in reloading whats is the worst thats happened to you ????

My Dad was into reloading years ago.We were out at the hunting camp target practicing.We were shooting a lever action which he reloaded for.We were wearing ear protection.I took a shot and really didn't notice anything different.Not alot of experience back then.Went to cycle the next round in and the shell would only go in part way.Thank God it didn't!The previous bullet only traveled a short distance, stopping the next round from going in.His face looked like he had seen a ghost.That was the last my Dad reloaded.
 
I never thought about the primers being an issue with a vacuum - I was going to vacuum me rug under the bench where I reload today - maybe I will take it out and shake it. :)
Don't use a cheap vacuum that pulls the dirt through the motor to the bag. Even my shop vac pulls the dirt into the bag before it gets to the motor. House vacuum is a rainbow, so primer go into the water tank and nothing goes bang.

1) Bent de-capping pins
2) Stuck a couple of cases bad in the dies when I was first starting
3) Did not size a group of brass for my 300 WM and could not close the bolt on them after I loaded them.
Bent a few pins myself, mostly my fault not recognizing mil brass when I started. Stuck cases just go with starting out, or being cheap (more my style when starting). Had this occur once or twice, although I was sure that I had resized the entire batch. Turns out the problem was something else.

But how in the heck do you drive a de-capping pin through your finger tip?!?!?!:d
No idea, never moved that fast during reloading, but I am sure that it is easy to do with that much compound leverage on the avg press.


Worst for me is the crushed/inverted primer but no bang. Worst reloaded round problem? I loaded a bunch of '06 rounds for hunting. Same load as before, same cases as before. I chambered a round, shot a cow moose. Tracked her down, fired another round to drop her, automatically cycled the bolt only to find I could not close it, couldn't open it either.
Had to go home at the end of the day and drive it out with a dowel. Couldn't figure it out. Tried other rounds from that batch of 50, 3 failed to cycle closed. Took some measurements, necks had sprung back. I then remembered that a couple of times I had noticed less neck tension on a couple of bullets, with on falling right in (I threw that one out but continued on). I explained my woes to a more experienced reloader and, right off he says, "You gotta anneal that lot of brass". Then he taught me how to anneal and to cycle ALL of my hunting reloads through the action BEFORE leaving the house. That let's you cull your little errors before they cost you an animal. Only once did I find a batch that did that again, but it was in my basement, with no adrenalin, so no cost. I pulled those rounds, dumped the powder back, tossed the brass into a bag for annealing. Once that season was done, remaining bullets got pulled and the entire batch got put in the same bag and then tossed into a bucket for mass annealing down the road. I usually hold an annealing session every couple of years now.
 
I keep reading about squib what does it mean????? and also do you guys have a proper fire extinguisher in your reloading room I have a 5 lb one in mine . from what ive been reading some of you could use one >>> great stories thanks.
 
Well I haven't had any mishaps, but don't load a ton so tend to be fairly careful when I'm loading 40 rounds for some weekend shooting.

So I guess the worst thing that has happened to me is that I spend 75 bucks getting 50 premium bullets shipped to me and couldn't get them to shoot for crap :)
 
I've always wondered about dropping the primers directly into the tube on my Dillon. Out of anticipated fear I tend to hold the pickup tube angled to one side then after I pull the hairpin I slowly tilt towards vertical until the primers dribble out with a slight snag at the transition. This slows things down enough that I feel like it's worth while. At least something like 25 or 30K loads done up to now I haven't had the tube go BANG! yet..... Fingers are crossed.

I've read enough horror stories though that I'm considering a loose fitting secondary steel tube to catch and vent any ruptures so the shards stay in the sheilding tube and gas pressure is vented up and down instead of out sideways at me. And perhaps it's worth wearing ear muffs while transferring the primers? :D

It actually wasn't due to the transfer at all, some cleaning media gunk built up in the primer slider that I didn't not notice, and as I was operating the press handle, the primer slide crushed and detonated the bottom primer that was halfway under the primer tube, causing the chain detonation. The plastic rod that gives you an idea of how many primers are left, that was lodged into my 2x8 rafters.

Like I said, poop came out.
 
