When in doubt, check again (loaded a potential squib)

[1KPerDay]

I was re-loading for my Garand and charging using a separate off the press powder measure. I seated a bullet and something didn't feel right. Must have gotten distracted weighing/confirming charge weight and wasn't using a loading block. Luckily I had only loaded 6 rounds and they weren't compressed so I could easily hear the powder inside.... except for one.

Pulled the bullet=no powder.

Scary thing is I even shook the empty one but I had another case in that hand and it was loud enough that it convinced me both had powder. Dropped them in the completed round container. But I still didn't feel right about it. Shook them all again one by one and one was obviously silent.

If something doesn't seem right, err on the side of caution. Worst that can happen is you pull a few bullets without need.

Changing my process now and will charge 20 cases and put them in a loading block, confirm powder with a light, then seat.

 

[forty_caliber]

Good catch. I reload paranoid and listen to the voices in my head.

.40

 

[Riomouse911]

Experience pays off in this case. It’s funny how you get to the point where something bugs you and you act on it. I surely don’t know when that plateau is reached, but once it is we end up doing what you did and save ourselves embarrassment... or worse.

I’ve had a few like that over the years that just didn’t seem right and I pulled them as well. Never had an uncharged load, but I’ve sure had a few with funky charges.

Stay safe!

 

[Iroquois]

Great catch. You’re sixth sense was working! I’ve used a double check system for a very long time and it has worked. Call me paranoid but sometimes I’ll check all the cases a third time. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Always listen to your gut.
And when in doubt presume things are wrong.

Better to error on the side of safe and spend a few cents or bucks than to be injured or worse.

 

[Varminterror]

Pulled the bullet=no powder.

I’ve been grateful I have never caused this particular miss for myself, but I DID experience one last season which was loaded by my wife. I was traveling for work and she did me a solid of loading my match ammo for the weekend I returned. She’s been loading for years too, with thousands of rounds under her belt, but I had a “dud” during the match, which luckily was close enough to the lands, it didn’t get a running start and it came out when I cycled the bolt. I praised my wife for her first entry into my “reloading box of shame.”

 

[kmw1954]

Always listen to your gut.
And when in doubt presume things are wrong.

Better to error on the side of safe and spend a few cents or bucks than to be injured or worse.

The reason I always stress to new loaders is to take your time and build a repeatable process. Do the same thing over and over, then when something seems wrong or out of place it usually is! One of the reasons I was having trouble transitioning from one progressive press to another. Just different enough to make me think about what I was doing.

 

[murf]

there is enough powder in that cartridge to check by weight.

glad you caught that. I always (most of the time, anyway) listen to my gut feelings.

murf

 

[1KPerDay]

there is enough powder in that cartridge to check by weight.

glad you caught that. I always (most of the time, anyway) listen to my gut feelings.

murf

Yeah if it had been a compressed load I could have weighed them all to confirm.

 

[1KPerDay]

.........

 

[FROGO207]

My process is to use two loading blocks, one on my left that will hold resized primed brass with the primer up. The one on my right will hold the charged rounds that all will be double checked with a flashlight for equal fill levels before seating the bullets. This process has worked for many years without problem ------So far. I guess you could safely use one loading block as well, the thing is to verify empty primed brass only to the powder measure and verify equal charges before bullet seating. FWIW I feel this is a safer method than charging and seating a round at a time because it can catch a powder bridge/partial fill/over fill situation that otherwise might be missed. For small charges of powder in large handgun cases I tilt and shake the loading block. This helps you see the fill level better.