This will make revolver lovers CRY!!

350 Mag

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Blown up Colt Anaconda.

read whole story here...

http://iris.nyit.edu/~bithead/anaconda/




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Hoooooly fack.

What a story, and damn; is buddy ever lucky he didn't put metal in his face or lose an eye...
 
The 550B requires manual indexing/advancing of the cartridges through the reloading process. I love it, but soon realized that if you don't have an absolutely consistent method you run the risk of a double-charge. There's a natural pause in the reloading based around the cranking of the handle, which performs the operations with the dies and drops a completed cartridge. I ALWAYS advance the indexing at that point, so even if I get interrupted or have a brain failure and crank the handle again it can't drop a second charge into the same case. It has become a habit and a very firm rule for me. And I still eyeball the powder level in the case -- in his case the .44 Magnum case is so large that the double-charge couldn't be seen, though. I reload .45ACP with mine and the powder is easily visible.
 
Yet another case of using the wrong powder in an effort to save money.

There is a reason that they make bulky powders.

I was using W231 in my 9mm & .357 when I first started too.

Luckily I was shown the way before I had any problems.
 
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This one, along with the great photos, should be made a sticky in reloading as a warning to all. At least the owner was very forthcoming. Kudos.

When I load hot, I do everything one at a time. And I wouldn't be progressive loading hot just to blast at paper either.

The range for 240 Grain LSWC is 4.7 and 10.0 grains of Titegroup. A double charge at minimum (for punching paper) would have resulted in a stiff round only.

Here's where my education begins: Lacking any sophisticated test instruments, the load I was using felt comparable to any factory ammo I had used in the past. 9.0gr of Titegroup behind a 240gr SJSP. This was 10% below the maximum load as published in the Hogdon manual. It shot with consistent accuracy and was economical because it was the same powder as I had used in the .45. I now realize my quest to economize reloading may well prove to be the source of this misfortune.
 
Fall Guy said:
This one, along with the great photos, should be made a sticky in reloading as a warning to all. At least the owner was very forthcoming. Kudos.

When I load hot, I do everything one at a time. And I wouldn't be progressive loading hot just to blast at paper either.

The range for 240 Grain LSWC is 4.7 and 10.0 grains of Titegroup. A double charge at minimum (for punching paper) would have resulted in a stiff round only.

+1

YEP,

Not only do I single stage everything(when loading hotter)...

I individually weigh and trickle every single charge and double check the zero on my scale before, during and end to make sure I did not bump it or move it.

Call me paranoid but have been reloading for several years now, self-taught(books+internet) and have NO oopsies yet and hope to never have.
 
Holy smokes people. What is the thing you do prior to pulling the handle on a 550? You place a bullet on the charged case in the seating station.

"What's this? Heaven's! There already is a bullet seated in the case! Must be a gift from the reloading gods. I'll just pull the handle again anyway without looking at the rest of the rounds under construction.":rolleyes:

Round five was somewhat damaged - the bullet was pressed into the case by about one-eight of an inch. A little more and it may have detonated as well.

I note the author has a firm grasp of ammunition in general.......
 
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