Double Charge of Unique

[35 Whelen]

Don't feel bad, I've done it twice.

The first time was a double charge of Unique (12.0 grs.) in a Enfield .303 British with a 203 gr. cast bullet. Although the bolt was difficult to open, no harm, no foul. In fact I sold all my Enfield's except that particular one. I kept it because it was the most accurate of all I owned.

Second time I was loading a small batch of target loads of 5.0 grs. of B'Eye and a 250 cast RN for one of my Uberti .44 Special's. One of the grandkids was Papaw-ing me to death and I failed to visually check the charges. I fired two before the light came on. Again, no harm no foul and I still have and use the revolver.

Now I visually check ALL revolver cases and use a short wooden dowel to check bottle neck cases.

I'm of the uneducated opinion that cast bullets are very forgiving.

35W

[john.k]

I was a bit luckier........my double charges showed up as a dud ,and then a stuck bullet........I pulled the batch and a whole lot were wrong........then I investigated ,powder was feeding erratically from the measure,sometimes sticking in the spout for three loads,before the lot would come down.......but a lot more were 2/3 coming out ,1/3 sticking for the next load or something like....Cured by rapping the spout with a steel rod every load. I junked the measure after that,got a better one.

[762 shooter]

I load up a loading block. Visually inspect with a flashlight. Then dowel check. I can check 50 cases in one minute.

Exposives near face = can't check too much.

762

[trapper9260]

When I load. no matter if it is for test rounds or 50 to 100 cases of one load. I do one step at a time. after I prime the cases. I turn them upside down in what I use for the cases or do like what Larry dose with the cases . When the cases are load with powder they go in the tray and only those that are face up will have powder and any upside down ones will show up easy. The other thing is make sure there is nothing else is going on around you. If there is a phone call let the message pick it up. We all live and learn. If I am not sure for some reason some thing dose happened when I loading I will recheck all the cases .I like the dowel idea for check the powder.

[Savvy Jack]

This is exactly why I use RIFLE POWDERS in my 44-40....no chance of a double charge and cost much less than a destroyed firearm!

[Norske]

Buy your BIL some Trail Boss powder, then consult a Lyman reloading manual for charge weight. He'll notice a double charge easily.

[bob208]

I hand prime cases. then put them in the block neck down then put powder in back in block neck up. when the last one in in the block I take a flash light and check every case then load the bullets. 45 years of loading never a double charge or a squib.

[buckshotshoey]

Another vote for the loading block and flashlight. And yes, I do it for bottleneck cases too. It's simple.... its effective... and its foolproof if you do it every time. Another thing is to limit how many you do at one time. I try to do 20 COMPLETE rounds at a time and take a break.

Also I NEVER choose a powder where it's possible to double charge a case. Both of these things are reloading 101.

Remember the experiments using powder that only filled the case 1/3 of the way? Where having the powder in the front or in the back of the case can cause erratic ignition? Some of you will say it wont make a difference. Ok...you might be right if you are talking plinking ammo. But the USAMU says it does make a difference in accuracy.

So why choose a powder that is possible to double charge? That is also reloading 101. I have never double charged or light loaded a case using the basic methods above. But I also hand weigh my charges. I never got into progressive reloading. I've only been reloading for 30 years so I'm just a newbie compared to some of you!

[Captain*Kirk]

I presently use Unique on my .44-40 loads. After dropping the powder (very meticulous attention, I might add) I give each and every case a thorough visual using a very bright Streamlight LED flashlight. A double charge would stick out like a sore thumb.
It also should be second nature after this event to weigh each loaded round after seating the bullet.

[onelight]

I hand prime cases. then put them in the block neck down then put powder in back in block neck up. when the last one in in the block I take a flash light and check every case then load the bullets. 45 years of loading never a double charge or a squib.

I use this same method , another advantage to this is after all are primed in the block mouth down you can tilt the block so all the cases lean the same and sight down each row double check for high primers.

[OverMax]

10.6 Max for unique 35500 cup. I do believe your brother-in- law did proof test his rifle with 15 gr. Had to develop near 50000 CUP or better.
Good thing someone was on the ball to stop such shooting. Although I would suggest for the young mans use a completely different powder. AA-2230 that's all I use in my 30-30s 32 specials. Tried 30-31 4198 2400 in my rifles and never got the accuracy I expected.

[Walks]

I learned to load on a Lyman "C" Press. With an "open" press you can load from left to right, with a loading block on each side. I would size/decap from right to left, then prime off the press using a Lyman tong tool setting each case into the block UPSIDE down. Then expand each case and drop powder, then put the case into the block on the other side of the press. When all 20 or 50 when expanded and charged, I would check them under a strong light. Then seat and crimp if needed.

These days I do most handgun and some rifle on a progressive. I still prime off the press and and prefer to decap/size separately too.

The little Dandy Powder Measure makes these a lot easier.

