Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers How can you tell pressure in a 405 1895?

With most bolt guns its ejector marks or the bolt getting hard to open.How can you tell if a load is hot>whats the brass life on the 405.I have used mine for about 6 or 7 loads with my reduced pistol load of a 41 mag 210 gr at 2400 fps.It is awesome.I need some loads for the 400 gr soft point and the 300 gr fp.I have been trying aa1680 and reloader 15.Barnes gave me some loads for both of these powders for the 300 gr but not the 400 or 210 gr.I just tried 50 grs of aa1680 with the 210 gr Hornady xtp and the 210 gr Noslers .They are pretty accurate.I just wish this gun had a scope!!!!

The only reliable way available to us is a chrono. By the time ejector marks, brass expansion, etc show up, you're already way over.

Ditto on the chrono. Scovil wrote some years ago in Handloader that straight wall cases signs of pressure show up as lenghtning and triming, and as said above it's too late then. I shoot 300 TSX's and RL15 to 2200fps, and that's good enough for me. Trimming is not needed in 5 or more reloads. JB wrote in Handloader prior to his leaving some years ago(he's back now) regarding 400gr loads and using a formula with weight and bullet speed ratios. He was using a Rugar No.1, I'm staying with the 300gr Barnes in my 1895 Winchester, as they are fine for coastal hunting here in Washington.
My only suggestion would be to get a .411 bullet puller and be consevative.

Without pressure equimpment there is no way to know the exact pressure of your loads.
Hogdons load data list pressures.
Running full power loads I've got cases that have went a dozen reloads or more. If you don't get stupid and use heavy doses of fast powders the operating pressures of the 405 only run in the 44k range.

You have to watch pressures in those 405 winchester 95s. The chambers are tight and if you don't trim your brass and watch the presures you will blow it up before you know.
A good friend who is an experienced handloader and very particular guy had one KA-Boom on him with no more warning than a lever just a little hard to close. He didn't think much of it being a new gun. Cost hime $20k plus lost income to fix his hand.

Any idea of how much of what powder he thought he was loading?

What R13 asked and more details would be of interest to those of us that reload the Miroku Winchester 1895 .405.