1 primer going off while seating.
Only 1 squib that I can remember.
Had to pull a few bullets over the years during load development.
The usual stuff.

But how in the heck do you drive a de-capping pin through your finger tip?!?!?!:d

Haha I would have said the same thing, till it happened. Used to loading long cases, then switched to short, finger slips over case mouth on the upstroke and voila! Pierced finger!
 
Just moving the Rockchucker press from the cabinet to the bench can be hazardous. I pinched my finger so badly I let out a scream followed by a crazy dance. It allowed me to stay focussed afterwards. Nothing like a second heartbeat in the fingertip to keep you minding your work!
 
When I first got my press (Lee Classic Turret loading 9mm) I wasn't putting enough pressure to seat the primers properly all of the time. I completely loaded a round, but it wouldn't come out. The primer was sticking out the bottom too far and was catching. I had to reseat the primer on the fully loaded round. I have never had the issue since.
 
In 25 years of loading, I've detonated a box of primers in the primer magazine of a progressive press 3 times.

First time, due to a POS press and it's design failures.
Second couple of times my fault (spaced out over 10 years) because I chose to use a hammer / prybar solution instead of taking a deep breath and disassembling the equipment to clear the jam.

Only damage each time was some parts that were easily replaced, but I can tell you it's not an experience you want to repeat.
 
Accidentally (not paying enough attention), brought the press ram up while still positioning the projectile. Caught a bit of my thumb between projectile and brass. Ouchy.
 
Nothing, LOL, I guess I'm lucky or just real careful.
Been reloading for 30+ years
7,000 rounds 357ca.
maybe 10,000 rounds of 9mm
3,000 of 38special
1,000 of 38 S&W
4,000 of 45acp.........so far, .so good. All done on a LEE single stage. "3rd one".
 
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Oh man......
-pinched the finger or thumb on numerous occasions guiding bullets into dies
-had powder bridge in the dispenser. Only had to pull apart about 10 rounds for that one

My worst FU that I caught and then caught again was loading a little tired. 50 rounds of S&W 460. Trucking along fat dumb and happy, something clicked in the brain to confirm the powder charge. Huge undercharge:slap: (H110 :eek:) Pulled all the bullets, checked and rechecked the charge to be correct, started again. Finished! Cleaning up the bench.......why is the pistol primer tray out?.......AAAAHHH FUUU___KKK!!!!!!!!!:bangHead: Pull the bullets, punch the primers, go to bed. I'll deal with it tomorrow.

On the primer side, so far <knocks on wood> I've only crushed a few, never set one off..........yet :runaway:

(E) :cool:
 
Hmm...let's see.

A few squib loads. Ironically enough, my last (2) were most recent while loading 9mm with a Dillon 550B that's been problematic at times.

Only remember breaking (1) de-priming pin though I've ruined a few sizing dies with stuck cases.

Ruined a few cases for various reasons but mainly due to crushed shoulders.

I accidently dumped some Unique into a full can of Bullseye and noticed the mistake immediately. Still pi$$ed me off, though I was greatful for noticing after the fact.

Yup, pinched a few fingers in the past.

I once forgot to wipe sizing lube off a bunch of 7mmRM I'd loaded and couldn't figured out why my rifle transformed into a shotgun. When one round became tough to open the bolt on, I investigated and discovered the error.

I never load beyond maximum and most of the time I'm satisfied loading well under that. So, no major issues with over-pressure situations. Haven't had a double charge before and don't care to experience that.

I've been loading for 25 years now so a few screw ups are bound to happen occasionally. Nothing extreme though.
 
Not sure if this was posted... buy be careful around presses...
UOvweNA.jpg

Not me or my picture, but I have seen this happen with a shop press. leverage and physics is a #####.
 

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Ouch! I think I've read/seen that pic or similar elsewhere. The guy stuck his fingers in an automated press thinking he could clear a problem before the press lifted. Ehhhh, not so much.

Worst I've done is accidentally pop a primer while trying to punch it out with a decapping die. I lifted up the ram too suddenly and BANG! Almost pooped my pants, I sure wasn't expecting that especially having removed live primers in the past.
 
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