Reloading incident. Remeber to check before seating bullets.
- Thread starter millwright
- Start date
Tumbleweed said:
This is an interesting, and quick to do check - after loading up a bunch, set the scale to the gross weight of the complete cartridge and weigh them all - any that show a marked deviation of more than a couple of grains for rifle and a grain for pistol probably should be disassembled and redone.
Hi-Standard
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Newfoundland
I agree with joe-nwt, best to be careful while reloading. Although much slower, I still use a single stage press, and I look down each case before I seat the bullet. I also shoot mostly cast bullets with my rifles, so I usually keep the velocities down to about 2000 fps or less, so magnum rifle powders fit the bill quite well. No way to double charge, as the cases are well packed. I use a powder measure to meter my charges, but I also dump each charge on my Lyman scale for pistol or rifle, I just don't fully trust a powder measure. :wink:
I saw a .38 revlolver blow up in a trainee security guard's hand at the range once.
They were shooting rounds reloaded by an independent contractor.
One of the rounds didn't have sufficient powder in it either or just a primer, a bullet got lodged in the barrel, they were doing a rapid firing exercise, the traineee didn't notice or was too excited to notice the weaker round going off, and fired a bullet into the one in the barrel. Blew the top off the revolver and the trainee was in shock with perhaps a broken hand.
They were shooting rounds reloaded by an independent contractor.
One of the rounds didn't have sufficient powder in it either or just a primer, a bullet got lodged in the barrel, they were doing a rapid firing exercise, the traineee didn't notice or was too excited to notice the weaker round going off, and fired a bullet into the one in the barrel. Blew the top off the revolver and the trainee was in shock with perhaps a broken hand.
I have been loading for 20 years on a single press both rifle and pistol and since I don't have as much time as I use to I decided to buy a progressive loader. I have never had a double charge or a missed charge in the 1000's of rounds that I have reloaded. Went to the range the other day and was warming up with some mild loads in the 1911 and all of a sudden just a bang and no slide movement. I dropped the mag out, pulled back the slide and looked down the barrel. Sure enough a bullet is lodged in the barrel, primer only reload. First time ever in all the years of shooting and reloading. To say it freaked the hell out of me was an understatement of the year. I am glad my son was with me and I have always told him, if the 1911 stops working or your shooting a revolver and there is just a bang and no recoil, stop and find out why. Well about 10 minutes later my son was shooting some 38's in my model 28 revolver and one sounded funny, he immediatley stopped and open the cylinder and to my horror another bullet was lodged in the barrel from just a primer no powder round. That was it for the day for both of us, we packed up and left the range. I do remember a couple of times during the reloading session that the primers jammed and I had to fidget with the cases a bit to get everything back in order. I think the new rule for me is if something jams then take all the cases out of the machine and put them aside, primed cases, powder everything into a bucket and deal with them after the session is over.
JohnC
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
For a progressive press - get the lockout die (RCBS) or the powder level warning die (Dillon). The other RCBS die that indicates powder levels (don't know if they still make it) is better than nothing but it's quite possible to not be paying attention when powder charges are off since it doesn't stop the press. Besides distractions from kids, wife, dog, doorbell, etc, clearing a jam in the press can sometimes result in a double or no charge. If you're using something like 231 in a .38SPL case it's very hard to see unless you peer at every case prior to inserting bullet.
and another thing...
I had a KB with my CZ .40 last year which I thought was a double charge.
Turns out, when I dumped a mag on the concrete floor with about 4 rounds in it, it would turn and hit the floor lips down, which shoved the bullet of the top round quite a bit deeper into the case. This increases the pressure on a massive scale and can be uber-dangerous. It blew both grips off, blew the extractor out the side, and sheared off the safety pin.
I cranked the crimp a little tighter and it fixed the problem.
So check that this isn't happening to you Chewy! Actually, now that I think about it you were there weren't you?
I had a KB with my CZ .40 last year which I thought was a double charge.
Turns out, when I dumped a mag on the concrete floor with about 4 rounds in it, it would turn and hit the floor lips down, which shoved the bullet of the top round quite a bit deeper into the case. This increases the pressure on a massive scale and can be uber-dangerous. It blew both grips off, blew the extractor out the side, and sheared off the safety pin.
I cranked the crimp a little tighter and it fixed the problem.
So check that this isn't happening to you Chewy! Actually, now that I think about it you were there weren't you?
This happned to a fellow I know back in SA. He had abuddy visiting him and the guy had a brand new 44 mag (not sure what brand) anyhow the guy had some shells loaded and they were blazing away. When after a cople of shells the cylender on the revolver burst and my buddy had a huge chunk of cylender shot into his calf muscle. He had to get surgery to have it removed and was on crutches for over 2months.
