Oddest 'Oh-Oh' at YOUR reloading bench

[dirty gary]

Used to run AmmoLoad presses, and occasionally a primer would go off while being installed. On VERY rare occasions, had an entire tube (100 or more) of primers ignite. The explosion would send the weighted follower up against the concrete ceiling, looked like a blast from a shotgun. Sure got your attention!

 

[BearBio]

This just happened yesterday (after 40 years of reloading). Went to the range and was firing some 41 long colts through a SAA. First shot gave a low "pffftttt" but I saw the paper target "vibrate". Continued and got the same "pffttt" each time. First time I've fired 41 Colt. I was hitting paper. Then I realized that I was also hitting the dirt/snow halfway to the target. Bullets were ricocheting to the target (most were in the "kill zone").

Evidently, I must have loaded 0.3 gr instead of 3.0 grains. Guess I could use them in the basement for indoor practice!

 

[m657]

...HAR!!! so I'm not "the ONLY one"...HAR HAR HAR!!!

Re: other stuff in the cases:
as a Dillon 650 devotee, I've found even with that impressive bit of engineering, certain basics can NOT be ignored.

Most common mistake for *me* was to not insure the old case was truly empty. There's a herd of critters than haul cherries for their little mousey parties...and leave the pits in various odd places...including the media.....and sometimes I'll get a pit that usually bends the decap pin. I've also had a variety of 9mm and 22LR hiding in the 45LC cases over the years. Not often, just those few times that make you realize how careful we really SHOULD be in the process.

There's others....but I ain't up to admitting nothing....

 

[Maximumbob54]

That reminds me. Always turn off the powder hopper before changing discs on your Auto Disc...

Been there and done that and had the mess to clean up to show it...

Interesting problem... I have always used the micrometer, and have never had an issue, mine does not vary a bit.

Have you called Hornady about the issue? They have very good CS, and should be able to make it right by you...

Once I'm done with a new Mak cast bullet project then I will install the new micrometer and see if it does the same thing. But I need to cast more of my .45 ACP bullets first for loading. If the micrometer insert still does it then I will give them a call.

 

[folkenheath]

I keep finding that my powder measure on my Hornady LNL AP likes to drift and drop a little more and more until I'm a full grain heavy if I don't adjust it. Still can't figure out what the problem is. I degreased and cleaned EVERYTHING just like the DVD showed. Everything is nice and tight that should be. And she just drifts a tiny bit more each time until I have to adjust it again. I'm using the baffle in the powder and I keep the powder at least 2/3's full when using it. This doesn't happen with my Uniflow, Lyman Ideal #55, or Lee Pro Auto Disk. This is the only powder measure I have to watch like a hawk and measure and adjust so much. I'm only using ball powders like HP-38/Win 231 most of the time, but it still did it with Bullseye and Unique was even worse. But I struggle with Unique in anything. I'm at a loss. I just got the micrometer insert to see if that holds it any better.

Mine does something similar. I have found that as I run it the powder settles in more dense and charges more as it runs up and down through the cycles, however, eventually it does stop increasing, but you have to keep your eye on it. If you give the powder measure a bunch of light taps and bumps after you first pour the powder in it eliminates a bunch of that. I have also found it's worse with ball powders than extruded or flake shaped powders. Hornady does have excellent customer service whenever I have called, but I have never asked them about that. It has to be some phenomenon because everything seems to fit perfectly together and nothing is moving, no slop, real solid. If you find a way to prevent this altogether let me know as well. I just try to settle it down as much as I can and watch it in the beginning of each session for a while.

Oh, and by the way, all I use is the micrometer inserts, those things rule for quick setup and an infinite number of charge levels.

 

[sar4937]

So, do you have to use moonclips with that, or does it use the casemouth?

 

[beagleye]

7x57 out of a 30-06

The long and short of it was I was hunting with a 7x57 in the morning and I pocketed some live shells before re-entering my home. At the range that afternoon one of the shells found its' way into my 30-06 rifle. No harm done, but a close call anyway. If the combination had been different, say a 308 shell in a 270 rifle, could have been bad.

 

[beach elvis]

I don't know if this qualifies but after loading thousands upon thousands of rounds of .38 spl., .357 mag., .357 maximum, and .44 mag., I picked up a 1911 (Springfield G.I. Love that gun.) and went for my first batch of reloads for it.

I bought a set of RCBS dies, a box of 100 Hornady 230 gr. XTP's, got out a pound of Unique and my Lyman manual, and set about it.

