SHARE YOUR HAND LOADING MISTAKES
- Thread starter Highland Lofts
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Dudedog
Contributing Member
I started hand loading, cost me money for equipment, then more money for more equipment, had to get a wet tumbler, then a progressive press, then...more money.
1976B.L.Johns.
Member
I started hand loading, cost me money for equipment, then more money for more equipment, had to get a wet tumbler, then a progressive press, then...more money.
At the very least, it was an honest "mistake"!
1976B.L.Johns.
Member
Yesterday during shootin', the wife and I pick up spent brass (in this case it was .22LR).
Also any old stuff laying around.
This morning popping out spent primers I had what i thought was a overly tight one.
This older .22 was in a .44 Rem. Mag. case, pushed right through, fairly easily.
Needless to say, the following one would not release the spent primer. Further investigation revealed the above.
Thought it to be kinda funny. Nothing major...
Won't start anything until the second cup of coffee.
Also any old stuff laying around.
This morning popping out spent primers I had what i thought was a overly tight one.
This older .22 was in a .44 Rem. Mag. case, pushed right through, fairly easily.
Needless to say, the following one would not release the spent primer. Further investigation revealed the above.
Thought it to be kinda funny. Nothing major...
Won't start anything until the second cup of coffee.
Riomouse911
Member
I had that same issue a little while backYesterday during shootin', the wife and I pick up spent brass (in this case it was .22LR).
Also any old stuff laying around.
This morning popping out spent primers I had what i thought was a overly tight one.
This older .22 was in a .44 Rem. Mag. case, pushed right through, fairly easily.View attachment 943463
Needless to say, the following one would not release the spent primer. Further investigation revealed the above.
Thought it to be kinda funny. Nothing major...
Won't start anything until the second cup of coffee.
Stay safe..
1976B.L.Johns.
Member
Yup, live and learn!
Riomouse911
Member
My mistake involved being rather new to progressive press reloading. I thought I was golden, but I loaded some rounds without paying 100 pct attention to detail regarding a sufficient crimp...
The first time, I loaded some .38 Spl with a cowboy action level charge of titegroup, but the crimp wasn’t set enough and some of the rounds got setback into the cases all the way to the nose of the bullets and jammed in my Rossi 1892 clone. I had to go back and recrimp the lot on my O press.
I had the same issue with some .44 Spl loads about a year after. My friend was desperate for 50 .44 Spl to shoot his CCW qualification course and I hastily loaded them for him. I didn’t set the crimp well enough on these loads either, his S&W 329PD bound up when one of the final bullets he needed to fire jumped the case and bound up the cylinder.
Ever since this last episode, which was about 15 years ago, I run a thumbnail on each roll crimped round to be sure the crimp is there. It hasn’t happened again in any of the thousands of rounds I’ve reloaded since.
Lessons learned
.
Stay safe.
The first time, I loaded some .38 Spl with a cowboy action level charge of titegroup, but the crimp wasn’t set enough and some of the rounds got setback into the cases all the way to the nose of the bullets and jammed in my Rossi 1892 clone. I had to go back and recrimp the lot on my O press.
I had the same issue with some .44 Spl loads about a year after. My friend was desperate for 50 .44 Spl to shoot his CCW qualification course and I hastily loaded them for him. I didn’t set the crimp well enough on these loads either, his S&W 329PD bound up when one of the final bullets he needed to fire jumped the case and bound up the cylinder
. Ever since this last episode, which was about 15 years ago, I run a thumbnail on each roll crimped round to be sure the crimp is there. It hasn’t happened again in any of the thousands of rounds I’ve reloaded since.
Lessons learned
.Stay safe.
JeffG
Member
I loaded 25 hard cast 485 gr, 45/70 before I took delivery of the rifle. (Lyman Ideal Sharps Model 1878. The ogive of the bullet is too long, and they won't chamber. No plunk in the plunk test. Gotta pull them all.
Dudedog
Contributing Member
Hondo 60
Member
I'm still reticent to write about it, but I double charged a .357 round.
It was supposed to have 7 gr of Titegroup - Musta been 14.
My SP101 went {BOOM}. Only found 1/2 of the cylinder.
If there was a bright spot that day atleast it was a current production model.
So I 'could' replace it.
After a few months, I thought I should tell Ruger just in case they wanted it for research.
They said ya, they wanted it.
Coulda' knocked me over with a feather when they said the technician said it wasn't repairable.
So they wanted to know if I wanted a new one - at no charge!
I'm ashamed I let this happen, but I enjoy singing the praises of Ruger's Customer Service.
e
It was supposed to have 7 gr of Titegroup - Musta been 14.
My SP101 went {BOOM}. Only found 1/2 of the cylinder.
If there was a bright spot that day atleast it was a current production model.
So I 'could' replace it.
After a few months, I thought I should tell Ruger just in case they wanted it for research.
They said ya, they wanted it.
Coulda' knocked me over with a feather when they said the technician said it wasn't repairable.
So they wanted to know if I wanted a new one - at no charge!
I'm ashamed I let this happen, but I enjoy singing the praises of Ruger's Customer Service.
e
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Highland Lofts
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To bad about the SP101 but look on the bright side, no one got killed or injured.
