My first experienced mistake...

Thanks for sharing............took some cajones I'm thinkin.
Everyone makes mistakes, those that will admit it though...............................
glad it turned out okay.

All it takes is a distraction and it will/may through you off your game.

The good thing is that you recognized that there may be a problem and stopped and checked.

For me if I'm loading on a single stage soon as the powder is dumped in the cartridge I load the bullet. I've tired the rotating trays and looking into the them but with some powders it's very hard to determine if the charge is correct or even in there. I've sensed moved to SS cleaning so it's a lot easier seeing what's in the bottom. I load all my handgun ammo on a AP now, and some rifle rounds. With Auto indexing it's hard to not get powder in unless there is a malfunction in the powder dump station. I have LED's lighting to check as I place the bullet into position for seating.

I'm very surprised that a primer alone would have enough oomph to push a .40 cal bullet out of the barrel, let alone make it to the target. But then again I don't have another explanation either.

Once your tray is full and before seating the bullet, visually inspect each case in the tray. This quality check is vital and must be taken seriously to virtually eliminate missing charges in the case.

Loads that look low, or high can be re-done.

On a single stage press, I do things in batches. By working in batches, you are concentrating on one task at a time. There is less chance of something getting out of order.

Resize a batch. Expand a batch. Prime a batch. Charge the batch. Then seat the bullet in a batch.

I'd resize, expand, clean and otherwise prep cases at one time and store them away for a future loading session. Batches could be any size limited only to fired cases on hand. I generally do this shortly after shooting the ammunition. small batches of case prep get completed quickly

Loading batches were smaller. With established loads, they would be 50 or 100 cases at a time. I'd prime them and put them in a tray. Then all would be charged. I would inspect the cases for charge before moving along to the next step. Then, I would seat the bullet.

By no means, this is not the only workable, safe process to use but should give you some ideas for improving your process.

I don't see how the primer alone could have done that. Must have been a squib load of powder in there too.
There is another explanation possible. You say you visually check each case before seating.
A case with NO powder would really stand out. A case with a low charge in a block would be far easier to miss.
Or a bumped or mishandled case in the transfer to the seating die could have resulted in some unnoticed powder spill.

you mentioned dip charging. is this like lee dippers? How do you know if you have the right amount in there if you are using a dipper? I would guess the charge was too light and just enough to send it out the pipe. someone gave us a shoe box full of reloaded shotgun shells when i was younger so being young and not knowing better i took them and about 10 of them were so light the pellets only made it about 10ft in front of us. I kind of got a kick out of it.

badkarmamib said:

I visually inspect each piece to verify powder level. So, I honestly don't know how this happened, but there is no other explanation.

Click to expand...

Stand over the tray, look into each case for the powder level, and put an upside down bullet in each case one at a time, AFTER checking the powder level.
That bullet placement forces you to look into each/every case.
Then for seating, remove an individual case/ bullet from the tray and place it in the shell holder/press, then flip the bullet over and seat it.
Works for me,

I do basically the same thing as described by Tilos, has worked for me for a Lot of Years..

Tilos said:

Stand over the tray, look into each case for the powder level, and put an upside down bullet in each case one at a time, AFTER checking the powder level.
That bullet placement forces you to look into each/every case.
Then for seating, remove an individual case/ bullet from the tray and place it in the shell holder/press, then flip the bullet over and seat it.
Works for me,

Click to expand...

I love this idea. This is the first I've heard it.

I've struggled to understand, but know it's possible, to get a squib even when one's normal process is to inspect for powder prior to bullet seating. That's the method I do as well. There has been a time or two I wasn't sure if I'd looked in each case for powder, and I'd look again to be sure. I could see that, even if it is one's normal process, it could be easy to overlook doing it for a batch.

It's made me think I might keep a check list and, literally, check off each step. But this upside-down-bullet method I think is excellent.

Thx!

I keep my one squib in 5,000 rounds on my dresser to remind me to be humble. I was careful. Now I am more careful.

On the thread where I first mentioned it, one reply suggested that whenever you are interrupted you empty any case with powder in it back into the bottle. Now that I use an AP, that is exactly what I do.

On my single stage, I do all the prep work in one sitting -- size, expand, and prime -- and then load at the next sitting when I am fresh and alert.

I once had to load 42 rounds of 7.62 NATO hand loads into a Garand to shoot 2 sighters then 20 shots for record in a 1000 yard match. The USN Support Unit's loading room crew didn't put powder in some rounds. Weighed the remaining 18 loads of 40 issued; 7 were about 44 grains lighter than the others. That load was a Sierra 190 over 44 grains of powder.

