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I do have a detonated 45 barrel on the shelf to keep me sharp though.

Wow!

I've suffered thru a spate of squibs that had me pulling bullets on 200rds and then getting a light to see the powder drop better, but never had a double charge. With 2.8gr of Titewad in a .45ACP case, it could have easily happened to me tho.
 
Wow!

I've suffered thru a spate of squibs that had me pulling bullets on 200rds and then getting a light to see the powder drop better, but never had a double charge. With 2.8gr of Titewad in a .45ACP case, it could have easily happened to me tho.


I was shooting really light training wadcutter loads, and I think it was a squib which cycled the action followed shortly by another round that fractured the barrel into strips. The gun then locked up and wouldn't cycle. I really never notice a big bang or anything other than maybe the first round was light. There was a very obvious place in the barrel where the first bullet stopped and then was blown out by the second.

Its the only time I'd ever had to use a hacksaw to field strip a weapon. It's otherwise fine, it's a franken-gun anyway and with a new GI barrel and bushing, it's back to shooting.
 
I was shooting really light training wadcutter loads, and I think it was a squib which cycled the action followed shortly by another round that fractured the barrel into strips. The gun then locked up and wouldn't cycle. I really never notice a big bang or anything other than maybe the first round was light. There was a very obvious place in the barrel where the first bullet stopped and then was blown out by the second.

My squibs happened during stages of IDPA matches. I was so focused on shooting that I didn't hear the diff, the reduction of sound when only the primer goes off. Was fortunate that the RO/SO always caught it right away and yelled "STOP". One match I didn't finish after having several squibs. It was too unsafe, frustrating, and hard on myself and the RO/SO.
 
My squibs happened during stages of IDPA matches. I was so focused on shooting that I didn't hear the diff, the reduction of sound when only the primer goes off. Was fortunate that the RO/SO always caught it right away and yelled "STOP". One match I didn't finish after having several squibs. It was too unsafe, frustrating, and hard on myself and the RO/SO.


I always shot hardball at the matches, I think that was required to be in the high power category. I just loaded for my training rounds.
 
I always shot hardball at the matches, I think that was required to be in the high power category. I just loaded for my training rounds.

Yep. I too started using factory ammo for matches... too many problems with my own reloads to depend on them in a competitive enviro. One FTF or whatever throws the stage/match into a lower score.
 
Yep. I too started using factory ammo for matches... too many problems with my own reloads to depend on them in a competitive enviro. One FTF or whatever throws the stage/match into a lower score.

My first match was with a borrowed double stack 45, that on just about every mag change, I dropped it in the dirt.

I came in dead last.


ETA: Even the revolver guy beat me.
 
My first match was with a borrowed double stack 45, that on just about every mag change, I dropped it in the dirt.

I came in dead last.


ETA: Even the revolver guy beat me.

:oops::oops::oops:

Some of those revolvers/guys are pretty damn fast/good.

Shooting USPSA, we always dropped our mags in the dirt (although at our range we have rocked in the pistol bays).

IDPA has the two types of mag change, one with retention, the other being if you are at slide lock you can just drop the empty. You were shooting IDPA and got the penalty for dropping the mag?

I shot USPSA with my Para P14.45 double stack 2011. Unlike IDPA, it was legal to use oversize/extended mag button. I put a BIG one on, one of those that has an ear that extends to the rear... and started dropping mags while shooting a stage... turns out the base pad of my thumb was pushing that mag button, had to go to a smaller/round button.
 
:oops::oops::oops:

Some of those revolvers/guys are pretty damn fast/good.

Shooting USPSA, we always dropped our mags in the dirt (although at our range we have rocked in the pistol bays).

IDPA has the two types of mag change, one with retention, the other being if you are at slide lock you can just drop the empty. You were shooting IDPA and got the penalty for dropping the mag?

I shot USPSA with my Para P14.45 double stack 2011. Unlike IDPA, it was legal to use oversize/extended mag button. I put a BIG one on, one of those that has an ear that extends to the rear... and started dropping mags while shooting a stage... turns out the base pad of my thumb was pushing that mag button, had to go to a smaller/round button.