Ruger does have GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Ruger does have GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
maxterblaster
Member
tears running down face. laughing so hard i think coworkers called security.
Echoing what I have said in other posts, I started reloading (over my father's objections) at age 17.
I was living with my grandmother at the time (because the weather made it impossible to be sure I could drive from the family farm to school).
But even this humble beginning was never an excuse to not be safe.
When my father finally made peace with the fact I was a handloader, he helped me develop a set of written reloading procedures along with an accompanying checklist.
Following those procedures and using the accompanying checklist every time I approach the reloading bench has allowed me to achieve high uniformity as well as avoiding a squib load or a double-charge.
Written procedures and a checklist - used every time - have gone a long way towards keeping me safe.
I was living with my grandmother at the time (because the weather made it impossible to be sure I could drive from the family farm to school).
But even this humble beginning was never an excuse to not be safe.
When my father finally made peace with the fact I was a handloader, he helped me develop a set of written reloading procedures along with an accompanying checklist.
Following those procedures and using the accompanying checklist every time I approach the reloading bench has allowed me to achieve high uniformity as well as avoiding a squib load or a double-charge.
Written procedures and a checklist - used every time - have gone a long way towards keeping me safe.
And OF COURSE this has to come to light with the entire world watching at a match. Not while your quietly off by yourself deciding whether you like 44.7 grains or 44.9 better.
BOISE BADWOLF
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When I very first started loading a few years back this same exact thing happened to me with my 9mm, and only my second batch of reloads. I too was so lucky it wouldnt chamber another because I would have fired then next round! I didn't even know anything had went wrong. I'm so glad that didn't turn out worse It likely would have ended my reloading days.
LKLive13
Member
I’ll play this game...
My lee 9mm sizing die started to stick really bad so I swapped the die for a Hornady I had as an extra. Well, for whatever reason that day I didn’t think the whole “set up your die depth” concept applied to me. I ran over 600 rounds with my sizing die backed off about 3-4 turns from the shell plate giving me partially sized 9mm cases. As it turns out, when you do that, you can just push the bullet right into the case with very little effort. I now “press check” all my 9mm because I was dumping all those rounds into a 50 cal ammo can and I’m afraid they got all mixed up with the good rounds. I still find one now and again that will set right into the case with very little effort.
My lee 9mm sizing die started to stick really bad so I swapped the die for a Hornady I had as an extra. Well, for whatever reason that day I didn’t think the whole “set up your die depth” concept applied to me. I ran over 600 rounds with my sizing die backed off about 3-4 turns from the shell plate giving me partially sized 9mm cases. As it turns out, when you do that, you can just push the bullet right into the case with very little effort. I now “press check” all my 9mm because I was dumping all those rounds into a 50 cal ammo can and I’m afraid they got all mixed up with the good rounds. I still find one now and again that will set right into the case with very little effort.
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Highland Lofts
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My brother has the RCBS electronic powder measure. I stay at his place fo three weeks for deer hunting every year. He was doing some loading and switched powders.
I told him it would suck in you forgot to put the plug back in.
Low and behold when he went to put another powder in a bunch spilled out on the floor.
A fast way to lose a few bucks.
I'm sure this happened to other people.
I told him it would suck in you forgot to put the plug back in.
Low and behold when he went to put another powder in a bunch spilled out on the floor.
A fast way to lose a few bucks.
I'm sure this happened to other people.
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Highland Lofts
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Found this 9mm on the right at the gravel pit we shoot at.
On the left is a 7.62x28, never seen them before.
What do you think caused the bulge
On the left is a 7.62x28, never seen them before.
What do you think caused the bulge
JeffG
Member
Firing out of battery.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
First thing I thought also.
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Highland Lofts
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So something like a slamfire except partly our if the chamber. Makes sence.
FROGO207
Member
Well does spilling shot and propellant several times every time I reload shotshells count? That cookie sheet mod is sure handy.
entropy
Member
Well does spilling shot and propellant several times every time I reload shotshells count? That cookie sheet mod is sure handy.
Mic the chute for your bar (assuming it's a MEC) and the bar; The chute is folded metal, and while it is thick can bend over time. If it's opened up a little, I was able to tap mine back down with my bench sledge (3#) to where I don't lose shot, and very little powder. Use a small pice of wood that fits right next to the bottle mounts, and tap light, then progressively harder if/as needed. Also if you're using the bars with the rubber mushroom in them, they tend to cause shot to fly out of the machine, as opposed to the bar getting stuck and/or shearing off a pellet. I keep that sledge handy for using my old (1970's) bar without the rubber mushroom, although usually backing the bar up and starting again works.
Never told my wife about this, but it happened........ I had a reload bag full of dirty tarnished mixed brass to clean. I had some Birchwood Casey brass cleaner that you mix with warm water and soak brass for a few minutes. Dumped the brass into the bucket. Dumped the cleaned brass thru a sieve and blindly dumped the brass onto a cookie pan and spread it out. Set the oven to 240 and slid the cookie sheet in. Unbeknownst to me there was a live 7.62x39 round in the mix. About 20 minutes later the oven "kaboomed." There was no damage to the oven that I could see, but I found the bullet and the offending brass. Boy am I ever dumb! Live rounds sometimes still get mixed with my range brass, but now I know to examine it before cooking it.
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