Reloading Fail Thread

Certaindeaf · Dec 24, 2015

I kinda checked to see if a thread of this type already exists here. anyway
One of my favorite thread types here are of the "oops!" variety.
Perhaps people will contribute here and share their own personal testimony regarding the way of the Murphy.
The one I'll tell of shortly is really lame. And really bothersome to me. And one that you should never do. And not one that I should have made (I know better.. really I do!).
So anyway, I've been handloading since I was 16 and I'm like a thousand now but got pretty cavalier with how lightly I lubed and then loaded a huge bucket of cast 9mm Lee RN 102's.. with Lee Liquid Alox (LLA, aka Mule Snot).
I've lubed via cake cutter, Lubrisizer, and LLA forever but as I alluded to, for some reason I way underlubed a bubblegumeload of 9mm bullets/ammo.
So whenever I go to the range I blast 50-100 downrange out of a much abused and old Glock, trying to get rid of them.. and yes, it's got a factory barrel but this nasty leads everything so it's the perfect candidate. I've been doing this for years and the bucket is still large.. and I go to the range sometimes three times a week. Lol
After doing this, the bore is visibly reduced in size due to the extreme leading. "Chore Boying" the barrel with regular solvents is just a waste of time it's so bad so I use the ol corked barrel and two-part household cleaning routine that I won't mention as it is potentially extremely poisonous and legend says just might etch your barrel if you don't cross your fingers just right or something. Works for me though.. real good.
I have obviously resigned myself to shooting them as a form of penance as they are "safe" and a collet puller wouldn't work on those lil nubbins and an inertia.. never mind.
So the moral of this story of course is to not do what I did and load up a bucket before proving that all variables are as they should be.

Jamie6.5 · Dec 24, 2015

You mean like the time I adjusted my seater die too far down, and was crushing cases just slightly?
I was so proud of that first batch,...
Until they wouldn't chamber.
The empties would though.
The dummy round chambered fine, with no resistance to the bolt closing,... WTF?!?

When I got the mic out and started checking cases I found the slightly crushed cases had expanded at the shoulder and were too large in diameter to go all the way in and allow the bolt to close.
The were so slightly crushed it was barely noticeable with the naked eye.

Pullied the bullets and dumped them, gently pop the primers out, re-anneal and resize and start over was a good lesson. I only lost about a half dozen that wouldn't resize without distortion.

But hey, I learned how to adjust the seater die!

filsonhand · Dec 24, 2015

Certaindeaf said:
I kinda checked to see if a thread of this type already exists here. anyway
One of my favorite thread types here are of the "oops!" variety.
Perhaps people will contribute here and share their own personal testimony regarding the way of the Murphy.
The one I'll tell of shortly is really lame. And really bothersome to me. And one that you should never do. And not one that I should have made (I know better.. really I do!).
So anyway, I've been handloading since I was 16 and I'm like a thousand now but got pretty cavalier with how lightly I lubed and then loaded a huge bucket of cast 9mm Lee RN 102's.. with Lee Liquid Alox (LLA, aka Mule Snot).
I've lubed via cake cutter, Lubrisizer, and LLA forever but as I alluded to, for some reason I way underlubed a bubblegumeload of 9mm bullets/ammo.
So whenever I go to the range I blast 50-100 downrange out of a much abused and old Glock, trying to get rid of them.. and yes, it's got a factory barrel but this nasty leads everything so it's the perfect candidate. I've been doing this for years and the bucket is still large.. and I go to the range sometimes three times a week. Lol
After doing this, the bore is visibly reduced in size due to the extreme leading. "Chore Boying" the barrel with regular solvents is just a waste of time it's so bad so I use the ol corked barrel and two-part household cleaning routine that I won't mention as it is potentially extremely poisonous and legend says just might etch your barrel if you don't cross your fingers just right or something. Works for me though.. real good.
I have obviously resigned myself to shooting them as a form of penance as they are "safe" and a collet puller wouldn't work on those lil nubbins and an inertia.. never mind.
So the moral of this story of course is to not do what I did and load up a bucket before proving that all variables are as they should be.

Is it leaded to the point where running some jacked boolits thru it to help clear the bore is a no-go ??

