MMCSRET
Member
looking back; I should have started sooner. I was a slow starter and didn't get into it until I was 11 years old in 1956. I missed a lot!!!!!!!
Worst mistake you've made reloading?
- Thread starter lord1234
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Borg
Member
Bet that left a mark.
Borg
Borg
MMCSRET
Member
BORG: you are right, I have been traumatically reloading challenged since I didn't start young enough. I've been struggling to catch up for 53 years. As it goes today, I am working on lessons better learned in 1991.
ForneyRider
Member
Double-charged W231 load of 45 ACP.
I've had three squibs out of 40k +/- loads. No bulged barrels, each one was caught quickly. (knock on wood)
Worst mistake happened one time loading .45 ACP and switching from LSWC to FMJ in the same session (I use Clays for the SWC loads and Universal Clays for FMJ.)
Finished and boxed the SWC loads, switched the plug around in the seating die, adjusted the powder measure for the FMJ load, refilled the primer tubes, and made 200 rounds.
When I went to put the unused powder back in the container, I realized the Clays jug was still on the bench. Aw hell. Looked in the manuals and found Clays at that load wasn't going to be good. Had to pull the whole lot.
Worst mistake happened one time loading .45 ACP and switching from LSWC to FMJ in the same session (I use Clays for the SWC loads and Universal Clays for FMJ.)
Finished and boxed the SWC loads, switched the plug around in the seating die, adjusted the powder measure for the FMJ load, refilled the primer tubes, and made 200 rounds.
When I went to put the unused powder back in the container, I realized the Clays jug was still on the bench. Aw hell. Looked in the manuals and found Clays at that load wasn't going to be good. Had to pull the whole lot.
Loaded my 30-06 Garand match ammo with Federal primers. I was a new shooter.
Last round in 200 yard sitting rapid fire, fired from an eight round clip, the rifle slamfired out of battery. Split stock, damaged receiver, tore the ring off the elevation knob. Pits in my glasses showed me that a big particle would have gone straight in my eye.
Sent rifle and ammo to gunsmith. Shells were a bit oversized, and some primers were flush with case head. The cases had been primed on a Dillon 550B.
Conventional wisdom was that only high primers cause slamfires. However, based on advice from the gunsmith I started using a small based die, checking sizing length with a cartridge headspace die, reaming all primer pockets and seating all primers by hand, checking to see that all primers were below the case head.
Second mistake was to use brass in a Garand that had not been small base sized but the pockets had been reamed to depth with hand seated federal primers.
I had that brass in a can for at least ten years, then I decided to load it and use it in sighting in a new rear lugged 30-06 Garand. I thought I would be safe, after all conventional wisdom was that only high primers caused problems, and all of the federal primers were well below the case head.
Somewhere into an eight round clip the Garand slamfired out of battery and blew the back end of the receiver off. This shattered my shooting glasses and cut me under my eye. I bled all the way to the truck. I was not certain what was left on my head until I got a visual look in a rear view mirror. I cannot tell you what a relief it was to see that I still had a face.
When I sent the rifle and cartridges back to the gunsmith, he said some of the cartridges were a little fat and a little long. That probably caused a delay in bolt closure. Maybe if they were sized properly I would have had an in battery slamfire with those federal primers.
Anyway, I decided conventional wisdom was all bunk and I have never used sensitive federal primers in a gas gun since then.
Last round in 200 yard sitting rapid fire, fired from an eight round clip, the rifle slamfired out of battery. Split stock, damaged receiver, tore the ring off the elevation knob. Pits in my glasses showed me that a big particle would have gone straight in my eye.
Sent rifle and ammo to gunsmith. Shells were a bit oversized, and some primers were flush with case head. The cases had been primed on a Dillon 550B.
Conventional wisdom was that only high primers cause slamfires. However, based on advice from the gunsmith I started using a small based die, checking sizing length with a cartridge headspace die, reaming all primer pockets and seating all primers by hand, checking to see that all primers were below the case head.
Second mistake was to use brass in a Garand that had not been small base sized but the pockets had been reamed to depth with hand seated federal primers.
I had that brass in a can for at least ten years, then I decided to load it and use it in sighting in a new rear lugged 30-06 Garand. I thought I would be safe, after all conventional wisdom was that only high primers caused problems, and all of the federal primers were well below the case head.
