Your Reloading PSA for today

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  • august1410

    Marcas Registradas
    Apr 10, 2009
    22,561
    New Bern, NC
    Went out this afternoon for a little range time with my 586. Shot a little factory .357 and a cylinder of factory .38 Special. Switched over to some reloads. Shot some .357 Magnum reloads I had made a while back. Switched over to some .38 Special wadcutters I had made in a marathon session with my hand press.

    That first light primer strike should have been a warning, but I had experienced some light strikes when I had my Model 10 because a few primers weren't seated fully. The second was a squib. I only noticed it was a problem because the cylinder would not turn. Had that bullet gone a little further in the barrel, the cylinder would have turned and I would have had a very serious issue.

    I now have to pull TWO HUNDRED bullets. I'd much rather do that in a few days than have spent today at the hospital getting my hands put back together. Safety first, folks. When something doesn't seem right, STOP and assess the issue.

    I am not complacent at the reloading bench. I have had only one other squib since I started reloading. This can happen to anyone. VISUALLY INSPECT every case. Don't get to where you are mindlessly churning out cartridges. If you have any doubts about whether you charged your round or didn't....or charged one twice....STOP and start over. Check and DOUBLE check.

    I know this is common knowledge with us who reload our ammo. It only takes one bad round to make even the most experienced person have a very bad day.

    This is your gun safety PSA for today.
     

    smokey

    2A TEACHER
    Jan 31, 2008
    31,412
    I'll toss in a booboo I made a while back.... a 9x18 snuck in to my 9x19 reloads. I was firing my p99 ...bang....bang....bang....BOOM... and the slide locked because the casing stuck in the chamber. The reduced case capacity dramatically increased pressure. Thankfully walther builds them p99s like a tank. I was always pretty good about filtering out the 9x17 brass, but that 9x18 taught me to be a little more vigilant.
     

    BigDaddy

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 7, 2014
    2,235
    That first light primer strike should have been a warning, but I had experienced some light strikes when I had my Model 10 because a few primers weren't seated fully. The second was a squib. I only noticed it was a problem because the cylinder would not turn. .

    The light primers strike because "the primers weren't fully seated" makes no sense to me as a warning for a squib load.

    Light primer strikes make me think of a firing pin problem. I expect that if the primer goes off, the powder should ignite.

    I have had 3 squib loads. Two were 223 and there was no powder. I don't have a good explanation for that, unless I passed over them in the reloading block as I was loading powder. Obviously I can't claim that they were all visually inspected. No powder and a click is no powder. It is not something to be proud of in my quality control.

    The other was a squib in, of all things, a Model 10. The loads were made on a Dillon 550. Either there was no powder of very little. It got the bullet into the barrel, past the cylinder but that was it.

    EVERYONE OF THOSE SOUNDED DIFFERENT THAN NORMAL with ear muffs on.

    I have also had primers that didn't go off, and one or two upside down primers. They don't sound much different.

    Anytime it doesn't sound right, you need to wait and see if it's a hang fire and then make sure there is nothing stuck in the barrel.

    My only hang fire was with a muzzle loader, but I'm not taking any chances that it could never happen with smokeless.
     

    august1410

    Marcas Registradas
    Apr 10, 2009
    22,561
    New Bern, NC
    The light primers strike because "the primers weren't fully seated" makes no sense to me as a warning for a squib load.

    Light primer strikes make me think of a firing pin problem. I expect that if the primer goes off, the powder should ignite.

    I have had 3 squib loads. Two were 223 and there was no powder. I don't have a good explanation for that, unless I passed over them in the reloading block as I was loading powder. Obviously I can't claim that they were all visually inspected. No powder and a click is no powder. It is not something to be proud of in my quality control.

    The other was a squib in, of all things, a Model 10. The loads were made on a Dillon 550. Either there was no powder of very little. It got the bullet into the barrel, past the cylinder but that was it.

    EVERYONE OF THOSE SOUNDED DIFFERENT THAN NORMAL with ear muffs on.

    I have also had primers that didn't go off, and one or two upside down primers. They don't sound much different.

    Anytime it doesn't sound right, you need to wait and see if it's a hang fire and then make sure there is nothing stuck in the barrel.

    My only hang fire was with a muzzle loader, but I'm not taking any chances that it could never happen with smokeless.

    The light primer strikes were in a Model 10 and would fire with a second hit. Some reading on the S&W forum gave me insight on the light strikes from primers not being seated fully.

