Just caught what could have been an unpleasant surprise

I was at the bench tonight resizing some 38 specials on my single station press. I picked up a case and as I slid it into the shell holder I thought it felt heavy. When I looked, there was a live 32 acp round nestled inside the empty case so that the decapping pin would have hit the primer.

Then I remembered taking a new toy - a WWII bring back Mauser HSc - to the range last trip. It had some light primer strikes that failed to fire. I must have accidentally ejected one into my spent case box. Anyway, I don't recall ever hearing of this hazard before and wanted to pass it on.

 

Yeah, try getting a 22lr nose down in a .270 win and slapping the thing with a universal decapper. You need a few new things immediately following this experience, boxer shorts is at the top of that list.

 

Yowsa that would be a surprise.

 

The most common decapping pin destroyer is a nestled case. It is very common to have a 9MM Luger inside a .45 ACP.

 

Yep, inspection is the single most important part of reloading...

 

Would have scared the heck out of me. Good thing to look out for.

 

Yup - which is why this kind of thing has never happened to me, and God willing, never will. When I pull them out of the brass bag, I find all kinds of "fish within another fish," but they never make it to the bench that way.

 

Since the small primer .45 acp cases started showing up I learned to look at each one before it goes in the press. Stupid happens when trying to get a large primer in a small hole.
I get a lot of once fired indoor range brass. Those small primer .45s just seem to keep showing up. It has now become a must to check every case.

 

Plan to see more of the small primer .45s my friend, seems to be the industry standard now for new production .45 ACP. All the 2016+ ammo I've seen in .45 from the big factory brands have been going small Pistol. Back to the OP though, I definitely know what you mean. I've found all sorts of things inside of other cases when unloading range bags of brass. As was said previously, a good eye is the most important trait a reloader can have.

 

Wow. Fortunately I've managed to avoid a loaded round in a case I was going to reload. I learned many years ago that a 9mm or 40S&W would fit in a 45 ACP case. If I had fired different rounds at the range, when I went tumble clean my brass, the brass would go into separate bags. Even so, once in a while a case would still end up in a 45 ACP. I look at every one before putting in the press.

 

Wow. The worst I've done is bend a decapper rod on a pebble in a .38 case.