Small Rifle primers in 357 mag

[racepres]

Just a thought -- your load may have nothing to do with your challenge -- it, hey, MIGHT be a loose primer pocket?
geo

That is absolutely a Likely Scenario... Why no one else thought of that??? In General, I have certainly had Hard Extraction, (usually, but not always, over pressure), without other cylinder difficulties!! And, if normal extraction after the cylinder is open.... we have a Bingo!!! IMO

[Jtarm]

Except Remington 6-1/2's...they are fragile cups truly..I'm warnin ya!!!Stay at lower Pressures with them...like Remington Advises!!!

5 1/2s, which are SPP, are hard as freakin diamonds.

[kayala]

Another thought - if you've used once fired brass that was made for Hornady FTX bullet - it is shorter than normal, so pressure will be higher.

[racepres]

5 1/2s, which are SPP, are hard as freakin diamonds.

Huh...I have used thousands of 5-1/2's..No ignition problems and No Pierced Primers..Since I do Not use Primer appearance as a Pressure indicator..I have No opinion on toughness of the Cup of a 5-1/2... but the 221 Fireball has never had on pierce...Unlike the 6-1/2 cup which is fairly easily Pierced/Ruptured..
Curious what prompted the statement that 5-1/2's are Hard Cups??

[Delkal]

Would this idea work to clear a jammed cylinder from a loose primer pocket? Put an appropriate sized rod down the barrel till it hits the bottom of the case then give it some taps with a hammer? Unless the blown primer is mushroomed it seems like it would reseat easily.

[Jellyroll]

I use sr primers in anything that calls for a sp. Makes stocking up much easier.

[Loudenboomer]

Don't go off label. Good advice from many above. That being said, CCI says their small pistol magnum and their std. small rifle primer are the same primer.

[35 Rem]

May not have anything to do with this revolver locking up but I had a 38 Special that would lock up at random quite often. Finally figured out it was the shape of the firing pin. Rather than having a nice round nose that would retract from the fired primer easily, it had a square and even somewhat mushroomed shape that would grip the primer dent and hang on. Result was a locked cylinder. And of course, you can't see the firing pin with cylinder installed and brass present, so it took some time to figure out. Fix was to take firing pin out and spin it in a Dremel tool and reshape the nose with an emery board.