38super reloading data

[kcstott]

You're looking at pressure signs to *confirm* you're at the "handgun pressure."

If you know that you're at the correct load, you don't have to look, you fire it like you fire factory ammo. The question is how would you know that you're within the correct pressure range? Load data from the manufacturer, which will list similar bullet and *their* test barrel? Bullet molds and shapes change, barrels have different bore diameters, chambers are cut differently and will have different bullet jump, some will even push bullets slightly in if they're too tight.

It's exactly the same reasoning to check for pressure signs in 500 S&W Magnum as it is to check it in a 9mm - you're confirming the load is correct, not that the load is powerful. In fact, it's much easier to over-charge or even double-charge a 9mm with faster powders.

But you seem to disregard one critical aspect. Brass (modern brass) doesn't flow at 35KPSI. In most cases you will not see a 20KPSI just in pressure which would be enough to cause brass to flow and primers to flatten significantly. All the criteria you sight is only a 2-5KPSI jump at best well all but the double charge. Again I've loaded near proof loads for a 45 acp test and there were zero signs of pressure on the primers. You guys are using an arbitrary cup hardness to try and quantify a specific KPSI of the chamber and doing this at the very lowest of pressures where only the softest of brass would begin to yield. Do you see the problem here?

[IVC]

You guys are using an arbitrary cup hardness to try and quantify a specific KPSI of the chamber and doing this at the very lowest of pressures where only the softest of brass would begin to yield. Do you see the problem here?

This is indeed correct and it's a known problem. There is no calibration and the process is quite arbitrary in the sense that you're not getting a directly quantifiable results.

However, primer will get damaged before the chamber and barrel blow up. If you are way over the pressure, you will see it in the primer. If your pressure is high, higher than what the primer was designed for, you will see the signs. Primers are designed to be soft enough to seal the gasses from escaping through the flash hole. In fact, that's one of the main differences between rifle and pistol primers - the hardness. A rifle primer at pistol pressures won't seal well enough and will allow some gas to escape. This will create pitting of the breechface over time. There are several threads about this on Enos forum, complete with photos.

[kcstott]

This is indeed correct and it's a known problem. There is no calibration and the process is quite arbitrary in the sense that you're not getting a directly quantifiable results.

However, primer will get damaged before the chamber and barrel blow up. If you are way over the pressure, you will see it in the primer. If your pressure is high, higher than what the primer was designed for, you will see the signs. Primers are designed to be soft enough to seal the gasses from escaping through the flash hole. In fact, that's one of the main differences between rifle and pistol primers - the hardness. A rifle primer at pistol pressures won't seal well enough and will allow some gas to escape. This will create pitting of the breechface over time. There are several threads about this on Enos forum, complete with photos.

Again with the arbitrary words. Primers are "Softer" pressures are "Higher"
There's no published documentation on how soft is soft and how high is high. Sorry but again the softest C26000 brass will not start to flow until 35KPSI. to the best of my Knowledge that's the material most primer cups are made from. That's the start of flow. I'll say it again if you are seeing primer flattening in a pistol you are loading it beyond magnum pressures, Far beyond.

If you're talking about stuff like this

Well that's just flat out stupidity and there were signs you were beyond max before this crap happened. That's a 45-55KPSI load. That's Proof load to Proof plus 10KPSI. and the idiot that loaded that shouldn't reload.
And I'll say it again, When I load my pistol ammo on the hot side it never shows any sign of primer flattening. I typically limit my hot loads to 100-200 fps beyond published max but again that depends.