Share your hand loading mistakes!

[Rascal01]

Powders with more case fill would make this error impossible, for a lot of powders, if you doubled charged a case it would be spilling over the brim and making a mess, but it wouldn't be overlooked and loaded.

Yes, I know. I've loaded for years on an RCBS Junior and am familiar with what you describe. The gun he blew up was a snubby and I suspect he was using a fast burning pistol powder. I never asked him personally as I didn't want to embarrass him. His dad sent me a picture and that revolver was a wreck.

 

[Rascal01]

I got a pal who was a mechanical engineer designing robots for the J.A. Pan Company (his description). He is a very smart guy.

When we had our first joint loading session I saw him filling primer tubes by hand, something I did when I first started loading. And when case lube from my hands killed my primers I got a primer tray and did it right.

I asked him what he was doing, then showed him the right way. I got quite a reaction from him. He muttered to himself under his breath... "And I are an engineer... repeatedly. That went of for a while. He even had a primer tray...

 

[Caveman Jim]

The way I figure, if you are manually placing a bullet on the case then one has no excuse for having no powder or a double charge. Distracted loading is BAD NEWS.

 

[CLT65]

If you are not at least somewhat detail-oriented, reloading may not be for you. You have to watch those details.

I tend to be very detail oriented; I've even been called persnickety a time or two. I've made my share of relatively minor mistakes over the years (and a couple that could have been BAD), but never blown anything up.

 

[Rascal01]

The way I figure, if you are manually placing a bullet on the case then one has no excuse for having no powder or a double charge. Distracted loading is BAD NEWS.

Heck, yes. Are you ever right. And that's why I still load on an RCBS Jr.press and take my time. And my engineer pal? He says "Here's where you fly." I don't fly when I'm loading. My screw ups were putting in too much powder by using old manuals. You don't have to do that too often to figure things out. But rush the job? Nah. I'd rather trim my dog's nails, and I'm not fond of that job.

 

[Rascal01]

You want mistakes? 82nd Airborne 69-71. I'm the charge of quarters, meaning I'm up all night watching over a company of paratroopers. It was a boring assignment so I handloaded .38 Specials with a Lee handloading tool. That means handloading by hand.

If you could have seen the number of primers that went off when I was seating them you would have rolled. It's always a surprise when they blast your fingers.

Well, anyway, it kept me awake. I usually got a box of ammo done a night for my Model 19 Smith.

 

[Rascal01]

If you are not at least somewhat detail-oriented, reloading may not be for you. You have to watch those details.

I tend to be very detail oriented; I've even been called persnickety a time or two. I've made my share of relatively minor mistakes over the years (and a couple that could have been BAD), but never blown anything up.

Yep, I'm picky about a lot of stuff and it puts people off. Believe it or not, it comes from reloading. Reloading and demo work is where attention to detail is key. Oh, flying, as in piloting an aircraft, is another.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I told my SIL that he could not listen to music while reloading in my shop, I got the deer in the headlights look. I explained that reloading is serious business and just one mistake could cause serious harm or loss of a life and I'll not let him start bad habits under my direction. So far he puts his cell in the other room....

 

[zenbreath]

I look into every case to make sure it's got powder in it since my Lee powder drop has a double charge safety. Gotta be super alert on the press...

THIS is why I run a single stage instead of a progressive. I received a Dillon in a swap a few years ago, it's still in the box. I LOVE Dillon's company, but I won't run a progressive.

 

[Knebel]

I have a turret press and usually take a bullet out of the box when i move the case to the powder stage. I caught myself multiple times putting the projectile on before I have dropped powder. I takes a long time to adjust a habit... But now I usually don't grab the projectile until after I dropped the powder.

 

[markstempski]

Many over the past 30 years. Luckily none that caused harm to me or any of the guns.

Learned long ago why it's important to flair the mouth on pistol cases, and chamfer the inside of the mouth on rifle cases.

Always check powder level in the case.

Always verify bullet seating depth in the pistol you'll be loading for. Some 9mm chambers are more forgiving than others. Beretta will feed almost anything. Don't use them as a case gauge for other 9mms lol.

Luckily I've never double charged a case, but I have had three squibs in my lifetime from having no powder.

I have a Barsto 229 9mm barrel that I can and have used use as a case gauge for my CZs and vice versa but the Barsto is in my gun bag along with a spare 357 sig barrel and a 40 SW barrel. Just east to get it. My standard Sig 9 mm barrels very forgiving, not always a good thing. Anymore I kerplunk test and weigh all the finished cases, another chance to check the primer seating. Was really embarrassed when buddy of mine was shooting my hand loads in one of my pistols and there was a squib. He knew to stop, luckily. I became double OCD, maybe triple OCD thereafter.

