.357 mag issues in gp100

RevoShooter · Mar 10, 2015

Hey guys. I haven't fired any 357 from my gun in a while, so I loaded some up the other day and wanted tO shoot a few at the range. However, they didn't want to chamber. I figured no biggie, I've shot 38 specials through it nearly exclusively this past year, so I got out the bore cleaner and a brush and went to town.

I've got probably an hour in scrubbing chambers at least by now, and still no go. My golden Saber factory rounds won't work, and only 11 out of my 40 reloads will chamber free.

I never had this issue before, the gun fired factory and reload 357 exclusively until I got into competition shooting last year. Could I have flame etched the chamber walls in 1 or 2 thousand 38 rounds?

Here's a video showing the distance the rounds lack from seating in the chamber. I'd estimate it about .005 or .010. http://youtu.be/sk5xisj4ovA

TerryKendell · Mar 10, 2015

Try This Link

http://www.saami.org/PubResources/CC_Drawings/Pistol/357%20Magnum.pdf

If your Ammo is in spec. then its a chamber problem.

mike cyrwus · Mar 11, 2015

did you take the cyl;inder off when you were scrubbing the chambers? are you sure theres not leading at the end of them?

RevoShooter · Mar 11, 2015

I left the cylinder on it this time. I looked at it under several different lighting conditions and with a bore light and it really appears to be clean, but it is kind of tough to see every detail where the chamber steps down.

i scrubbed on it with hops and a .40 brush for a long time one night, then yesterday I tried remington x 40 bore cleaner on the 40 brush with patches wrapped around it as well. I did pull some more crap out with the bore cleaner, but it didn't Change the chambering problem.

Scott Hearn · Mar 11, 2015

If it were flame etched there would be material removed. What you have is material blocking the round from chambering fully, so it would have to have been deposited sometime after you shooting magnums last. Take the cylinder out, wet it down, use a .38 or maybe .375 caliber bronze brush chucked up in a drill. Keep it wet, it might take awhile but it will come out. I think you might have a buildup right at the transition of the chamber to the throat. Might need to carefully work that spot with a dental pick.

Avoid solvents that have a lot of ammonia, ammonia will seriously jack up steel if given enough time and we are talking minutes and it's effect is cumulative over time. Hoppes #9 has worked the best for me, and I've tried pure Seafoam, ZMax, Kroil and about everything else you can think of. Never found anything much better than #9. Hoppes Elite solvent is fairly decent but it will dry on you and it's expensive.

mike cyrwus · Mar 11, 2015

one thing I do, and its easy to scratch metal if you dont do it right, but I sometimes get a sharp new exacto knife, and Ill scrape the cylinders clean like I was taking a decal or sticker off a car window. that and copper scrubbing pads..

RevoShooter · Mar 12, 2015

Thanks guys. I tried the cordless drill with a .40 brush for a bit even. I'll pop the cylinder off the thing this weekend and really go to town on it. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Scott Hearn · Mar 12, 2015

The .40 brush may not be getting to the buildup if the bristles are so long that they fold over and run over the top of the buildup. Try a new tight fitting .38 and see what happens. Maybe run up to .375, but I've never had that much trouble like you are. Are you absolutely sure your .357 ammo isn't loaded too long? If the bullet is hitting the throat thats it. I'm betting your case is hitting on buildup in the end of the chamber, but you might want to check the bullet itself. Color it with a marker, work it in there a bit and look for where the marker is rubbed off. That's your interference right there.

RevoShooter · Mar 12, 2015

Thanks Scott, I'll try that too. I loaded them and checked the length every 5 rounds, and somehow 11 of 40 fit. None of my factory Golden sabers fit. I noticed it looked like the ones that fit had more crimp than the no fit ones, which was what lead me to think it was a crud ring buildup. Also, 38s fit so freely that you can tilt the gun up and down and watch them move in the chamber.

Scott Hearn · Mar 12, 2015

One other thing to try is take an empty .357 mag case, size it, flare it a little and use that to scrape the inside of the chamber. I've heard of people doing that. An empty case should go all the way in no matter what unless it's stretched too long, the crimp has nothing to do with seating in a revo unlike in an auto.

RevoShooter · Mar 13, 2015

Yeah, I tried the flared case thing, it was tough to get it seated all the way down and didn't seem to really help much. I'll try some of the tips you guys left for me tonight or tomorrow and post back how it goes. I'm sure it's just some polished up lead or something I'm not seeing clogging up the works.

RevoShooter · Mar 14, 2015

Well, I tried everyone's tips and tricks, and nothing changed. As a last resort I took the bullet seater out of my die and put a slightly heavier crimp on the ammo that wouldn't fit, including the factory Golden Saber rounds, and now they all chamber freely. I'm pretty puzzled by that, however I never tried shooting the golden sabers before. Also, last time I loaded any .357 ammo was before I got my turret press and I probably crimped them pretty heavy then, too.

Scott Hearn · Mar 14, 2015

Do you have a decent set of calipers? Measure the OAL of the case. Then measure the depth of your cylinder from the back face to where the leade starts. I've never had an issue with my S&Ws but I'm wondering if Ruger chambers shallower. Can you throw up a pick of your rounds that work and those that don't? An empty uncrimped case should go in and seat no problem. This is just weird. According to the SAAMI chamber spec, using a 1.290" maximum case trim length to should have .012" clearance at the minimum. Cases aren't normally at the max so it should be probably about .010" more than that at the very least.

RevoShooter · Mar 14, 2015

Okay here's a few pics with the remington Golden sabers. I already crimped all of my reloads. In the first pic the left round i crimped and it fit, right doesn't and is left alone. Second pic I measured the one that fits to 1.285 and one that didn't to 1.283. Third pic shows the difference in the cylinder.

RevoShooter · Mar 14, 2015

I forgot to measure the cylinder, so I'll check out the cylinder this afternoon And see how it reads when I get settled back into the house. Lol. I wish I had another to compare it too. I can't remember what it looked like when it was new by the chamber throats, but it sure looks clean.

TerryKendell · Mar 14, 2015

From looking at you pictures, it looks like you are not using a roll crimp or enough roll crimp.
They look more like a Taper Crimp.

RevoShooter · Mar 15, 2015

Yeah, that's the ammo straight out of the remington box, one round I tried to put a little crimp on, the other is right from the box. My reloads that fit are fairly heavily roll crimped.

After shooting it today with some 357 and 38 ammo afterwards, I can see where the buildup ring builds, and it was definitely not there when I noticed the 357 golden sabers not fitting the other day. I think I'll just give up trying to figure it out and maybe contact ruger about it or just keep shooting it with the ammo that works. Lol.

Rockon71385 · Mar 19, 2015

Seems like a really good excuse to have the trigger worked over, hammer spur cut off, and turn it into a competition only gun.

RevoShooter · Mar 20, 2015

The thought has crossed my mind. Ive already got a nice trigger, just would need to bob the hammer and locate some federal primers (which ive found isnt easy anymore.)

I just need to find something else in .357 first, haha. I love that cartridge.