Close Call

[Sharps Shooter]

When I was out shooting my 41 Magnum today, I came a across a round without any powder. Even though the primer fired, for some reason it didn’t develop enough pressure to even push the bullet out of the case. Which is very, very lucky for me. I didn’t even know the primer had fired. I’ve developed a flinch and was leaving some of the cylinder chambers empty so that I never knew for sure whether or not the gun was going to go off when the hammer fell. Once this afternoon, my revolver only went off twice out of five drops of the hammer. I was surprised when I opened it up and saw three cases with dented primers – one still with the bullet in it. The primer was well dented, so at the time I thought I must have run across a faulty primer as rare as that is. But when I got home and pulled the bullet, it was easy to tell the primer had indeed gone off, the base of the bullet was blackened, but there was no powder in the case. I have no idea how I managed that stupid mistake, but I did. And like I said, I didn’t even hear the primer go off. In my own defense – I was wearing double ear protection. But if that primer would have had enough pressure to drive that bullet part way down the barrel, I hate to think what would have happened when the next round did go off.

 

[1911user]

If you had a heavy crimp, that could explain the bullet not leaving the case. Time to review your loading procedures and make sure it doesn't happen again.

 

[ATAShooter]

YUP, gotta watch that powder hopper, My brother was shooting with a friend of his and had a poofer then put another behind it without checking the bore. M1 Garand destroyed, shooter ok, but HARD lesson learned.

 

[Chief 101]

You just got a cheap lesson. You know how bad that could have been with a .41 mag. I did it with a 9mm Astra about 35 years ago that bulged the barrel and rendered the weapon to the scrap heap. You won't hear the primer go off in that situation as the noise doesn't seem to leave the cartridge. I would certainly, at least untill your current reloads are finished, check the cylinders and bore anytime you only hear a click. And, please, be careful out there. Chief

 

[doc tc]

sharpshooter,

what they said, man. a friend of mine backed an '06 into an '06 in the early 70's and lost an eye and most of the right side of his face.

a checklist is in order, my friend. take the time to really, really learn this.

doc

 

[Kamicosmos]

Also, don't beat yourself up too bad. There are two types of reloaders. Those who have made mistakes, and those who will!

I did something similar. Loaded up a bunch of .357. Was shooting away, and suddenly the gun locked up. Bullet was caught between forcing cone and cylinder. Case had no powder, and the primer pushed the bullet out just enough to lock up the works.

Just have to figure out what distracted you. For me, I have to turn the IM off on my computer. I have it in the same room as my reloading bench, and I would go back and forth between the loading bench and chatting.

 

[qajaq59]

You're not the first

One day at the range my cousin fired his 06 at the same moment as another guy. He never noticed that his rifle had not recoiled but as I happened to be looking at him, I did. As he jacked the next round in I jumped off my bench and yelled at him to stop. When we checked the bore the bullet was about 3 inches down the barrel. Had he fired the next round that gun would surely have come apart.
It is easy to make a mistake so we have to watch what we do all the time. And it pays to keep an eye on the other fellow as well.

 

[mattcat]

when I got my 1911 I also got a progressive press to load for it, it seams that it failed to charge about every 20th case, I finly gave up and retired the progressive press, fortunatly with I am shooting I keep an eye on it and if I try to fire a round and it does not go off I know to check the bore, I think I have had to drive 5 or 6 bullets out of the barrol