 

[awshoot]

Today I was depriming/sizing a large pile of brass prior to wet tumbling (773 cases in the end) and I set myself up a system to go really fast through these. Some of the primers (as usual) pop out the wrong side of the ram and instead of falling in the collection box, fall on the floor, or in this case, the box I was dropping the cases into. I briefly thought about picking them out but did not, so they went into the tumbler with deprimed/sized brass.

Well, I dropped 18 primers into the box -- not a one came through the sifter I use to separate the brass from the steel pins and 18 cases had a primer worked well into the priming pocket -- solidly enough that I'm going to have to run those through the press again.

 

[Red98422]

Today I was depriming/sizing a large pile of brass prior to wet tumbling (773 cases in the end) and I set myself up a system to go really fast through these. Some of the primers (as usual) pop out the wrong side of the ram and instead of falling in the collection box, fall on the floor, or in this case, the box I was dropping the cases into. I briefly thought about picking them out but did not, so they went into the tumbler with deprimed/sized brass.

Well, I dropped 18 primers into the box -- not a one came through the sifter I use to separate the brass from the steel pins and 18 cases had a primer worked well into the priming pocket -- solidly enough that I'm going to have to run those through the press again.

that genuinely sucks, however it helps debunk as I have seen people suggest the use of used primers for tumbling media (not on this site)

 

[CLT65]

Been there, done that! I learned early on, the hard way, to not let any primers get into the wet tumbler.

 

[markstempski]

THIS is why I run a single stage instead of a progressive. I received a Dillon in a swap a few years ago, it's still in the box. I LOVE Dillon's company, but I won't run a progressive.

I suspect someone might be looking for one in these days of shortage of everything except fear uncertainty and doubt

 

[markstempski]

that genuinely sucks, however it helps debunk as I have seen people suggest the use of used primers for tumbling media (not on this site)

I am not doubting you, but really? Why? I hate the residue from primers I have decapped. I am curious as to the rationale. I guess they can't plug the primer hole. I am ashamed to admit I don't know what the metal is but has to be harder than the brass?

 

[awshoot]

I am not doubting you, but really? Why? I hate the residue from primers I have decapped. I am curious as to the rationale. I guess they can't plug the primer hole. I am ashamed to admit I don't know what the metal is but has to be harder than the brass?

Maybe for dry tumbling? As for wet, I can say for certain that spent small pistol primers will work their way into a small primer pocket -- not all the way but far enough that I can't pick them out with my fingers. The only way I think this would work wet, would be to use large primers for small pocketed cases (no pocket cleaning), or small primers with large pocket cases.

I wouldn't do it though -- primers are nasty and aren't they full of lead residue?

 

[markstempski]

Maybe for dry tumbling? As for wet, I can say for certain that spent small pistol primers will work their way into a small primer pocket -- not all the way but far enough that I can't pick them out with my fingers. The only way I think this would work wet, would be to use large primers for small pocketed cases (no pocket cleaning), or small primers with large pocket cases.

I wouldn't do it though -- primers are nasty and aren't they full of lead residue?

I will have to look primer residue one of the reason the Dillon priming system is less than ideal and finicky. Yeah I suppose large primers wouldn't migrate back into small primer pockets can't but I have seen the anvils of the primers floating around. wow, learn something weird every day.

 

[markstempski]

Ah the history of primers. Lead removed from most of them at least the US ones by 2000. I remember now a friend asked me about lead free primers. Seems that the gunpowder residue test relies on the substances in the primers more than the smokeless powders. Makes sense hand closer to primers.

 

[awshoot]

Ah the history of primers. Lead removed from most of them at least the US ones by 2000. I remember now a friend asked me about lead free primers. Seems that the gunpowder residue test relies on the substances in the primers more than the smokeless powders. Makes sense hand closer to primers.

Hmmm -- this article from 2015 suggests that lead is still used in primers:

Lead Risks from Shooting Firearms & Ammo

I love to target practice, shoot my handguns, and help students with their shooting fundamentals. However, I want to understand the possible risks and

www.usacarry.com

The majority of ammunition uses lead sulfuric primers and bullets made of lead. ...

I'm a little annoyed by the "sulfuric" part -- my understanding that most of what goes bang is lead styphnate: ( Lead styphnate - Wikipedia ) and there's no sulfur in that.

I continued searching and got sidetracked! A primmer on DIY primers (paper claims it is legal to do): http://aardvarkreloading.com/resources/homemadeprimercourse.pdf

EDIT: that document, 2014, also indicates that primers use lead compounds. The paper was reported here: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Making Percussion Caps and Primers But Were Afraid to Google - The Truth About Guns