Somewhere into an eight round clip the Garand slamfired out of battery and blew the back end of the receiver off. This shattered my shooting glasses and cut me under my eye. I bled all the way to the truck. I was not certain what was left on my head until I got a visual look in a rear view mirror. I cannot tell you what a relief it was to see that I still had a face.
When I sent the rifle and cartridges back to the gunsmith, he said some of the cartridges were a little fat and a little long. That probably caused a delay in bolt closure. Maybe if they were sized properly I would have had an in battery slamfire with those federal primers.
Anyway, I decided conventional wisdom was all bunk and I have never used sensitive federal primers in a gas gun since then.
OrangePwrx9
Member
Headspace anyone?
Interesting thread. Hope y'all don't mind if I bring it back from the dead. My goof was kinda subtle but the results sure weren't.
Bought some classy new .223 dies several years ago. Liked the seater, but bought the set. My old Lee dies were looking dowdy.
Ran a batch of .223 through them after setting the size die same as I did with the Lee, RCBS, and Lyman dies I'd always used for bottle-neck cartridges. Cases came out looking a little 'different' but figured the classy new die was probably doing it 'right' for a change...so loaded them anyway. Was planning to use light loads, so wasn't expecting trouble.
At the range I was surprised to see the spent primers suddenly protruding from my fired brass. Then I blew a primer that wrecked the magazine in my Mini-14. Not smart enough to leave well enough alone, I picked up my TC carbine in .223, promptly blew two more primers, and about had a fit getting the gun open. I then wised up and quit.
The ammo I'd fired had been loaded in the new die sometime earlier and was being shot with other ammo I'd reloaded in my old dies. The older stuff was fine. It was the new stuff that had problems.
I was at a loss as to what was happening for nearly a month. But, thanks to decent reloading records and constant re-reading of my reloading manuals, I realized I had a headspace problem and traced it to the new die. The die was pushing the case shoulder back too far.
To confirm this I ordered a .223 case gauge from Dillon and about had a coronary when I saw how far the case dropped into the gauge. There was over a sixteenth of an inch of headspace as I recall.
I then set about finding all the bad cases on unfired rounds, pulling the bullets, salvaging powder and primers and crushing the cases. Think there was nearly 150 rounds in all. That really took the fun out of reloading.
One good thing came of it. It made me a believer in case gauges. I now have either a case gauge or an RCBS Precision Mic or both for every rifle caliber I load....and I use them religiously.
Bob
Interesting thread. Hope y'all don't mind if I bring it back from the dead. My goof was kinda subtle but the results sure weren't.
Bought some classy new .223 dies several years ago. Liked the seater, but bought the set. My old Lee dies were looking dowdy.
Ran a batch of .223 through them after setting the size die same as I did with the Lee, RCBS, and Lyman dies I'd always used for bottle-neck cartridges. Cases came out looking a little 'different' but figured the classy new die was probably doing it 'right' for a change...so loaded them anyway. Was planning to use light loads, so wasn't expecting trouble.
At the range I was surprised to see the spent primers suddenly protruding from my fired brass. Then I blew a primer that wrecked the magazine in my Mini-14. Not smart enough to leave well enough alone, I picked up my TC carbine in .223, promptly blew two more primers, and about had a fit getting the gun open. I then wised up and quit.
The ammo I'd fired had been loaded in the new die sometime earlier and was being shot with other ammo I'd reloaded in my old dies. The older stuff was fine. It was the new stuff that had problems.
I was at a loss as to what was happening for nearly a month. But, thanks to decent reloading records and constant re-reading of my reloading manuals, I realized I had a headspace problem and traced it to the new die. The die was pushing the case shoulder back too far.
To confirm this I ordered a .223 case gauge from Dillon and about had a coronary when I saw how far the case dropped into the gauge. There was over a sixteenth of an inch of headspace as I recall.
I then set about finding all the bad cases on unfired rounds, pulling the bullets, salvaging powder and primers and crushing the cases. Think there was nearly 150 rounds in all. That really took the fun out of reloading.
One good thing came of it. It made me a believer in case gauges. I now have either a case gauge or an RCBS Precision Mic or both for every rifle caliber I load....and I use them religiously.
Bob
herohog
Member
Eh, you were just fire-forming the brass back into the proper fit! 
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