a great majority of cases, loses a great part of the enjoyment to be derived from its use unless he reloads his ammunition. Some are so fortunately situated that the cost of ammunition is no object, and they can afford to shoot all they wish with new cartridges. Some are so unfortunately situated that their only opportunity for using a rifle during the entire year is a single big-game hunt of a week or two, and the question of cost of ammunition is of minor importance. The third class, and this includes the great majority of us, are so situated that while we go occasionally upon ‘big-game ' hunts, yet may frequently use the rifle at target or for woodchuck or small-game shooting, thus deriving much pleasure from the use “between times." Much shooting means much money, if factory ammunition is used, and there are few of us who have not a few minutes avail-able during the evening in which we might even enjoy reloading a batch of shells.

Shells for high-power rifles may be reloaded to give just as good results as any -factory ammunition, if ordinary care be used, and the cost of reloading with full changes is from $2.10 to $2.50 per 100 even at present prices for materials. This “listens” much better to most of us than does the $6 paid for the same number of cartridges new. The difference in price between reloading 100 shells and purchasing the same number of new cartridges will pay for a complete reloader, and the saving on the next 100 will come well over settling the bill for powder scales or powder measure. In fact, while a little slow, the old method of dipping up the powder in a scoop or cup is more accurate than any of the machines which operate faster.

The first step -being to obtain the materials, these should be correct. The bullets offer no difficulties, if purchased expressly for the cartridge to be reloaded. The primers must be suitable for the work as well. Non-mercuric primers should be obtained -if possible. U. M. C. No. 9, U. S. Cartridge Co. No 8, or those used by the Government, made at the Frankford arsenal and furnished to rifle clubs by the Government, are best. U. M. C. No. 8 ½ or Winchester No. 2 ½ w will give good results, but the mercury used in them will attack and destroy the brass of the shell in time, thus shortening its life decidedly.

T-he powder used is very important. Unless you are thoroughly familiar with the theory and action of propellants, and also with the chemistry involved always follow directions about the powder. There are dozens of different kinds of smokeless powders on the market, possessing as many different properties. All have their uses, and are safe and proper for the purposes for which they are made. They may be exceedingly dangerous if used for other purposes. Every other ammunition factory of which we know warns everyone not to reload smokeless-powder ammunition. This is not so much because they wish to increase sales as because of the fear that you will not follow directions and will be injured. Smokeless powder is either one of the most -dangerous articles in use or it is one of the least dangerous. It is all in whether or not you use it properly. To enable you to appreciate the situation we will discuss it somewhat.

In use smokeless powder is ignited by the primer flash and begins to burn on the outside of the kernel. It burns until the pressure is sufficient to force the bullet -forward into the rifling, then along the bore towards the muzzle. The powder does not burn all at once, but continues burning while the bullet travels along the bore, thus furnishing gas to occupy the space in the bore left by the advancing bullet, and to keep the pressure up to the point where it will continually increase the velocity of the bullet.

The powder kernel bums from the outside inward. The rate at which it burns depends upon the amount of the burning surface. As the kernels burn off the outside they become smaller and the area of burning surface is thus reduced, making them burn more slowly, so far as developing gas is concerned. To offset this, the kernels are pierced through the center and burn from this center opening as well as from the outside of the kernel. This center opening thus burns larger while the outside burns smaller and the net loss of burning surface is reduced to that lost by -the shortening of the kernel by burning off the ends. In artillery powders there are seven of these perforations, and the burning surface is actually increased as the kernel burns up.

The powder should not be completely burned up until the bullet is within about three inches of the muzzle of the rifle. It should all be burned up at about that -time. If it is burned up much before the bullet reaches that point you will -not get as high velocities as you should for the breech pressures developed. If it is not all burned before the bullet leaves the muzzle that unburned is lost.

The rate of burning is not absolutely uniform from shot to shot, since the more resistance the bullet meets with the higher the pressures -go and the faster the powder burns, and vice versa. Therefore unless you are burning all your powder well within the muzzle you are in effect burning different charges. It makes little difference whether you load your cartridge with 45 grs. of powder and burn it all, or with 46 grs. and burn 45 grs. of it, throwing the rest out unburned. And with a charge of 46 grs. of a grade which is so coarse you normally burn but 45 grs. of it, variations in resistance may increase -the amount burned to the whole 46 grs. or reduce it to 44, or even less.

Since the powder begins to burn on the outside and burns inward, the finer the granulation of -the powder the greater the area of burning surface and the greater the weight of powder burned in a given time; also the sooner the whole charge is transformed into gas. Therefore, it is important that you use a powder adapted to your high a breech pressure and far less velocity than from a coarser powder which gives less breech pressure, burns longer in the barrel, and keeps up the gas pressure behind the bullet better. Take a suitable charge of a suitable powder and cut each kernel into two parts, and the same charge will give much higher pressures without giving greater velocities; this due to the increased burning surface. Therefore it is important that you use a powder adapted to your cartridge.