After getting past the process of rethinking the crimp concept and how it applies to a case that chambers at its mouth (felt like brain surgery at the time), I carefully assembled 50 rounds with my old Lee Hand Press. -I have a Dillon 550B but I wanted to give complete attention to every step of every round. Plus, I didn't have enough cash for another tool head, etc., that goes with a caliber change on the Dillon.-

So the batch is finished, inspected again, and boxed up for my next trip to the range. A couple days later, I go to the range. With much anticipation, I load up a mag full of my initial set of .45 ACP reloads ever, and rack the 1911's action to chamber the first round.

The slide stopped about 3/4 of the way forward and acted like it was spot-welded in that position. No way to get it to move either backwards or forward. Locked up like a bank vault with a live round down in the guts!

After fighting off the reflexive urge to spell "HELP!" in my Carhartts, I set about to disassembling the pistol and the round fell right out.

Turns out that the noses of the 230 gr. XTP's that I bought were much rounder than the regular hardball bullets. I figured that would aid in feeding since they were hollowpoints. I WAS WRONG! I then surmised that they were meant for reloading .45 COLT instead of .45 ACP. No way that bullet shape would feed in my 1911. All I could do was take 'em home, get out my bullet puller, alias "the dammit", and take them all apart. Haven't tried again since.

Thing is I don't have anything chambered for .45 LC. Maybe I oughtta put the box of bullets up for a Karma or sumpthin'.

 

[44wheelman]

"Thing is I don't have anything chambered for .45 LC. Maybe I oughtta put the box of bullets up for a Karma or sumpthin'. "

Sounds like a good excuse to buy a 25-2 or 625 (in acp).

 

[Pocketfisherman]

I keep finding that my powder measure on my Hornady LNL AP likes to drift and drop a little more and more until I'm a full grain heavy if I don't adjust it. Still can't figure out what the problem is. I degreased and cleaned EVERYTHING just like the DVD showed. Everything is nice and tight that should be. And she just drifts a tiny bit more each time until I have to adjust it again. I'm using the baffle in the powder and I keep the powder at least 2/3's full when using it. This doesn't happen with my Uniflow, Lyman Ideal #55, or Lee Pro Auto Disk. This is the only powder measure I have to watch like a hawk and measure and adjust so much. I'm only using ball powders like HP-38/Win 231 most of the time, but it still did it with Bullseye and Unique was even worse. But I struggle with Unique in anything. I'm at a loss. I just got the micrometer insert to see if that holds it any better.

The problem with the LNL is the powder compacts in the hopper as the arm is activated and dropped. Easy to fix, cut a strip of 3x5" index card stock about 4-5 inches long and an inch wide. Fold it long ways in in half across the short axis into a a V shape, and drop it in the hopper pointy end up so it acts like a baffle over the outflow for the measure. The powder flowing around it to exit the measure will be more consistent in density. Same for Lee autodisk measures which do this too.

 

[Nemo288]

Was just setting up my RCBS collet bullet puller to de-assemble
some rifle based 445 supermag ammo I made in the dark days
of early development around 1990. Somehow my left index finger
got punched. I don't think I will lose the finger nail but it
will will be a close deal.

Powder spills a couple of times.

My best bud in the 80's had a friend who's reloading equipment
we had to confiscate when he showed up with un-sized and
un-crimped 45acp. I still have the dies. He didn't complain.
We were still smoking back then and some of the gang were
less responsible than desired.

...Nemo...

 

[parabarbarian]

About the worse thing I've done was fumble a case full as I removed it spilling the powder all over the press. I had to remove the shell plate to clean it up.

 

[MikeChandler]

I don't know if this qualifies but after loading thousands upon thousands of rounds of .38 spl., .357 mag., .357 maximum, and .44 mag., I picked up a 1911 (Springfield G.I. Love that gun.) and went for my first batch of reloads for it.

I bought a set of RCBS dies, a box of 100 Hornady 230 gr. XTP's, got out a pound of Unique and my Lyman manual, and set about it.

After getting past the process of rethinking the crimp concept and how it applies to a case that chambers at its mouth (felt like brain surgery at the time), I carefully assembled 50 rounds with my old Lee Hand Press. -I have a Dillon 550B but I wanted to give complete attention to every step of every round. Plus, I didn't have enough cash for another tool head, etc., that goes with a caliber change on the Dillon.-

So the batch is finished, inspected again, and boxed up for my next trip to the range. A couple days later, I go to the range. With much anticipation, I load up a mag full of my initial set of .45 ACP reloads ever, and rack the 1911's action to chamber the first round.

