Reloading incident. Remeber to check before seating bullets.

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millwright

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Reloading incident. Remember to check before seating bullets.

Hello All. Took my Bubba 4 out to the range to sight it in the other day. I had fired about 27 rounds down range, and then when I sqeezed the trigger on the second round from the magazine I heard a small bang. Now I wasn't too sure if the round had gone off because my buddy was firing right beside me so the noise sounded the same but the recoil wasn't there. I ejected the casing and saw that the bullet was gone(not in the casing)I was thinking something very weird going on. So I took the bolt out and looked up the spout and couldn't see daylight.Out comes the cleaning rod and down the barrel it went. With a lite tap out pops my 174 gr Hornady rdnose. This was obviousley caused by no powder in the case. First time (and I hope last) this has ever happened to me. So remember always check for powder levels before seating the bullets.
 
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On the other end of the spectrum years ago I was out with 3 other buddies at our usual saturday morning shoot at the range. Everything was as normal and we all proceeded over to the pistol 25 yard range. Plinking away when we heard a huge bang and this guy white as a ghost was limping around the table holding his right wrist in a daze. Somehow he had double charged a 44 mag shell and his redhawk was letting him know it didn't like it. That redhawk took it and next week he said he took it into a gunsmith to check it out and all was well. Never load when you have distractions, everyone can make mistakes but here you can't afford to make a mistake.
 
#### happens, but doesn't have to.

Check, Check, Recheck, there's no room for error in this hobby. Then ####
won't happen. I wonder what the 44's metal structure is now, I would assume
it wouldn't be able to take another hit like that one.

--PM
 
PrairieMedic said:
#### happens, but doesn't have to.

Check, Check, Recheck, there's no room for error in this hobby. Then ####
won't happen. I wonder what the 44's metal structure is now, I would assume
it wouldn't be able to take another hit like that one.

--PM
Click to expand...
Redwawks are hugely over enginered, some people convert the .45 colt ones to .454 Casull with no problems. If he did that with a 629, it would have peeled like a banana.
 
Re: Reloading incident. Remeber to check before seating bull

millwright said:
Hello All. Took my Bubba 4 out to the range to sight it in the other day. I had fired about 27 rounds down range, and then when I sqeezed the trigger on the second round from the magazine I heard a small bang. Now I wasn't too sure if the round had gone off because my buddy was firing right beside me so the noise sounded the same but the recoil wasn't there. I ejected the casing and saw that the bullet was gone(not in the casing)I was thinking something very weird going on. So I took the bolt out and looked up the spout and couldn't see daylight.Out comes the cleaning rod and down the barrel it went. With a lite tap out pops my 174 gr Hornady rdnose. This was obviousley caused by no powder in the case. First time (and I hope last) this has ever happened to me. So remember always check for powder levels before seating the bullets.
Click to expand...

Using a Progressive press?

If so may I suggest adding an RCBS Lockout Die
AOB
 
I have seen incidents like this about a dozen times over the years. :oops: No powder is a more common one, but double charges of fast-burning propellants is asking for a disaster!! I have loaded for 40+ years now, and so far, have managed to escape either scenario personally [touch wood! :lol: ] But I have been religious about checking powder levels in all charged cases BEFORE seating bullets, and I do not use progressive presses, so maybe that is the reason. One small distraction can cause a hiccup, so it's good to be very attentive to what you are doing. Our hobby is generally a safe one, but is far from idiot-proof!! Regards, Eagleye.
 
I just had this happen to me last night . . . I squibbed a round in my glock. I wouldn't say I'm stupid either and at this point having taken apart the rest of my 47 bullets out of a hundred to verify my powder charge everyone scaled at the charge I was loading. I load 50 round trays check them for powder on mass before I start seating religiously. If I load more than one tray that at a time I still check each tray and then stack them on top of each other (i have the MTM trays).

I also single stage load.

I took my time, I wasn't rushed so what did I do wrong?

I still don't know!?

