Shooting unknown reloads

[Stormin.40]

I recently purchased 100 .38 special cases from a LGS, it turns out that there were 11 live rounds. I asked the owner about them and he said they were light loads.

The load data isn't listed so I tried to pull the bullets with my kinetic bullet puller. Since I can't seem to pull them and I was told they were light load do you think these are safe to shoot?

I would shoot them out of a newer S&W 642 rated for +P.

 

[jcwit]

I wouldn't shoot them, but I would pull them with the kinetic pull you claim you can not pull them with. What are you hammering the puller against?

 

[kingmt]

I'd pull them. Use that hammer against a heavy piece of steel. The only thing I haven't been able to pull was a 45gr .223Rem in a steel case. I probably haven't tried hard enough yet.

 

[sirgknight]

I shot some "unknown" reloads some years ago that a "friend" gave to me and it was a miracle that I survived that day. They were .38 loads and one of the rounds made my Model 64 feel like a 50 cal when it ignited. My hand felt a little numb and I thought I had damaged the revolver. Luckily, a miracle really, no damage or injury, but I learned a valuable lesson that day. If you have no history on the loads you would definitely be the wiser for pulling those bullets and know what you are shooting.

 

[Josh45]

Some loads just take a few more whacks against a good 2x4 piece of wood or something of the sort to get them loose. You would be much safer and probably much happier if you pulled them.

It's a pain but at least you and your gun will still be intact afterwards!

 

[jr_roosa]

Go ahead and shoot them if you have lots of extra guns and really good disability insurance.

Shoot them with your weak hand, though, or else you won't be able to go fly-fishing every day you're on disability.

10 .38 special cases are worth, what, about $2 brand new?

If you're really that hard up, PM me and I'll mail you a dozen.

-J.

 

[gamestalker]

I won't ever shoot someone elses reloads again. I have shot someone elses reloads on one occasion and it was a bad choice to have done so. The first time I had one squib after another. On the next time which was my Son's decision, primer's blew and finally a squib, so he decided not to shoot any of the remaining rounds. If I didn't makeit, I won't risk it.

 

[Ol` Joe]

In stead of hammering try running the cartridge up through the die hole in your press with it in the shellholder of the ram and grasping it with pliers braced on the press top then lowering the ram. The bullet will pop out with little/no effort.

BTW I vote for not ever shooting unknown loads in any gun

 

[GLOOB]

All my friends shoot my reloads without question.

But, I only share my tried and true loads.

And I always end up with a bunch of "plinking-only" loads that I have downrated for some reason or another, whether due to too little flare resulting in some scraping of the bullet, or questionable neck tension or whatnot. But I always shoot these "odd lots," myself. And if the box isn't marked and/or I don't remember exactly what's in it, I shoot a mag or two, first. I reckon less scrupulous people give away their questionable ammo and keep the good stuff for themselves. I wouldn't give anyone ammo that I wouldn't let my own grandmother shoot.

 

[Father_of_10]

This topic is kinda close to my current dilemma. I just sold my Taurus Judge and have about 300 rounds of hand loads of .45 Colt left over. 100 I loaded myself and 200 from a commercial reloader. No wants to buy them from me and in about a week I won't have a gun to shoot them in.

 

[sirgknight]

PM sent to Father of 10.

 

[Stormin.40]

Got it don't shoot them, that was my gut feeling.

I was hammering against a 2X4, probably only 20 hits with no signs of movement, guess I need a few more wacks. These are Wad Cutters so no bullet exposed beyond the rim of the case.

I'm not worried about the cost of the ammo just didn't know how else to dispose of the ammo, pull them or shoot them I thought were my only options.

Thanks.

 

[billybob44]

Some loads just take a few more whacks against a good 2x4 piece of wood or something of the sort to get them loose. You would be much safer and probably much happier if you pulled them.

It's a pain but at least you and your gun will still be intact afterwards!

I use the end of a 4X4X12" jack block to hit my puller against. I think all the Mfg. recommend hitting them on a solid wood block?? Bill.

 

[Josh45]

I use the end of a 4X4X12" jack block to hit my puller against. I think all the Mfg. recommend hitting them on a solid wood block?? Bill.

It probably be a better idea to use the one you mentioned. The rounds I made didn't have such a heavy crimp on them so they came apart with a few good hits against a 2x4.

I do have a piece of 4x4x12 and to be honest, The more solid of a place to hit, The better you are.

 

[Sport45]

I'm not worried about the cost of the ammo just didn't know how else to dispose of the ammo, pull them or shoot them I thought were my only options.

