A new way to screw up...

[emptybrass]

So I'm new to reloading, with only a couple of thousand rounds under my belt, compared to most here. Last night I found another way to make an error in reloading, so I thought I would share it. I like to size and prime .45 ACP and 380 Auto and store those in bulk. I got my new My Lab Radar chrono a short time ago and was impressed by it at my first trip to the range, so now I'm ready to go through different recipes and chart bullet speeds.

I chose Unique powder last night to do four different loads in 45 Auto, fifteen rounds each. I did the work on my single stage for these loads. I would charge 15 shells, place them in my reloading tray and then run them all through bullet seating and then through crimp.

When I was about half way through seating my second batch, I had trouble getting the projectile to start in the brass - almost like I didn't expand the case. I used a powder through expander to load the powder, which made what I was seeing a mystery. I looked inside the brass...NO POWDER!! I made a quick count of rounds in the tray - 15 in the tray and one in my hand. I had reached into the sized and primed bin and grabbed a shell from there instead of the reloading tray.

Solution - I put the cover back on the bin of primed and sized and moved it out of arm's reach.

Stupid mistakes are usually the easiest to make and I find as the years creep up on me, I have to do more and more to make stupid hard to win.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Welcome to the human side of reloading! Stuff happens, and we just have to keep reminding ourselves of that fact.

Now there will be some who will chime in and say they never make mistakes, but I haven't noticed any Roman soldiers building a cross on a hill to hang them on, so they certainly aren't as perfect as they claim to be.

You just experienced one of the lessons in reloading, and there will be others...... Many others.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[badkarmamib]

As I am just getting my tools and components together to start, I appreciate stories like this, to remind me to be surer than sure of what I am doing, and to double-check if anything doesn't seem perfectly right. Thanks for sharing!

 

[emptybrass]

Thanks Fred. I have developed the habit of looking in every shell in the reloading tray after charging to gut check powder level, so when I first noticed the shell had no powder, the first thing I did was look on the floor to see if I had dumped the powder out. Love the hobby...just wish I hard started many years ago.

 

[Load Master]

Once I thought I made a reloading mistake but I was mistaken.

Really it was a learning experience. When doing systematic steps, taking measures to reduce mistakes is part of the process. The rule, one powder, one primer type, one bullet type, and group of cases in the same state of process on the bench, is a good rule to follow.

Anyone that has a lot of reloading time will have had something show up to throw a monkey wrench in the works. The key to this hobby is to catch it and correct the cause, as you did. Good job!

 

[fguffey]

Emptybrass, I was reading ahead and I just knew you were going to say you found a 380 case inside of the 45 ACP.

F. Guffey

 

[wingman]

I have a flex head led light attached to my press, I will also use a led light to double check charges in a loading block, yeah I'm slow but confident in my loads, after 50 years of loading think I've made every mistake possible but a new one could bite me.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

That's a new one on me but I can see how it can happen. I have made mistakes over the years but I have been lucky none of them have made their way into a gun. I try to put layers of checks in place to stop the mistakes at the bench and so far I have been successful.

 

[tcoz]

I batch process everything that I load (6 rifle & pistol calibers) on a Redding T-7. Cases get charged in a loading tray one at a time then each is moved to a different tray. After the batch of 25 is charged I look into each one with a flashlight.
This is a fairly slow process but I'm not in a hurry and I load much more than I shoot.

 

[USSR]

My personal favorite is dropping a powder charge and seating a bullet in a case without a primer.

Don

 

[hdwhit]

From my reloading checklist:

3. Only one caliber, bullet weight and powder is to be loaded at a time. All other components must be removed from the bench and covered.

I recommend that every reloader develop a set of written reloading procedures and then create a checklist that can be completed as the rounds are loaded to ensure compliance.

 

[tcoz]

I recommend that every reloader develop a set of written reloading procedures and then create a checklist that can be completed as the rounds are loaded to ensure compliance.

I started this procedure years ago with one set for pistol and one for rifle. I've recently added a 30 carbine set of procedures. The best part for me is that I've added, subtracted and tweaked a lot of steps in my reloading pricedures over the years and I change my procedure set accordingly then print a new set which is always pinned to a bulletin board in front of me when I'm reloading.

 

[TBJK]

I use a RCBS lock out die. It's saved my bacon a few times.

 

[joem1945]

I just made a dumb mistake when loading .380. Picked up my 9mm case gauge, set my seat and crimp die and loaded a bunch. Imagine my surprise when they wouldn't fit in the magazine. Reset the die and ran them through the press again. I'll watch better next time.

 

[entropy]

I hand weigh and dump every charge myself, then immediately seat the bullet after checking the powder level. Never had the problem you describe, never had a squib. (Or double charge) Never will. It's worked for me for just under 40 years....

 

[SwaneeSR]

Empty brass.



Congratulations. You caught your mistake by listening to that little voice that told you something was wrong.



An organized and clean reloading bench is important. I agree with the thought that one caliber and powder on the bench at any one time. Stay focused and no need to rush.

I have only been reloading a few years, so stories like yours are great for me to hear.



Swanee

 

[thomas15]

Sometimes you have to go by gut feeling. If something doesn't seem right there is no shame in going back and double checking, even if you have 100 rounds loaded and have to take them all apart. Better to waste some time than having to clear a squib or double charge at the firing line.

 

[climbnjump]

I looked inside the brass...NO POWDER!!

Not poking fun here, but considering the OP's user name, that right there is downright funny!

I have been reloading for over 40 years, and yes, I have made more than a couple of mistakes along the way. Fortunately, none of them resulted in an unsafe load. I keep a small open box on the reloading bench with a few of the mistakes sitting there. A glance at the box at the start of a reloading session helps keep the mind focused.

 

[hdwhit]

tcoz wrote:

I change my procedure set accordingly then print a new set which is always pinned to a bulletin board in front of me when I'm reloading.

Yes! Yes! I commend you.

Written procedures, updated as needed, printed out and actually followed are going to seem like a lot of overhead.

And they are.

In fact most people would perceive them as a colossal waste of time. But that's only because they're never going to experience the catastrophic failure that their written procedures keep them from having.

 

[ajandrs]

I learned the "1 powder on the bench at a time" lesson the hard way. I got out a pound of varget to load up some .223 and when I went to fill my trickler I found I had forgotten to dump out the H335 from a previous load session (I guess that was the first mistake). I grabbed a tub of the H335 off the top shelf to empty the trickler into and without thinking set it down next to the varget tub ... you can probably see where this is going, yes, I accidentally started dumping the H335 from the trickler into the varget tub. I caught it immediately so I probably wasted less than 50 grains of the H335, but there was a good 1/4 pound of varget I had to throw out since it had a little H335 mixed in.

Lesson learned, only ONE powder container on the bench at a time.


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