The action of coarse powder and fine powder, made from the same material, is the same as that of a stick of stovewood and a pile of kindlings whittled from another similar stick. The coarse powder burns more slowly and lasts longer; the kindlings burn more quickly, make a hotter fire and are burned out sooner, and this for the same reason that the kindlings have more area of burning surface and are thin so that the fire does not have to burn so deeply into the wood.

There are two kinds of rifle powders—those containing nitro-glycerine and those which do not. The W. A., Lightning, Sharp shooter, Unique, Infallible and Bullseye powders contain the nitro-glycerine, and the DuPont series of powders, which are designated by numbers, do not. The nitro-glycerine powders compare with the DuPont series as a stick of pitch pine compares with a stick of oak or maple. They burn faster and give off more -heat, due to the nitro-glycerine in -them having the same effect as the pitch in the pine. These powders are too hot for use in strictly high-power rifles. The W. A. burns properly at from 38,000 to 40,000 pounds pressure. The Lightning is of finer graduation and burns best at from 32,000 to 36,000 pounds. The Sharpshooter is still finer and burns well at from 20,000 to 25,000 pounds. The IflI3Jl.llbl€ should not go above 10,000 to 12,000 pounds and is intended for shotguns. The Bull's-eye is used only in revolvers.

Summarizing, if your powder is too fine you get high breech pressures with low velocities. If too coarse you get uneven shooting and low velocities. If you use too much fine powder, or powder containing nitro-glycerine, you are likely to burst your rifle; and if you do not ‘burst it you will ruin it by erosion from the heat of the gases. The Ordnance Department demonstrated that by using W. A. powder at 46,000 pounds pressure they would ruin a barrel in 600 rounds. By using a powder free from nitro-glycerine they obtained an accuracy life of 15,000 rounds when used art 50,000 pounds pressure. Therefore, the nitro-glycenine powders must be avoided except for light loads.

All gases under pressure vary in temperature according to the pressure to which they are subjected. The higher the pressure the higher the temperature will be. This is why the W. A. powder when used in the Krag cartridge at 40,000 pounds pressure did not injure the barrel rapidly, yet when used in the New Springfield at 46,000 it ruined .the barrels in 600 rounds. The higher pressure made the gases that much hotter.

For reloading with reduced charges -the nitro-glycerine powders are all right, as the pressure is very low and they burn more freely than do -the DuPont series. In fact, they must be used to get good results, just as in case you wish a hot, quick fire in a stove you whittle some pine shavings for -it. For use with a 100gr. bullet in, for instance, the .256 Newton, 10 to 12 grs. Sharpshooter gives fine results.

In this cartridge with 123-gr. bullet 42 grs. DuPont No. 20 will give as high pressure as 46 grs. DuPont No. 10, which is coarser. Using 46 grs. No. 20 would increase your pressure about 10,000 pounds per square inch.

Bear carefully in mind the fact that smokeless powder and black powder are as absolutely different in their actions as in their composition, and must be handled differently. Smokeless powder is loaded loose in the shell and the primer flash ignites each separate kernel at practically the same time; they all begin to burn together and burn from the outside inward as the bullet travels along the bore. Black powder is loaded closely packed and it ignites at the back end and burns forward, kernel after kernel exploding as the fire reaches it, and thus furnishing a constant supply of gas. The action of a charge of smokeless powder burning is a steady push like that of a steam engine, while the action of a charge of black powder is like the continuous explosion of a multitude of charges for gas engines, or like the powder train in a sky rocket.

As a result, if you overload a black-powder rifle with powder the pressure is not greatly increased, since the charge merely burns off the black end, and in case it is not all burned before the bullet reaches the muzzle the unburned balance is thrown out. One can burn only a certain amount of black powder in a given gun. The balance is thrown out, unburned and unscorched.

With smokeless powder, however, if you overload a shell you increase the amount of burning surface beyond what is suitable for that particular bullet, and the pressure goes above normal. As the pressure goes up the gases become hotter than normal, and burn the powder faster than normal, which in turn sends the pressures still higher and burns the powder still faster. The effect aggravates the cause and the cause aggravates the effect. In fact, the more a smokeless powder cartridge is overloaded the more power it will burn in a given time.

As an illustration, if you fire a .25-35 factory-loaded cartridge and then look through the barrel you will see little rings of unburned powder, left because the pressure was not high enough to burn -them completely. Increase the charge 2 grs. and these little rings are not left. The higher pressure gave a higher temperature and burned the powder in less time. With any smokeless-powder cartridge the charge may be reduced a grain at a time and soon the little rings of unburned powder will appear, and become larger and larger as the charge is reduced lower and lower. Increase the charge again, and again they disappear, burned up in the hotter gases of the higher pressures. From this it will be seen that one cannot reason on smokeless-powder questions from black-powder experience.

From the above I trust you will be able to see clearly the reason why you should follow the instructions of the powder and cartridge makers, as they know what they are doing and what their product will do.—Outdoor Life.

[ed. Note the “Outdoor Life” at the end. Was this originally published in Outdoor Life? Not sure, there isn’t many versions of Outdoor Life on Google Books]