Pictures of accidents due to careless reloading

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Capstick1

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This has never happened to me but we've all heard stories or seen pictures of guns that have grenaded due to excessive pressure. I remember seeing a picture of a Colt SAA that blew the top strap and the cylinder apart because the shooter used a double charge of Bullseye. I wish loading manuals would show pictures of this stuff to show what happens when you start playing around in the red zone. I read somewhere that Elmer Keith destroyed atleast one or two revolvers when he was developing the 44 magnum. I think if loading manuals had pictures of these accidents it would really drive home the point that smokeless powder isn't anything to be played around with and should be treated with respect and safety. The people that have written these manuals aren't talking out their butt. They've put in long hours of research using expensive electronic instruments to measure pressure and velocities. I just wanted to start this blog to show other reloaders what NOT to do at the loading bench and prevent these accidents from happening to them.
 
Reloading is slightly more dangerous than knitting, and slightly less dangerous than distilling your own grain alcohol. The kind of people that have accidents due to negligence, would hurt themselves knitting or making hootch as well.
 
I'm very OCD when it comes to handloading rounds. I used to use a progressive Dillon 550 press but have now switched over to a hornady LnL single stage for most of my loading. With a single stage I have the luxury of being able to look directly at my loading trays and ensure all powder charges are present consistent and the same before I start seating bullets. You can't do that with a progressive press. It takes a little longer but IMHO you get better quality ammo in the long run.
 
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My only incident in 45 years of reloading. A double charge of BE. I bought an RCBS lockout die right after that little piece of drama. Note the lack of a trigger. Blew up all the trigger parts and split the frame. ALWAYS wear eye pro, that's what saved my eyes.

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Seeing people have incidents like this is the main reason I've stopped using a progressive press and now use a single stage press. If there's a double charge in any of my cases I'll be able to spot it directly on my loading tray and stop something like this from happening later.
 
This happened in 45 acp. With one of my 1911's. Im not sure if it was an over charge or worn brass. It blew the mag insides out of the gun. Gun is fine. I got a piece of brass in my eye. It's still there. Eye doctor said it's in a bad place to mess with it. It does not effect my vision or
irritate my eye.
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This hits close to home (I guess they all should) because I shoot 1911s almost exclusively. What was the round you thought you were shooting? Powder, charge, bullet, etc.?

somethings odd about the primer in your picture?
 
Kabooms are not a good thing. I don’t have any pictures, and try to insure I don’t.
I’m also not trying to start a debate on single stage vs progressive, but there’s the equipment we use, the process and then the carbon based life form performing it. I would not bet on any CBLF being perfect or producing superior ammunition. Good luck.
 
I started using a Lee turret and early on, twice on same day, had squibs (two different pistols in case you were wondering).

That was all I needed. From that point on I only charged “manually” using a Uniflow. (Never cared for the Lee powder dispensers anyway.)

Yes, I know it was operator error, but also it was the angle of view and a shadow across the case as it was charged on that station on the turret. It was an awkward seating position for me so I quit charging that way.

Not picking a fight for or against any brand or process, just saying for me it’s essentially a fail safe to charge manually.
 
Single stage for me. I drop powder with an olllldd Pacific powder measure, I weigh every 15th drop and I visually inspect each case prior to loading bullet with a strong light source.
 
This happened in 45 acp. With one of my 1911's. Im not sure if it was an over charge or worn brass. It blew the mag insides out of the gun. Gun is fine. I got a piece of brass in my eye. It's still there. Eye doctor said it's in a bad place to mess with it. It does not effect my vision or
irritate my eye.

I purchased an RIA 1911 and when the slide went forward, the magazine would eject from the bottom.

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RIA sent me a replacement magazine catch that held the magazine lower in the pistol.


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With the new magazine catch, the RIA pushed the bullet deep on feeding. I could feel a bump, bump as the round went into the chamber. One round blew the case head,

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I do not consider the load hot


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Completely shot up that lot on another trip to the range. Then very carefully loaded an ammunition can with a reduced load, and one round out of that had an over pressure incident that locked the slide back. There is no way this load can be hot.