I think we were both just ridiculously bad, he didn't even have speed loaders and I think both of our guns ended up being dropped and picked up by the RO.

By the next match, I'd practiced a lot and even became an USPSA RO later.
 
I think we were both just ridiculously bad, he didn't even have speed loaders and I think both of our guns ended up being dropped and picked up by the RO.

By the next match, I practiced a lot and even became an USPSA RO later.

Oh crap, you dropped the GUN in the dirt? (pronoun confusion, sorry). I thought that was an automatic DQ.
 
You might need to add a spring around the bottom of the powder funnel and to the bar to give it some positive pressure coming back,

This is a good idea. When I had a 550, I came to the same conclusion after much observation. I used the Dillon to partially progress. Meaning, I was doing the case prep and priming before the cases got to the 550. Things went pretty well loading .223 Rem. using CFE 223 and H335. Then I went to .308 Win. on the 550. My preferred powder for which is IMR 4895. An extruded powder with the same flow properties of Varget. And problems such as are under discussion in this thread. I wound up leaving the little brass button out of the shell plate at the powder drop station, so I could hand inspect every .308 case that got charged. I couldn't trust the rig to do it right. And, the charges weren't as uniform as I'd have liked without checking each on a scale. Which I had set up right next to the 550. The way the powder bar was actuated for the larger charges just didn't work that smoothly or consistently. Hence I think the springs might be a good enhancement, at least to try.

Subsequently, I bought an 8# jug of BL-(C)2 to load .308 on the 550. Then I decided I didn't want to load rifle on the 550 anymore anyway, so away it went to a new owner. I think the 550 was more fully suited to loading pistol ammo and I used it enough to bank up lots of 9mm and .45 ACP before it went away. Now I'm back to single stage which I've done for decades before I tried out the 550. After all, it's supposed to be enjoyable, not frustrating. I'm not running a factory.
 
This is a good idea. When I had a 550, I came to the same conclusion after much observation. I used the Dillon to partially progress. Meaning, I was doing the case prep and priming before the cases got to the 550. Things went pretty well loading .223 Rem. using CFE 223 and H335. Then I went to .308 Win. on the 550. My preferred powder for which is IMR 4895. An extruded powder with the same flow properties of Varget. And problems such as are under discussion in this thread. I wound up leaving the little brass button out of the shell plate at the powder drop station, so I could hand inspect every .308 case that got charged. I couldn't trust the rig to do it right. And, the charges weren't as uniform as I'd have liked without checking each on a scale. Which I had set up right next to the 550. The way the powder bar was actuated for the larger charges just didn't work that smoothly or consistently. Hence I think the springs might be a good enhancement, at least to try.

Subsequently, I bought an 8# jug of BL-(C)2 to load .308 on the 550. Then I decided I didn't want to load rifle on the 550 anymore anyway, so away it went to a new owner. I think the 550 was more fully suited to loading pistol ammo and I used it enough to bank up lots of 9mm and .45 ACP before it went away. Now I'm back to single stage which I've done for decades before I tried out the 550. After all, it's supposed to be enjoyable, not frustrating. I'm not running a factory.
I had exactly the same thought process! I bought blc2 also. Now I have to make up some 150 gn loads.
 
@ebitney1 I load my precision .308 with varget as well but I use two RCBS Chargmaster II auto measures to "throw" each load into a pan. I rack up all my pre-primed .308 cases and using a powder funnel dump the thrown charges. I load these then on a D550 using only two stations to seat and put a light crimp.

For my .308 auto fed rounds I load them on my D1050 set up for large primer with a AmmoBot auto drive. For powder its CFE223, 46gr meatered thought the Dillon powder measure. Little variation as expected with any auto drop powder measure but for the simi-autos, AR10, SCAR17 its not noticeable on the accuracy.

IF you want to trade some Varget for some CFE223 hit me up with a PM. ;)
 

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