Reloading safety

[Potatohead]

AP,
Are you saying Gods not a handloader?

Kind of like that fella in the movie Major League: "Are you saying Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?!!"

-Or maybe not. Anyway, I love that movie..

 

[RN]

I think we all worry about the accidental overcharge..I know I do so what I did is invest into a charge master..The auto measure and over/under alarms make me feel much safer.

I take a block of exactly fifty and start the chargemaster up. It's weighs everything it spits out and tells you if it's over or under. It's also tells you how many charges its dispensed so I verifiy the count every 10 charges. If I have a block of 50 with powder in them and the Chargemaster says its thrown 50 I know I am good..

Yes, It's pricy but worth every penny to me..YMMV

 

[BGD]

I use the RCBS charge master 1500. It counts my charges so it I load 50 and it says 50 then I consider it good. I charge the case and then immediately seat the bullet. I could still have a problem with a squib and then a double. I think I will start using the RC method and then if the scale says 50 and I have 50 charged cases on the block I'm good

This has been a great post for me. Thanks everyone!!!!

 

[gamestalker]

"Powder is really the only part of reloading that can hurt you"

I think not. Consider what would happen if a reloader were to mistakenly use data intended for a lighter bullet with a heavier bullet? For example, using full throttle data intended for a 110 gr. or 125 gr. bullet, with a 158 gr. bullet, this will most certainly cause a serious pressure problem. And although it is powder related, but considering the scale and charge being utilized appears to be OK, the wrong bullet is being used.

Or consider having established a full pressure self defense load for say 9mm or .40 cal., both high pressure cartridges, but in error, the bullet gets seated .030" or more deeper.

GS

 

[Drop45]

When I use my single stage press to work up loads I invert a golf tee with a witness mark on it into the case to confirm go or no go powder drops, along with a bright light. Then I hit the links and the range.

 

[another pake]

No one else has admitted to this but I will.

I have loaded, chambered and fired a squib load through my .45, resulting in a round stuck hard in the barrel. After firing the non shot It took a second to sink in as my mind replayed for me in slo mo what had happened.

I had been doing some load development shooting through the chronograph and was on the 5th or 6th magazine being tested. Not wanting to "kill" the chronograph, my shots were deliberate and slow at this point as I was interested more in collecting speed than grouping data. Even with muffs on I knew that something improper had just happened with the last pull of the trigger. I did not hear the normal report or feel any muzzle flip. My first thought, "bad primer," was soon dismissed as I remembered hearing that distinctive primer pop and seeing a small curl of smoke from the gun. At the same time I realized that no spent case was ejected. I dropped the magazine, racked the slide back and removed the case. The primer had obviously fired. Then, with the mag out and the slide back I held the gun up to try and fill the barrel with light.... No light. Plugged.

I was shaken because I thought that my system was safe. That's another way of saying that I thought I was safe. Obviously, that wasn't the case. I reload on a single stage and my method to prevent errors includes many checks. Somehow, I screwed up. You can't check too much. Out of thousands and thousands of rounds, I missed a powder charge and didn't catch it, even on recheck.

Distracted, complacent, asleep at the wheel, hypnotized by habit? I don't know.

Keep checking. Don't believe that you or your methods can't be breached.

 

[UziLand]

I use rc's method with some variations. I charge 10 cases at a time, weighing every fifth charge. I call the measured charge my "golden bullet" and it always goes at the top of the row of five in the tray. Then the pen light check. Then I place a bullet in one case and hold it as I move it to the press (this gives you another glance at the powder level also). This way I am not spilling powder while moving the case to the press. If it is a rifle round, I just hold the bullet in the neck as I move it.

 

[Crashbox]

When in single-stage mode I charge cases one at a time, then place it in a reloading block. Even when using a funnel, I will move the case to a different position or my second reloading block. HOWEVER, this is not fool-proof as I discovered earlier this week when I somehow got distracted and double-charged a case! It is very easy for me to spot such a thing as I have ***LOTS*** of lighting (about 100 foot-candles at the bench).

You can NEVER be too cautious in this hobby.

 

[jell-dog]

I use two loading blocks.

Primed cases mouth down in one.

Then as they are charged, I move them to the other block mouth up.

Then when 50 are charged.
I look in them all to compare powder levels in each one.

Then, I place bullets in each one before moving to the press and seating them all.

The bullets in the case mouths prevent having to dump them all and start all over if you drop one and spill powder in the block of charged cases.

There is just about no way to make a mistake doing it this way.

rc

^^^^^WHAT RC SAID! I prime sized/de-primed cases, place primed/sized cases mouth down in loading block, charge and place in a seperate loading block, then check charges, seat bullet in each case, move to loading block and place each completed cartridge in cartridge box/container.
Works for me, I know exactly where I'm at if interrupted.

 

[jell-dog]

This thread is a great reminder of what can happen when you get into "the reloading zone", when loading your "go to" or "pet" proven loads.
Reminded me to pay attention to each stage and not get complacent or let "habits" take over the reloading process.
When working up a load ladder, I know I take greater care at each step to get cartridges as uniform as possible.
I am now reminded to use the same care when reloading my proven loads.
To be a safe reloader.
Thank you for starting Reloading Safety!

 

[vaalpens]

When I use my single stage press to work up loads I invert a golf tee with a witness mark on it into the case to confirm go or no go powder drops, along with a bright light. Then I hit the links and the range.

Great idea! Just one more visual tool to help identify any powder drop issues, and it is cheap.

 

[bainter1212]

While there is nothing wrong with your process and it has a level of safety, many single stage press loaders charge the cases in batches, then run them through the press and seat the bullet.

This improves the efficiency of using a single stage press but requires an increase level of vigilance. After dropping the powder charge, I place charged cases in a case block. When the block is full, I do a quick final check to make sure all of the cases have powder in them.

All sorts of interruptions and distractions can cause issues with this charge process that the final check catches.

I do the exact same thing. Charge 50 cases in a block, and then SLOWLY and carefully do a visual inspection from different angles to make sure not only that there is a charge in place, but that it looks like all the others.
Any doubt? Dump and recharge.
I load on a single stage and use Lee powder dippers.