Loading 41 magnum with Keith bullets...too long..? - The Frontier Sixshooter Community Message Board

I got in some great looking SWC Keith style bullets 220 grainers...and also got a new die for my casting friend to cast and both appear to result in too long Keith style 220 gr bullets...both have gas checks...really nice with 16gr No 9 Accurate...or 2400 ...but presebtly using No 9 Accurate...notice binding of the cylinder on occasion...and the bullets do not stick out of the chamber but are long rascals...checking the oal find I am 20 over...but still within in the cylinder...but wouldn't want any longer...so....do I shorten the brass and leave the bullets alone or do I seat over the forward edge.....what are the implications of either...not full house loads...but would guess pressures would increase slightly...? Thank in advance...

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Yep they are......a few years back I bought some 230gr Keith's from Leadhead in Kansas, beautiful bullets but seating to the crimp groove made the OAL of the cartridge too long for every 41 Mag I had except the Redhawk. Almost fit the Freedom Arms 83, just a bit of the nose stuck out, slight bit of fowling would cause binding issues, already an issue with the tight fit of the FA. So to solve any headaches or issues I just trimmed a few thousands off some cases and loaded the Keith's with them. I keep the trimmed cases in a specially marked cartridge boxes. IMHO, trimming a bit off the cases shouldn't raise pressures much, I wouldn't crank up the load using these special cases/loads, but my thought process was a Keith moving along 1,000 to 1,200 fps was enough for anything I would want to pop with it.

some data I collected...

22grs H110 1475 fps 6" FA

11grs Blue Dot 1186 fps 7 1/2" Ruger

20grs H110 1332 fps 5 1/2" Bowen Nimrod

Brass was trimmed to 1.220", Keith seated in the crimp groove, heavy crimp using a RCBS die. I never had any pressure issues with any of the loads above.