Certaindeaf · Dec 24, 2015

filsonhand said:
Is it leaded to the point where running some jacked boolits thru it to help clear the bore is a no-go ??

Yea when I feel brave I'll send some down. Pretty much just kinda welds it in. It doesn't work. This is actual epic leading.
I might try pre-lubing the bore.. dunk it in some lard or something. couldn't hurt

Benchrest · Dec 24, 2015

This one time at band camp...

Benchrest · Dec 24, 2015

There's probably a character limit on post length, so likely there's no possible way I could list my screw ups.

What immediately comes to mind is a 1,412fps 124gr 9mm load.

Out of a 4" barrel.

And, I pulled the trigger 3 times.

I now wear Spectra gloves, and turn my brain ON when I load

Stomper · Dec 24, 2015

Benchrest said:
There's probably a character limit on post length, so likely there's no possible way I could list my screw ups.

What immediately comes to mind is a 1,412fps 124gr 9mm load.

Out of a 4" barrel.

And, I pulled the trigger 3 times.

I now wear Spectra gloves, and turn my brain ON when I load

Awww c'mon, it's just the new .357 magnum "short".... what could POSSIBLY go wrong?

Benchrest · Dec 24, 2015

Stomper said:
Awww c'mon, it's just the new .357 magnum "short".... what could POSSIBLY go wrong?

Yeah, but it didn't even make Major

Mikej · Dec 26, 2015

Guess I've not been loading long enough to have any major fubars.. This one time though, early on in, say, my first 300 rounds. I had a double charge and a no charge .38sp in the same box. Being new I was loading on the low end, shooting in a good sturdy .357 mag gun. The squib just cleared the cylinder, so no lock up, and the double shot fine with extra report and recoil. I keep THAT double charged empty with the puddled primer within reach/site on the loading table!

Not reloading, but did confirm that a 9mm will in fact fit fin in the mag and fire in a .40 CZ75. Makes for a funny looking brass, and does not cycle the slide.

erudne · Dec 26, 2015

I recall a day when I was shooting-up an old box of 38 SPL balloon head ammo and suddenly discovered I had a tracer round in the mix. As for reloading I can count the # of mistakes on one hand (cause ta other one got blowed off)

ditchtiger · Dec 26, 2015

Felt a .308 starting to stick in the re-sizing die. Instead of doing the right thing I forced it into the die. RCBS removes stuck cases for $5.

SinisterSouthpaw · Dec 26, 2015

I never make mistakes. I thought I did once, but I was wrong........

Capn Jack · Dec 27, 2015

RCBS Removed my stuck case for free.

They must have felt sorry for me.

Either that, or they hadn't seen one so badly buggered.

Certaindeaf · Dec 27, 2015

Capn Jack said:
RCBS Removed my stuck case for free.
They must have felt sorry for me.
Either that, or they hadn't seen one so badly buggered.

Do you have an RCBS stuck case remover? If not, you might as well just get one.

Capn Jack · Dec 27, 2015

My case remover now consists of :
a drill and bit
1/4x24 tap
a thick large area 1/4" washer
1" 1/4x24 bolt
which ever socket will fit over the case.

I also have "Headless case removers" for 5.56 & 7.62x39

Member 5605 · Dec 28, 2015

Forgot to weigh charges when changing jugs of powder.

200 of .223 bulk powder dropped ended up .5-1 grain over maximum charge weight. They were wild and inaccurate, flattening every primer until I realized what happened. Pulled all and redid the rest.

.357, no powder. Stuck just enough to lock the cylinder up.

Stuck cases: about 5....
Just made my first batch of case lube today.

Goosebrown · Dec 28, 2015

Benchrest said:
There's probably a character limit on post length, so likely there's no possible way I could list my screw ups.

What immediately comes to mind is a 1,412fps 124gr 9mm load.

Out of a 4" barrel.

And, I pulled the trigger 3 times.

I now wear Spectra gloves, and turn my brain ON when I load

So what is the "real" max load for 9mm Benchrest Magnum?

Goosebrown · Dec 28, 2015

Mikej said:
Not reloading, but did confirm that a 9mm will in fact fit fin in the mag and fire in a .40 CZ75. Makes for a funny looking brass, and does not cycle the slide.

I have fired 9mm from a .40... I don't bring both guns out any more at the same time.