Moral of the story never fire someone els's loads and stay well clear if some one is testing a load
Moral of the story never fire someone els's loads and stay well clear if some one is testing a load
Yep, I can count myself amongst what I see are more than a few that have learned a good lesson about progressive presses and loading in general...
I have a real a mixed bag of brass, and I load a box of bullets (1000) at a time. They go from the press into a hopper and from there I put them into boxes.
I noticed too late that the slide volume measure was binding and I discovered that a bucket of nearly a thousand rounds of 45ACP had to be condemned. I haven't the time or the patience to pull all those bullets and the light load and the mixed bag of brass made weighing them a very tedious and unreliable way of trying to find the phuck-ups.
Amazing what you can learn when you feel real stupid.
I have a real a mixed bag of brass, and I load a box of bullets (1000) at a time. They go from the press into a hopper and from there I put them into boxes.
I noticed too late that the slide volume measure was binding and I discovered that a bucket of nearly a thousand rounds of 45ACP had to be condemned. I haven't the time or the patience to pull all those bullets and the light load and the mixed bag of brass made weighing them a very tedious and unreliable way of trying to find the phuck-ups.
Amazing what you can learn when you feel real stupid.
I chronographed a fellow shooters gun one day at Sharon, he was complaining of excess recoil. He had bought some 228gr. swc from me in .45 that I was producing (H&G #68A) and was shooting a Colt Commander, 4 1/4" barrel. The first round went 1248, next 1180, then 1200. With velocity like that, who needs a .44 mag? Don't let anyone tell you that a colt isn't strong.
I found with the 1050 and 550 Dillon the safe method was to watch the powder slide as the handle was cycled to ensure it didn't stick or bind, becomes automatic. This became my procedure after not hearing the slide retun several times while operating the machine rapidly. Very easy habit to get into, place bullet, stroke handle while watching slide bar, repeat. No double or no charges this way, just as fast.
What we do at my uncles (I use his press, etc) is when pouring powder, We pour the powder measure into the cartidge, then pour that powder onto the scale and fine tune the measure with a trickler, THEN pour that powder back into the cartidge then place it in the loading tray apart from the empty brass, that was you are guaranteed not to have an empty cartidge.
on another note though. being a reloading rookie still, I recently learnt the hard way the importance of case lube when resizing
quite embarrasing, but definately the last mistake for sure.
on another note though. being a reloading rookie still, I recently learnt the hard way the importance of case lube when resizing
quite embarrasing, but definately the last mistake for sure.I do a modified version of the above. I prep and prime the brass. I then throw a rough charge on the Dillon in an empty case(not nessessarily the exact one I'm loading) dump it into the tray on the scale, trickle up to final charge weight. Then I pour the powder into it's intended case and immediately seat the bullet using the seater die set up in the rockchucker.
No possible way to miss the powder when you build each round from start to finish before you start the next.
No possible way to miss the powder when you build each round from start to finish before you start the next.
When I first started loading for a pistol I had already been loading rifle for about 2 years. I was using a Jr.3 for .45 auto and some how missed puting powder in one.Same thing as with MillWright. I had a bang, kind of, but no recoil. Pulled the slide back and the empty came out so I let the slide go. The next round would not chamber because it was hitting the base of the last bullet that had just wedged into the lands. Lucky! If it had been 1/8th inche farther I would be a few fingers short!...
So now when I load out of trays I drop the powder in the case and immediatly stand a bullet nose first in the case. That way I know ata glance witch cases are charged, howmany I have left to charge and so on. I dont load pistol in trays anymore. They are done on my 550, but the old Jr3. still loads all of my rifle rounds. This process really works well for me.
So now when I load out of trays I drop the powder in the case and immediatly stand a bullet nose first in the case. That way I know ata glance witch cases are charged, howmany I have left to charge and so on. I dont load pistol in trays anymore. They are done on my 550, but the old Jr3. still loads all of my rifle rounds. This process really works well for me.
Last edited:
Boomer454 said:
When I was loading .38/.357 and 9mm in volume (pre-Wolf Bullets) I used two trays. One for sized and primed cases and the other on the other side of the powder dispenser.
Good lighting and a carefull visual check of each case, filled with as bulky a powder as I could get to shoot accurately worked pretty well.
At least, I still have all my fingers. (Touch Wood)
When loading rifle, I always loaded one round at a time, throwing an undercharge on the scale, then trickling it up.
Keeping distractions away from the entire process is another very important safety factor.
