last sunday i was loading 40 cal boolets..I loaded maybe 200 when i noticed the powder wasnt dropping..I noticed the slide was stuck..I couldnt see why it was stuck so i took it off the press,emptied the powder back into the jug .While doing this i noticed the slide was stuck about halfway..I tried moving the linkage but wouldnt move..I took the unit out to the garage and put it into the vise ..Gave the slide a few taps with a wooded dowel that i use for making boolet and pow.the whole thing blew up sending me about 5 feet backwards.metal pieces flew everywhere..Took chunks out of my thumb and fingers..something hit me in the stomack causing a 10 inch bruise.powder burn marks all over my face.....For the life of me i cant figure out why this thing blew up..ended up at the hospital and they gave me really good drugs for the pain..they thought i was shot because of all the blood until they did exrays....yesterday I went out to the garage and picked up the pieces..some of them were 30 feet away....I know i should have dropped it in water before i worked on it but i didn't.I called Dillon,they said they never heard of a powder measure blowing up and to send it to them for warrenty..nice people...I got my wife to pack it up and send it to them...my thing is when my wife went to the post office to mail it they asked her what was the contents ..she told them a bullet maker..............I live in canada and the package is going to the states..will the border patrol let this package through or should i buy a new one??????????
Dillion powdwer drop
- Thread starter ihuntbear
- Start date
my thing is when my wife went to the post office to mail it they asked her what was the contents ..she told them a bullet maker..............I live in canada and the package is going to the states..will the border patrol let this package through or should i buy a new one??????????
This would be interesting to figure out. Maybe a live primer was in the powder and got jammed in the slide? Hitting the slide might have set off the primer. The powder in the thrower cavity was contained in a metal housing, so that might have generated enough pressure to blow up the the thrower.
Was it Bullseye, or other fast double base powder? They can be induced to high order in thrower a fire. Seen it once before.
Was it Bullseye, or other fast double base powder? They can be induced to high order in thrower a fire. Seen it once before.
I don't think you would get too far suing Dillon. Heck, even I would volunteer to testify that beating a powder measure with a hammer/mallet/club is not normal usage. Canadian courts don't have much sympathy for folks who go and find ways to injure themselves mis-using or abusing equipment. If it had blown up in the press, while the OP was applying a normal, customary, reasonable amount of force on the handle, well then, yup. He (or actually, his lawyer) would probably get a few bucks for his pain.