[cbennett]

Max, Thanks for the information. John tried 4198 with the Missouri coated bullets and the accuracy was horrible. I gave him a few of my 150 Grain Sierras with 3031 powder and the old 94 shot very well so we eliminated the gun.
Can we get an idea on your starting wait for the AA-2230 it sounds like the direction we need to go as we are about to quit on these coated bullets ?
Thanks

[OverMax]

170 gr jacketed is what I shoot at Yankee white tails._My 2230 charge? _>27.5

[cpaspr]

I have equipment to load .45 ACP, .223 and .30 Carbine rounds on the Dillon 550B. So far. Everything else is still loaded on a single stage press.

For the rifle rounds, I add up the weight of two fully loaded cartridges, then set the beam scale about 5 grains lighter. I'll load a bunch up, but before they get boxed up I weigh them all two at a time. A single powder charge is very near the top of the case, so double-charging isn't possible for either. If two rounds tip the scale, they're good. If they don't, one or both doesn't have enough powder.

But that method doesn't work for the .45ACP so well. Too much case weight variance and comparatively lightweight powder charges. Though I've had the Dillon for many years, I'd had loaded .45ACP ammo for even longer, all done on an RCBS Jr. press. And the bright light over the loading block method has never failed me. Plus I only powder charge about 20-30 at a time before adding the bullet. But, I finally shot up all of that older .45 ACP ammo. Anyway, back to the Dillon. I recently set it up and loaded some .45 ACP wadcutters for my Convertible Blackhawk. I THOUGHT I was visually looking in to each case after the powder charge, but I missed one. And didn't hear the difference when I shot it. Fortunately, a friend standing behind me when I shot it heard the difference and stopped me before I fired another round. Good thing too! The bullet stuck 1/2" up the barrel. No powder at all.

I finished off the few remaining rounds from that last .45 ACP loading session on the Dillon and have since acquired a Hornady Powder Cop die for when I get back to loading pistol ammo on the Dillon. That should be easier than trying to look down into the shell. I may have to seat and crimp in separate steps, but I'd rather that than the alternative.

[cpaspr]

I was looking to see if I had ever asked a particular question here (I hadn't), and in doing so went down the rabbit hole of re-reading some of my old posts. I just finished re-reading this one, and though I know it's old, I wanted to add a little bit more to my last comment.

Using the Dillon, I recently loaded up 150 rounds of .30 Carbine with H110. Using the Powder Cop die, the loads were consistent. Until they weren't. They weren't off by much, but it appeared the loads started getting a bit erratic. So I started pulling each shell after the powder drop and checked each one. The charge was sometimes on, sometimes under, sometimes over. And with H110, a grain under was almost 10% below my target charge, and since the recommendation with that powder is to not decrease more than 3% below max, well, I decided it was safer to pull them all and figure out what was going on.

So, they were all pulled, the powder salvaged, and I loaded them all on the single-stage press, using a Uniflo powder measure, and checking every 10th charge. It never varied over the entire 150 round run.

What I discovered is that H110 is such a fine-grained powder that sometimes the powder in the charge bar cavity was flowing back between the charge bar and the body of the Dillon powder measure. So, even though all of my rounds made on the Dillon passed my "way undercharged" test above, many were still under- or over-charged.

So, at least for me, the Dillon has its place, but using very fine grain powders that can bridge is not one of them.

[Baltimoreed]

I’ve batch loaded powder into cases in the past but for the sake of expediency my primed rifle cases are upside down in a block, I pick up a primed case and charge it I then put it in a Bair single stage press and seat a bullet. Done. I have had a couple pistol doubles with the auto powder dump on my Dillon 550 where the case in the sizer location had an issue, split-failed to deprime etc, and a second case was pit there without advancing the shellplate. Haven’t done that in a long time.

[indian joe]

Any of us using fast burning powders its critical to develop a system in the loading room that flat out does not allow double dosing to happen
I duplex load for a couple of blackpowder cartridges and mine is ....
stand a bunch of primed cases on the bench to my left (I stand at the loading bench - always have)
powder measure is in front of me
each case I pick up is tipped upside down, charged with powder (the smokeless duplex charge) and put on the bench to my right
even still I check them with a flashlight to be sure they all got one dose of the 4227
that done I load the blackpowder and compress with a die in a small turret press

been handloading over 50 years and never loaded a double nor a powderless squib - but I always enjoyed my time at the loading bench -
For full smokeless loads I always chose a powder that filled the case as near as was practical - no way a double would fit in any of my smokeless loads - yeah it cost a little more .....................

[COUSIN DANIEL]

A auto indexing progressive reloading press is the answer. I have had star universal with ma auto index and dillon 650, as long as plate goes forward no chance of double charge.

[Wilderness]

I seat the boolit after charging the case, most of the time. If not I am really careful! And do it less and less. Surprised how many others seat the boolit after charging. It’s definitely the safest way.

I see a strong argument for charging and seating one at a time, but I have also had occasions (distractions etc) when I have questioned "did I really put powder in that case" - and it is too late to check with the bullet already seated, other than by weighing the cartridge or pulling the bullet. I have also had occasions when I have realised the poise on the balance has moved. When did that happen? How many of those loaded cartridges are off weight? Hence my general preference for powdering a group, checking, then seating.