Before putting a bullet into the shell casing....

I'm wondering if this is something that I always do is really necessary, or just me being paranoid.

I never put a bullet into a shell casing until I have looked and seen for myself that there is powder there, and that it looks the same as all the other shells I've been loading. (Never is still never, even if the case made it past the "lockout die".)

I was recently asked by someone why I did that - what can go wrong? I didn't really have an answer. To me, anything CAN go wrong, and I just don't feel comfortable without doing this final check. Twice, in many years, I has found problems - both my fault. That's enough of a reason, so that I'll probably continue visibly checking, even if it's not needed.


So, is this something that the rest of you naturally do, or is it just me being paranoid?

Walkalong said:

I see every charge I seat a bullet over. It makes me all cozy inside.

You have been reloading so long, why question that now?

Click to expand...

It's complicated. First, I very much want someone else I know to read this thread, to make it 100% certain that he will do this properly, regardless of whether he thinks it's necessary.

Second, I feel the way you do, but for me, I'd replace "warm and cozy" with "confident".

Third, I like the idea of turning myself into a "robot", doing the exact same things over and over, without needing to think about, or remember, to do them. I want it all to be "automatic" and only stop when something goes "wrong". At the end of loading 50, or 100 rounds, I don't want the nagging feeling of "am I sure I checked every shell"? Once it becomes sort of automated, I will know I did just that.

Last, if the person I have in mind still doesn't see the need to do this, maybe others are in the same boat, and maybe some of them will all start checking every load.


I did write "That's enough of a reason, so that I'll probably continue visibly checking, even if it's not needed." I guess in hindsight, I should have left off the word "probably". I didn't really expect you guys to tell me I was just being paranoid, but I've been wrong about so many things already. And if you guys had told me I was being paranoid, I'd probably keep right on doing it, if for no other reason, than for what 'Walkalong' just wrote.



There is so much going on with a turret press, and from what I've learned so far, if *anything* feels different in any way, I stop whatever I'm doing, and figure out what or why. For me, checking for powder is as "routine" as inserting a primer, or placing a bullet onto the shell casing.

9mmepiphany said:

I think the obvious question then, should be, if you're going to look into each case, why have the lock-out die hogging up a station?

Click to expand...

The lockout die is to verify that all is well, and the bullets don't have a double charge, or no charge. With it, the "system" is complete.

Looking at the powder level before placing a bullet on an shell casing is to make ME feel better.

(I also look at all the bullets as I am placing them in the plastic storage boxes, to make sure I don't see anything unusual, and feel the bottoms of the bullets after they're in the box, to verify that the primers are all seated.)

(...and having already bought the lockout die, I wanted to see how well it worked, and learn how to adjust and use it, and now that I've done all that, why not keep it in the press, rather than have an empty station? At some point in time, I'll probably remove it, and change things so I have a crimp station after the seating station. I agree with you, and by this time next year, I expect it will be sitting in the box it came in. )