    This go 'round I can only surmise that in the little bucket of 200 loose rounds I have made, there might be some that missed a powder charge. That said, I am not taking any chances. If there was ONE, there certainly can be one that is double charged or at least one or two that have no powder.

    This is why we, and we alone are accountable for mistakes. I can't blame this one on the music I was listening to, or the cat in the room.
     

    Sundazes

    My brain hurts
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 13, 2006
    21,296
    Arkham
    I had a squib when I was reloading. Nothing like shooting hot loads with a 44 mag and hearing boom, boom, boom, poof. I was like oh crap. The bullet did the same as yours and lodged between the cylinder and chamber. Obviously, it would not turn. Thankfully I only had 100 of those loads. I weighed the rest and none were lite. So I shot the rest slowly and had a dowel with me just incase. Squibs can be scary things.
     

    inkd

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 4, 2009
    7,512
    Ridge
    Went out this afternoon for a little range time with my 586. Shot a little factory .357 and a cylinder of factory .38 Special. Switched over to some reloads. Shot some .357 Magnum reloads I had made a while back. Switched over to some .38 Special wadcutters I had made in a marathon session with my hand press.

    That first light primer strike should have been a warning, but I had experienced some light strikes when I had my Model 10 because a few primers weren't seated fully. The second was a squib. I only noticed it was a problem because the cylinder would not turn. Had that bullet gone a little further in the barrel, the cylinder would have turned and I would have had a very serious issue.

    I now have to pull TWO HUNDRED bullets. I'd much rather do that in a few days than have spent today at the hospital getting my hands put back together. Safety first, folks. When something doesn't seem right, STOP and assess the issue.

    I am not complacent at the reloading bench. I have had only one other squib since I started reloading. This can happen to anyone. VISUALLY INSPECT every case. Don't get to where you are mindlessly churning out cartridges. If you have any doubts about whether you charged your round or didn't....or charged one twice....STOP and start over. Check and DOUBLE check.

    I know this is common knowledge with us who reload our ammo. It only takes one bad round to make even the most experienced person have a very bad day.

    This is your gun safety PSA for today.


    I feel for you. I dumped the wrong powder in my powder hopper and got through several hundred, maybe more, 45acp's before I realized it.

    If you want, I was just cleaning out some shelves and found some .38spl bullets that I won't be using for a long time.

    If you don't feel like pulling them, and have extra brass and primers, you can just scrap them and I'll send them to you if you want? I'll cover shipping.

    PM me if you're interested.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    I don't have a good explanation for that, unless I passed over them in the reloading block as I was loading powder. Obviously I can't claim that they were all visually inspected. No powder and a click is no powder. It is not something to be proud of in my quality control.

    This is why I am not a fan of loading blocks.

    When I load on my single stage, I pick up a case, charge it, seat the bullet, and repeat.

    Very hard to miss charging one this way.
     

    Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,666
    Not Far Enough from the City
    Loading blocks or no, it's critically important to establish and maintain processes without distraction that work for you.

    ONE oftentimes unmentioned possibility with catching a squib? It can be only HALF of a bigger picture problem!

    As in.....

    IF...... I have failed to charge a case (and I obviously didn't catch it)?

    Then.......IS IT POSSIBLE that I have SOMEHOW (and presently unbeknownst to me)..... DOUBLE charged another case?

    You can count on zero humor and a genuinely bad day in discovering a double charge of Bullseye (or any powder) by continuing to fire rounds!
     

    camobob

    Active Member
    Feb 18, 2013
    482
    Loading blocks or no, it's critically important to establish and maintain processes without distraction that work for you.

    This works for me as well. I had a squib in a 9mm 30 years ago. It cycled the action and left the bullet in the middle of the barrel. No, I didn't pull the trigger on the next round but it made an impression that never went away. I have occasional backward primers or misfires but that was as close as I've come to being a poster child at the range. I've taught all my kids that if it feels even slightly different - STOP - unload, verify and start over.
    If I'm being interrupted I stop reloading. If I can stay 'in the zone' I can chunk out a lot of ammo that's consistent and safe.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,815
    This is why I am not a fan of loading blocks.

    When I load on my single stage, I pick up a case, charge it, seat the bullet, and repeat.

    Very hard to miss charging one this way.

    I do the same thing on my single.
     

    frogman68

    товарищ плачевная
    Apr 7, 2013
    8,774
    Check your brass

    Wife wanted to "help" she took our last range trip's brass put it through the tumbler and put them in the ready brass box :( . Lucky only got thru ten before noticing it . Will have to sort the whole box to be sure only primed brass is in there.
     

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