Took those 18 rounds to the Unit's Officer in Charge suggesting they be used for "ball and dummy" training for people that need them. Mentioned that I won a rifle match testing 42 others from that lot. Then handed him the 20 fired rounds that had no powder.

All rounds not firing had the bullets still in the case. No bullets got pushed into the lands; all rounds manually ejected normally.

badkarmamib wrote:
I load pistol on a SS. My practice is 50 prepped brass at a time. Prime, expand, and dip charge one one piece, then move to tray, awaiting die change for bullet seating. Before changing to the seating die, I visually inspect each piece to verify powder level. So, I honestly don't know how this happened, but there is no other explanation.

Click to expand...

Our processes are similar, so I took what you wrote to heart.

Since the projectile did make it out of the barrel, you probably did have powder and not a true squib. A light load, a bad primer or an obstructed flash hole could explain the load being less than full power.

When I have all 50 cases on the loading block charged, I tilt the block forward at about a 30 degree angle, vibrate it slightly and then hold an automotive trouble light above the block. This throws a shadow across the surface of the powder and since it is at an angle, the shadow will appear to be of distinctly different size if the powder charge is lighter than in adjoining cases.

Thought I would share, that no matter how careful you THINK you are, mistakes can and will happen.

Click to expand...

Very true. We all need to be reminded how careful we need to be. Thank you for sharing.

Tilos wrote:
Then for seating, remove an individual case/ bullet from the tray and place it in the shell holder/press, then flip the bullet over and seat it.
Works for me,

Click to expand...

Very good idea.

I put a bullet in the brass as well, but with handgun brass I usually do not invert the bullet as the case mouth is expanded enough to set the bullet in base down and it will stay there. I have batch loaded ammo for 30+ years and so far have not had an accidental squib. I have however loaded some rounds so light that the bullet has stuck in the barrel on purpose to see where that point is. I probably just cursed myself here.

One reason I hate crowded indoor ranges with people next to me I dont know. I saw the guy next to me fooling with his gun and trying to shoot it. Finally he got a range officer to assist. Range officer told me he had a squib, fortunately for all it was just inside and not allowing another bullet to chamber, despite his best efforts.
Checkout time!

I have only had two squibs, both from my single press days using loading trays, go figure. If something isnt right, check barrel!

You had to have had powder, primer never would had sent a bullet down range. What lead did you clean out of the barrel?

I, too, am a batch loader. All brass gets cleaned, then prepped and loaded on a different day. Usually in the morning, before five and coffee. Once the powder goes in the bullet gets seated. I have tried the block, but would rather spill them one at a time. 8)

While at the range Saturday I noticed a guy figitting with his Sig Saur .357sig. I walked down and asked if he needed help. He said his pistol was acting funny.

He had stacked three bullets in the barrel. A very lucky man. But had no clue what a "squib" was or what to do when it does happen.

I educated him about squibs and I told him to call Sig up and thank them for building a tank for a hand gun, the P320.

A week earlier a member blew up a Glock with a double charge of Bullseye.

I'm starting to move further down the range shed away form everyone ;-)

Oh, that's pretty normal, I thought you meant a hunk of bullet! Glad nothing further occurred!

Russellc

In another THR forum, a member was worried he was going to get flamed because he primed separately. He soon learned so do alot of other members, as well as I.
Same here, a number seem to prep brass in other steps than perform the actual reload at a different time. Performing the actual reload, at another time makes sense. I pick an afternoon block, on my day off, when I am awake , alert and not rushed (hard to find time with family life but can be done when I schedule it on the calendar).
THR, in my experience, has always preached safety. Go slow, see what you are doing and if something seems off, then step back and look at it. When all else fails, stop reloading, post it and we as a collective can throw some ideas out, the amount of experience here is over whelming and if anything can get you pointed in the right direction to get the problem addressed.
BTW, to the OP, glad you and the wife are safe.
Stealing a tag line from another guy in a closed down forum, Larry W "THINK THINK THINK!"

I doubt media in the flash hole caused a light load/squib. A primer has enough power to blow anything out of the flash hole, and I've seen enough bullets pushed all the way through handgun barrels by just the primer to know that it can happen, but a true squib load normally sticks the bullet somewhere in the barrel. Lead bullets are slipperier than jacketed bullets, but still usually stick in the barrel. I've seen them stuck in the forcing cone, and part way out of the muzzle, and stuck everywhere in between.

It was probably a light load in this case. You don't mention whether or not the slide cycled on the pistol. If it did, it was a light load, but a primer alone won't operate the slide.

Hope this helps.

Fred