I'm putting this ouit now because I feel absolutely sick. Feel free to lambaste me ('cause I deserve it), commiserate or share your stories with me. Some background first.
I started reloading last year. Dillon 550 for .45 acp. Using Federal brass, left over from factory ammo that I bought from a store. Probably reloaded each brass three times. Had 600 shells to work with starting out. After doing a Black Badge course, a couple of IPSC matches and attrition over some practice matches, I was down to about 50. I was coming up to a new match and I didn't have enough shells. I balked at paying $25 for 100 shells. I went cheap and bought once-fired (I guess only newbie reloaders fall for this) brass.
As of last week, reloaded all the once-fired brass from variety of sources (I won't name them, it's not their fault I'm stupid). Re-reading loading manuals - they say how stupid it is to use someone elses brass. I see the error of my ways. I go buy 200 new Winchester brass at $27 per 100 YESTERDAY. I figure I will just blow off the reloaded ONCE FIRED as practice rounds by my self. I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY RELOADS!
SO, here I am down to the LAST 10 ROUNDS OF MY ONCE FIRED! Have 50 of the New Brass to test before going into a match. Shoot about 40 OF the once-fired. Start talking to the guy in the next port. He's got a Ruger P85 (or something) 9MM, that he just bought used.. He asks if I would like to try it. Of course I say SURE!. Naturally, I reciprocate with "Would you like to try mine" (LAST 10 FREAKIN ROUNDS OF MY ONCE FIRED ! ) I have a 10 round, .45 magazine. He fires 5 rounds, the fifth round splits at the base, The sixth round ignites in the MAGAZINE. Luckily, the Slide lock back and the stuff flies up in the air, the 4 rounds left in the mag somehow, mercifully,don't go off
I feel some stuff hitting my face. He's okay, but he has a cut beside his nose. Everybody is okay but really shaken.
Buddy says everything is fine, no problem, things happen, don't worry about it. But he leaves right away. He is shaken and probably stirred. As I noted above, I feel sick. If the other 4 round in the mag had gone, off, who knows what would have happened to his hand?
I bring a lot of new shooters to the club. I have, just by lettiing people shoot, convinced them to get their PALs, even RPALs. I can only imagine what they would think if they had this experience when shooting with me. Maybe a backward endorsment for Springfield, but the shell bursting in the chamber and the round going off in the mag, led to nothing more than a scratch on the cheek.
I'm throwing out all the old brass, spending more on new brass. Here endeth the lesson. This was an excellent lesson, I only wish it had happened to me, and not some innocent bystander.
Mea Culpa
I started reloading last year. Dillon 550 for .45 acp. Using Federal brass, left over from factory ammo that I bought from a store. Probably reloaded each brass three times. Had 600 shells to work with starting out. After doing a Black Badge course, a couple of IPSC matches and attrition over some practice matches, I was down to about 50. I was coming up to a new match and I didn't have enough shells. I balked at paying $25 for 100 shells. I went cheap and bought once-fired (I guess only newbie reloaders fall for this) brass.
As of last week, reloaded all the once-fired brass from variety of sources (I won't name them, it's not their fault I'm stupid). Re-reading loading manuals - they say how stupid it is to use someone elses brass. I see the error of my ways. I go buy 200 new Winchester brass at $27 per 100 YESTERDAY. I figure I will just blow off the reloaded ONCE FIRED as practice rounds by my self. I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY RELOADS!
SO, here I am down to the LAST 10 ROUNDS OF MY ONCE FIRED! Have 50 of the New Brass to test before going into a match. Shoot about 40 OF the once-fired. Start talking to the guy in the next port. He's got a Ruger P85 (or something) 9MM, that he just bought used.. He asks if I would like to try it. Of course I say SURE!. Naturally, I reciprocate with "Would you like to try mine" (LAST 10 FREAKIN ROUNDS OF MY ONCE FIRED ! ) I have a 10 round, .45 magazine. He fires 5 rounds, the fifth round splits at the base, The sixth round ignites in the MAGAZINE. Luckily, the Slide lock back and the stuff flies up in the air, the 4 rounds left in the mag somehow, mercifully,don't go off
I feel some stuff hitting my face. He's okay, but he has a cut beside his nose. Everybody is okay but really shaken.
Buddy says everything is fine, no problem, things happen, don't worry about it. But he leaves right away. He is shaken and probably stirred. As I noted above, I feel sick. If the other 4 round in the mag had gone, off, who knows what would have happened to his hand?
I bring a lot of new shooters to the club. I have, just by lettiing people shoot, convinced them to get their PALs, even RPALs. I can only imagine what they would think if they had this experience when shooting with me. Maybe a backward endorsment for Springfield, but the shell bursting in the chamber and the round going off in the mag, led to nothing more than a scratch on the cheek.
I'm throwing out all the old brass, spending more on new brass. Here endeth the lesson. This was an excellent lesson, I only wish it had happened to me, and not some innocent bystander.
Mea Culpa
Its not common, but like any other device it can fail at some point.