The slide stopped about 3/4 of the way forward and acted like it was spot-welded in that position. No way to get it to move either backwards or forward. Locked up like a bank vault with a live round down in the guts!

After fighting off the reflexive urge to spell "HELP!" in my Carhartts, I set about to disassembling the pistol and the round fell right out.

Turns out that the noses of the 230 gr. XTP's that I bought were much rounder than the regular hardball bullets. I figured that would aid in feeding since they were hollowpoints. I WAS WRONG! I then surmised that they were meant for reloading .45 COLT instead of .45 ACP. No way that bullet shape would feed in my 1911. All I could do was take 'em home, get out my bullet puller, alias "the dammit", and take them all apart. Haven't tried again since.

Thing is I don't have anything chambered for .45 LC. Maybe I oughtta put the box of bullets up for a Karma or sumpthin'.

Ha ha... sounds like it's time to buy a S&W Governor. At least, that's what I'd tell my wife.

 

[papajohn428]

Mine is hardly original............I emptied the powder hopper on my RCBS Chargemaster, and didn't check the dumping port the next time I filled it up. To make matters worse, I wasn't standing in front of it...........So I couldn't tell my ball powder was leaking out the side almost as fast as I was pouring it in. Deep-pile carpet can absorb a LOT of powder!

 

[Coastie762]

Setting the belling adjustment on my Square Deal. That involves removing the powder measure to turn the die, reinstall and tighten the set screw, check belling, repeat as necessary until the desired bell is achieved. I had the belling about where I wanted it, gave the powder die one more tweak, tightened the lock ring and mounted the powder measure.

I then filled the hopper with 231 to start setting the powder charge. I placed a primed case into the station, pulled down the handle, and the measure launched itself off the top of the press, dumping its contents all over the bench. I had, of course, forgot to tighten the setscrew after that last tweak. Quite the mess.

My wife got to enjoy a string of colorful sailor talk that came out of the basement...

 

[firecracker6]

I've done some of those listed above. Best one lately....sized 38 super cases to shoot .357 bullets, set the cases aside for a few weeks until I had time to load them, forgot what I'd sized them for and loaded them w/ .355 bullets. Caused all kinds of problems at the range and forced me to put a bullet puller to good use.

 

[SteveG48]

My worst "oops" came after 10s of thousands of rounds of .38 SP loaded on my Square Deal. It's not easy to do with a SD, and I'll never know for sure how it happened, but I loaded a substantial overcharge- maybe double. I didn't know it at the time, but I sure found out when I took that round to the range!

 

[TheTinMan]

A while back, had just completed charging 200 rounds of 38's using HP-38. When checking the visible volume AFTER weighing every 10th case, I noticed one that was had a LOT bigger charge than the others. Strange - I was sure that I didn't double charge any of the cases. Weighed the charged case - was not that much heavier. Only one thing to do - dump it and re-charge. Surprise - a stuck piece of corncob popped out with the powder. Sure got my attention - make sure I double check the volumes before seating the bullet!
RR

I made a discovery today: corn cob pet litter is too big for .223 cases. Well, actually it's a perfect fit if you use it in your cleaning media. As in I had to manually poke/slam/etc. 1 out of 4 cases to get all the junk out. It was so bad that I put all 140 cases in loading trays and inspected each with a light to make sure I got all of the junk out of the cases. What a PITA!

 

[Nemo288]

I made a discovery today: corn cob pet litter is too big for .223 cases. Well, actually it's a perfect fit if you use it in your cleaning media. As in I had to manually poke/slam/etc. 1 out of 4 cases to get all the junk out. It was so bad that I put all 140 cases in loading trays and inspected each with a light to make sure I got all of the junk out of the cases. What a PITA!

LOL! We don't have that problem with the big revolver cases
butt it's the main reason I don't de-prime before cleaning.
That stuff is the perfect size to stick in the primer holes. I use
a mix of the corn cob and walnut media. The used up media
I sometimes load as filler in target loads. Smells "interesting".

...Nemo...

 

[papajohn428]

One of my best ones was deciding that cat litter might make good tumbling media, not realizing it's made of CLAY. I filled the tumbler barrel with 223 brass, topped it off with litter, and let it go for several hours. The litter clumped inside the cases, and I spent two days with a drill bit, coaxing all the little chuds of clay out of those skinny little necks!