Dumb question

[Dadsnugun]

I weighed a batch (50) of .38s a couple of weeks ago...heaviest = 229.5g, lightest = 225.4g the rest ran the gamut between the 2. Was trying to find a possibly empty (uncharged) cartridge which I had luckily culled when I couldn't remember charging the case. The difference from the heaviest to the lightest was 4.1g, the charge weight was 3.4g HP38. It was absolutely impossible to tell from weight alone whether or not it held a charge, and I don't hear well enough to catch the noise when shaken. I pulled the bullet and sure enough, it was charged correctly, but I got peace of mind from double checking, and learned an important lesson about weighing completed rounds loaded with small charges...it don't help!

 

[Bowenx]

When in doubt pull them out.
I pulled well over 100 rounds after i blew up a kimber after a double charge.
Wasn't able to find any clear bad rounds by weight alone, wanted to not have that issue again.

 

[alwslate]

If your brass was mixed headstamp weighing loaded rounds would be
a waste of time. I would try the shaking and listening routine. If for
some reason that doesn't work I would set them aside and shoot them
up slowly, in a plinking session, listening for a weak report. A brass rod
and mallet should allow you to drive a bullet rearward out of your barrel. I would not break down 100 loaded rounds on the assumption
that I MIGHT have left the powder out of one round. But that's me.

 

[paralaska]

I thought I had done the same thing once . . .
Tried shaking, but couldn't tell . . .
Weighed each round, Loaded weights were all over the place (guess there was a lot o variation in case weight {mixed cases}), picked the 10 lighest, pulled them, then the next 10 lighest, pulled them . . . not there
pulled all 50 . . . seems I hadn't loaded a squib after all . . .

BUT . . . what I learned from the experience was that the shaking and weighing really didn't really work that well . . .

** Saw where someone suggested using a stethoscope to listen . . . that might work . . .

Better to start pulling until you find it . . . If you shake and weigh you might narrow it down some and get lucky and find it quick . . .

Another thing I learned was to dump powder in all the cases and put them in the loading block and check with a light before you start seating bullets . . .

Let us know how things work out . . .