You could toss them in the dud bucket the next time you go to the range too.

But I'd expect a 148gr bullet to come out of a .38 special case without needing too many whacks of a kinetic puller.

 

[FROGO207]

I do as Clark does. I whack mine on my Rock Chucker press. The key is to hit the solid object with a really sharp whack while loosely holding the handle. This will allow the max shock to be transferred and actually provide a double force pull per stroke. You should use the puller like a loosely held hammer when driving a big nail. A hard non yielding surface is best, IE concrete floor, the end grain of a block of 4X4 or 6X6, or a heavy chunk of metal. Some practice will improve your results. I have not found anything that could not be pulled with the hammer if it fits in the hole.

 

[Stormin.40]

I got 6 of 11 pulled so far, they didn't want to come out, 30-50 hard hits on concrete! I have always been able shack loose my .40 loads in less than 20 hits against a 2X4.

I measured a couple of the load once I pulled them, 148 grain wad cutters behind 4.9-5.0 grains of a light gray powder, granulars were not consistant in size.

If you're really that hard up, PM me and I'll mail you a dozen

Yep I am pretty much always hard up for ammo, just too much fun to load myself

 

[rugernut]

what about 44 mag primed brass. i was given a couple hundred , along with some other stuff...not sure about the primer used, kind of hesitant to load them.
any one need 10mm brass....some primed(same deal ) some not got a bunch.

 

[gamestalker]

Rugernut, I bought a bunch of 7mm rem. brass at the gun show that was already primed. I think of it as being too simular to shooting someone elses reloads of unknown origin, I don't.

 

[howlnmad]

Stormin40,

Sometimes just a light bump in a seater die will loosen a stubborn bullet before using the kinetic puller.


Rugernut,

In your case, I would treat them as magnum primers and load them lite checking that each one cleared the barrel. Then I would put them into rotation with my others. That's just me, others may have differing opinions.

 

[coloradokevin]

As the others said, sometimes you have to find the right object to strike against, and the appropriate degree of force, if you want to make those kinetic pullers work correctly.

I only know a small handful of people who's reloads I'd try shooting, and one of them is someone I coached when he started reloading. As a general rule I no longer shoot reloads made by someone else. This may sound suspicious on the surface, since 95% or more of the ammo I shoot on my own time is handloaded. But, I like to know that I'm shooting ammo that was made correctly and safely.

I had a bad experience with someone's reloads well over a decade ago, and it actually turned me off to hand loading for quite a few years. I've been loading for probably 4 years now, and I'm even less likely to use another person's loads these days. Simply put, some people do some really stupid things with their hand loads.

Unless this guy can give you the specific load data he used, and you can verify that it is legitimate data, I probably wouldn't fire the ammo. Even then, I'd only do so if I trusted that the guy knew what he was doing when he loaded the ammo.

 

[warnerwh]

You might ask the LGS to trade those live rounds for some empties. I'd not shoot any unknown ammo either. Ammo is too cheap compared to the risks involved. .38 Special brass is very inexpensive too.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Personally, I wouldn't waste my time trying to pull eleven bullets that require 30 or more strikes. It is not worth me getting a bad elbow while trying to save a few bucks.

I guess the safest way to get rid of a small number of loaded rounds would be to take it out back and bury it in my woods, somewhere where the next person there who may find it will be in 20 to 100 years or even longer.

If the bullets are wadcutters (below the casing mouth crimp), I would slowly drive a sheetrock screw into the center and then use my press to pull the bullets by using pliers or vice-grips on the inserted screw. If you can get the bullet to the point of being visible, I use a pair of large electrician's linemans to grasp the bullet in the lineman's cutters at the top of the press stroke and slowly pull the projectiles out that way. With the linemans, cut into the sides of the projectile, I have yet to not be able to smoothly and slowly pull the projectile. If you cannot, then simply bury them where no one will find them.

I, also, would NEVER shoot someone's reloads, unless I personally know them, the reloading data is clearly detailed and I know that the person took pains to make the reloads properly!

 

[jcwit]

Rugernut, I bought a bunch of 7mm rem. brass at the gun show that was already primed. I think of it as being too simular to shooting someone elses reloads of unknown origin, I don't.

Why? Its a primer, not a stick of dynamite, even it they're magnum primers no big deal.

 

[gab909]

Heck, if it has been sitting on my bench for over 6 months, and doesn't have data written on it or around it, I usually pull them. Don't know why I set it aside, but it couldn't have been good. At best, it's a squib, worst, it is wrong powder and Kaboom. Haven't had yet either, and want to keep it that way.