Shear_stress
Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2005
- Messages
- 2,728
Was a-reloadin' this weekend. I only have one bullet seating/roll-crimp die for this caliber, and need to reconfigure it before I can roll-crimp. Out of shear laziness, I configured my roll-crimp die on live cartridges, rather than the dummies I usually make up. In the end, the set up process only wasted two loaded cartridges when I didn't fully backout the bullet seating screw. As a result, the bullets got pushed in a little too deeply on those two cartridges. I set them aside and finished the rest of the batch.
Afterward, I got to thinking about those two live cartridges. Not only do I hate waste, but having two improperly seated cartridges floating around seemed like a safety risk. In the spirit of thrift, and, well, curiosity, I decided to see if I could rescue those othewise wasted cartridges.
I used my impact puller to carefully drive the bullets out a few thousanths. I got a little over enthusiastic and lengthened the cartridges by about 10/1000" too much. I then placed the cartridges on a flat surface and used a plastic mallet to tap the bullets so that the cartridges achieved the proper OAL. They then went back through the roll crimp die.
The operation was successful. However, I wonder if I just traded one safety risk for another. How idiotically dangerous is it to tap a bullet on a live cartridge?
Afterward, I got to thinking about those two live cartridges. Not only do I hate waste, but having two improperly seated cartridges floating around seemed like a safety risk. In the spirit of thrift, and, well, curiosity, I decided to see if I could rescue those othewise wasted cartridges.
I used my impact puller to carefully drive the bullets out a few thousanths. I got a little over enthusiastic and lengthened the cartridges by about 10/1000" too much. I then placed the cartridges on a flat surface and used a plastic mallet to tap the bullets so that the cartridges achieved the proper OAL. They then went back through the roll crimp die.
The operation was successful. However, I wonder if I just traded one safety risk for another. How idiotically dangerous is it to tap a bullet on a live cartridge?