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That was when I decided that I did not have an ammunition problem, but a magazine catch problem. The factory supplied RIA magazine catch held the magazine very low. I installed an EGW higher magazine catch and have not had serious set back problems, yet! Still, if I re feed a round, the bullet gets set back.

Always wear your shooting glasses. The event was faster than human perception. Magazine parts and rounds bounced off the shooting table, hit the roof above, and something hit my chin and caused a bruise.
 
Kabooms are not a good thing. I don’t have any pictures, and try to insure I don’t.
I’m also not trying to start a debate on single stage vs progressive, but there’s the equipment we use, the process and then the carbon based life form performing it. I would not bet on any CBLF being perfect or producing superior ammunition. Good luck.
I'm not trying to turn this into a progressive vs single stage press blog. Double powder charges can occur in the loading process whether your using a single stage or progressive press. A little extra attention to detail during powder charging doesn't hurt though. I'll probably use my Dillon 550 again sometime in the future. I usually reload alone with few distractions diverting my attention from the whole process. My dog usually "Supervises" (Sleeps) next to my reloading bench. I don't smoke or have the TV on "Baywatch" reruns when I'm doing this.
 
I purchased an RIA 1911 and when the slide went forward, the magazine would eject from the bottom.

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RIA sent me a replacement magazine catch that held the magazine lower in the pistol.


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With the new magazine catch, the RIA pushed the bullet deep on feeding. I could feel a bump, bump as the round went into the chamber. One round blew the case head,

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I do not consider the load hot


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Completely shot up that lot on another trip to the range. Then very carefully loaded an ammunition can with a reduced load, and one round out of that had an over pressure incident that locked the slide back. There is no way this load can be hot.


View attachment 1028168

That was when I decided that I did not have an ammunition problem, but a magazine catch problem. The factory supplied RIA magazine catch held the magazine very low. I installed an EGW higher magazine catch and have not had serious set back problems, yet! Still, if I re feed a round, the bullet gets set back.

Always wear your shooting glasses. The event was faster than human perception. Magazine parts and rounds bounced off the shooting table, hit the roof above, and something hit my chin and caused a bruise.
Having that bullet drop so low in the case can dramatically increase the pressure. I also have a RIA 1911. If mine starts to do this I'm going to have a gunsmith look at it. I love my 1911's but if certain parts aren't handfitted properly it can cause some reliability problems.
 
I don’t have any that I haven’t pulled off the internet but this is the most complete and total destruction I have seen.

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The fellow said he grabbed the wrong bottle and used Titegroup when he intended to use Varget.

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The pressures created might even “error” quickload.

This ones not a reloading issue rather a deliberate, even if, in the end, unintended, bore obstruction.

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I’ll give the fellow the benefit of doubt that he didn’t leave it in there because he thought it would be OK.
 
There are reloading accidents that haven't happened yet, but are waiting to happen. Go to thread "Show Us Pictures Of Your Reloading Bench" and you will see hundreds of pictures of loading benches with uncovered rows of different powders within close arm's reach of bench and loading presses. There are no surer pictures of accidents in the making, and of amateurish careless handloading.
 
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Every time I start to think about acquiring a progressive press, a thread like this shows up. All of my loading procedures I learned and/or modified after reading thousands of posts on here and other forums. I wouldn't claim to be OCD, but I do ensure that I double and triple check my recipes. Weigh my powder charges throughout the process. Write down my case, primer, powder, charge, projectile, and OAL date for each session. One powder container on the bench at any time. Since I don't have a chronograph I keep my loads below listed max, and often, if it cycles the action properly, then not much above minimum. I only shoot for fun, and thus, for economy, and the one time I loaded a bit towards (but still below) max in 40 S&W, the shooting experience was painful and unpleasant. As soon as I returned home I double checked the load manual, as I was certain I'd done something wrong. I hadn't, and thus, I avoid that bullet/powder combination completely.
 
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