First close call

[MSD MIke]

After 30 yrs reloading I had my first close call/serious reloading mistake. Load was 38 special, Lee 150 gr lrn and four grains of HP-38. Had a box of fifty and headed to the range with my trusty Model 10. 45 rounds into the box and had one with noticeably more recoil and report that the rest. Went to open the cylinder to see what happened. Cylinder was stuck but I was able to open with some effort. Once open you could see the primer flowed into the firing pin hole making the cylinder difficult to open. It also took a good rap on the ejector to effect the case. Every shot to that point was perfect and the remaining disassembled rounds were correct. Anyway, I managed at least overcharge if not double charge one.
Time to reevaluate my procedures.
Fortunatly me and the gun were unharmed. Confidence is bruised though.

Mike

[odfairfaxsub]

Did this once w clays powder, 38special, and a 158 gr bullet. Same thing then one went way harder, way more loud. I was like wth? Thanks god we both were ok during the endevor

[Flinch]

Weird. Let us know if you figure out what happened. Glad you are ok!

[dverna]

Was it loaded on a non-progressive press?

[243winxb]

Powder with a high percent of Nitroglycerin may be made to detonate under certain conditions. Was mixed brass being used?

[shoot-n-lead]

You did not double charge it...or it would have opened itself...8grs of HP38 would have blown the top off it.

Glad it was a mild mishap and you nor gun were damaged.

[Blackwater]

I've long had the habit of inspecting every case after I charge them, before corking it with a bullet. I size all cases, then expand necks, then prime, then charge and only after inspecting powder level in each and every case (very quickly done if you're using a loading block) do I cork them with a projectile. There's no "fool proof" way to reload, since every system manufactures its own peculiar type of fool if we let our guard down even for an instant sometimes, but this has helped me considerably through the years, I believe. It tends, I think, to help with consistency, too. Any cobweb or whatever in the case (another smaller case inside, etc.) shows up rather quickly.

[Wild Bill 7]

I. Doubled charged a 38 wadcutter with Bullseye. 5.4 grains wow! Worse was my wife shot the load in a Clark 38 wad cutter gun. Lucky she was not hurt nor was the gun. I load on a Green Machine and I now am very careful when something doesn't flow right. I clear the stations and start over. By the way blew a hole in the head of the case that went half way around.

[jcren]

The only time I overcharged was loading 38 with a Lee loader setup. Was loading 3.6 grains of bullseye. Got sidetracked by kids and aparently double charged one in the block. Fired in a steel Taurus 85 at dusk, the fireball was blinding. 7.2 of BE under a 158 swc would be a serious home defense load! Basically holding a flash bang grenade in your hand!

I am still scared of BE and only use loads that a double is impossible!

[pergoman]

What kind of press and/or powder measure are you using? A double hitch on some progressive presses like a SDB can result in a double charge.

[reddog81]

While only a 38 special the model 10 is a very robust gun.

i once had a similar experience with Bullseye. The load was a +p load and the double charge was about 50% more powder than a max .357 load. Thankfully that was in a GP100. Immediately after it happened I figured the gun was trashed and had to beat the cylinder open. Once I got the case out I started inspecting the gun. There isn't any indication of any damage. I can't even tell which charge hold it happened in.

[MSD MIke]

Hornady LNL that has been extremely reliable. Many round loaded before and some since with no issues. I just messed up somewhere and not really sure where.

[Silverboolit]

Luckly you're o.k. RU in El Paso?

[MSD MIke]

Yes sir, El Paso TX.

[copdills]

glad your ok

[odfairfaxsub]

While only a 38 special the model 10 is a very robust gun.

i once had a similar experience with Bullseye. The load was a +p load and the double charge was about 50% more powder than a max .357 load. Thankfully that was in a GP100. Immediately after it happened I figured the gun was trashed and had to beat the cylinder open. Once I got the case out I started inspecting the gun. There isn't any indication of any damage. I can't even tell which charge hold it happened in.


Mine me was a gp 100 too. Good guns, tough guns.

[odfairfaxsub]

The only time I overcharged was loading 38 with a Lee loader setup. Was loading 3.6 grains of bullseye. Got sidetracked by kids and aparently double charged one in the block. Fired in a steel Taurus 85 at dusk, the fireball was blinding. 7.2 of BE under a 158 swc would be a serious home defense load! Basically holding a flash bang grenade in your hand!

I am still scared of BE and only use loads that a double is impossible!


Lol kinda funny in a way. I'd prob have a stigma like you associated w the powder. Luckily clays was like a large boooooof!!! No flash, recoiled just as hard as a 357.

[mold maker]

Knock on wood.
in over 50 years I have witnessed and caught ever powder charge anomaly that I've thrown.
It's not that I'm that good, it's that I seriously check behind myself.
It only takes a millisecond of inattention or carelessness to cause a life changing event. You're betting your life and those around you with every round you load. It's your responsibility to make it perfectly.

[MSD MIke]

I am going to have to work in some kind of powder check die. Since I'm seating and crimping in different stages I'm out of stations for a powder check die so I might process ammo in two different stages. Resize, prime, bell then run them through again to charge, POWDER check, seat and crimp. It will slow things down but I'm willing to slow down to reduce the chance of an overcharge again. The powder measure on the LNL has worked flawlessly for me so all I can figure is I double dipped on the handle at the wrong time and overcharged a case. It was interesting that the pressure was high enough that the primer flowed into the firing pin hole and locked up the gun but didn't flatten the edges of the primer at all.

[mdi]

Glad yer OK, both you and the gun! I'm chicken so I look in every case before a bullet goes in it but in your case, your set up it would be difficult (I wonder if I would remove the case after charging, before bullet seating to have a look see?).

[Cowboy_Dan]

My guess is that some powder bridged in the measure on the previous round and dropped into that one. Glad you only hurt your pride.