I obviously fubar'd the powder I'm just glad I have a pistol that I'm still able to shoot.

I think the comment by CS45 is un-warranted and I'm glad that in all the cases here no serious injury occured other than some hurt pride.

Chewy
 
Advice for newbies. ( and old farts that forget )
I like to use a powder that nearly fills the case if possible. It eliminates double charges, and for most aplications, those loads tend to be the accurate ones anyway.
For example You can't double charge a full load of H110 in a 44 mag case, it won't fit.
Use of a loading block.
Simple inexpensive little thing that could save your bacon. It allows you to compare the powder levels of all the charges. If they're all the same, either they're all right, or you really screwed up. It will quickly also point out the differences in powder capacities of different brands, and sometimes even different batches of brass.
Always check a few loads on the scale, (If you don't have a scale, GET ONE!) even if the levels are the same, then check that charge back against the manual one last time before you start seating bullets.
 
There are only two kinds of people - the ones who have already screwed up, and the ones who have yet to.

Less than a month ago, I was working up a load. I was loading 'five of each', and keeping them separate in a labelled cartridge box. At one point, after being interrupted by the phone, I realised I hadn't looked into the last five before seating the bullets. I weighed those five cartridges, and sure as hell one weighed 55.5 gr. less than the other four.

I've loaded for more than 20 yrs, and I still screwed up. Fortunately, I caught it.

I hope when CS45 screws up that the education isn't too expensive. Karma's a #####.
 
I think it a basic be deligent and some times that isn't enough, so be even more dilgent!

I agree and having done this myself now it is a eye opener. Thanks to all for their honesty, I think we all have a horror story to tell.

My lesson learned:

- Look for a powder that fills the case accomplishes two things 1 can't double charge, eases visual confirmation

- Check after charging the case and recheck before seating the bullet

Leassons to learn and live by!

Chewy
 
It has nothing to do with being stupid; all it takes is a slight distraction. A friend of mine was reloading 45 ACP when his young kids came down and caused a little scene near him, that momentary lapse in concentration caused him to forget what he had done already and ended up with a double charge, luckily it was a light target load so the case just bulged and did not rupture or hurt the pistol. It was noticeably louder when he fired it. It never hurts to double or triple check when in doubt.
 
This is a good thread that shows what can, or could happen when reloading your own ammo.

I am going to make this a "sticky" at the top of the forum(after I edit out the unwarranted, smartass comments).

ALWAYS check your cases for powder before seating the bullets.Even if something looks odd, dump the case and start over.

SKBY.
 
Given that documenting loads is important, I also think that a checklist that incorporates safety checkpoints is an intelligent way to proceed.
 
Powder levels

It is no secret that deviations in velocity will be minimal with a powder that fills the case. As a result accuracy is more consistent. This a benchshooters trick. Some cases are more conducive to double loads. 38s and 45auto come to mind.
 
A little note for those using Titegroup powder on long cartidges (.357 MAG, .44 MAG, .45 LC, etc...) It takes very little of this kind of powder in a cartidge (below 10 grains in a 44 mag) and it is a somewhat 'flaked' powder, so it settles quite a bit in the casing. While I was conducting some tests, I found it was possible to load a TRIPLE charge in a .44 MAG case, not compressed (or very little). And since this powder is a very fast burning one, it could create a huge overpressure, extra care needed here...
 
In pistol especially, variations of the weight of cases and bullets will be much greater than a small plinker charge of powder. ie, a case may weigh 1 grain or two more than another from the same manufacturer, and a bullet may weigh a few grains more than another from the same box. Try and find the loaded round that is missing a 3 grain charge of unique! Or 3 grains more! :shock:
 
I use a progressive press to load ammunition. I make sure that the track lighting I have points down into the case on the post powder stage. It makes it very easy to see if I have any of my light colored powder (WST) in the case before I place a bullet on top for seating. It also helps that WST is a very low density powder which fills a lot of the case.
 
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