How did this dud happen?

[Dave B]

Marlin 32 mag had about 10 duds out of 50. 100 gr plain base with 5 gr Unique with Win primers. Upon hammer strike, nothing, not even a pop. The other 80% shot normal. I took some apart this evening and there was no powder at all. I have had a couple of squibs without powder before in other guns and they pushed the bullet up the bbl a little and made a little bang. The bases of the bullets did have a little soot on them. They were not crimped very hard either. Any ideas?

[462]

Clue number 1: No powder.

Personal experience number 1: Not long ago, I had a Winchester large rifle primer that failed to ignite.

[theperfessor]

What kind of loader, etc are you using? What are your loading procedures? Do/can you check the powder level in the case before seating the bullet? Where did the powder go that didn't end up in your rounds?

Getting a bad primer is annoying, but there isn't much you can do about. Creating
powderless duds is also annoying too, but you can do something about that.

[The Double D]

I have done this a couple of time over the years.

Fifty cases in the loading block. Run the first row of ten under the powder measure, run the second row of 10 under the powder measure. Turn the block around and run the fifth row under the powder measure, then run the fourth row under the powder measure...seat the bullets.

After doing this a couple of times I added a flashlight to my loading bench and look down in the cases after charging and before seating. It helps because I have found row three cases all empty.

[lylejb]

I use a homemade loading block with 80 holes. I load in batches of fifty. I move the cases from one side to the other as I progress with each step.

The extra rows always leave an empty row or two between stages, so there's no guessing which have been done.

never had a no powder load this way.

[ETG]

I have done this a couple of time over the years.

Fifty cases in the loading block. Run the first row of ten under the powder measure, run the second row of 10 under the powder measure. Turn the block around and run the fifth row under the powder measure, then run the fourth row under the powder measure...seat the bullets.

After doing this a couple of times I added a flashlight to my loading bench and look down in the cases after charging and before seating. It helps because I have found row three cases all empty.

+1 - I bought a little LED light on a flex neck for a couple bucks. Pass the light over each cart in the loading try. Can't believe how many empty carts I have found!!!!! 30 years ago I didn't do this and I don't ever remember having a squib load!!!!!!!!!

[DLCTEX]

I almost seated a bullet on an empty case last night. I was loading 22-250 with 3031 using a Lee PPM (throws very accurate charges) and had to use a funnel to charge the cases due to bridging. After charging all 60 cases I gave them a quick visual inspection for powder level and started seating bullets with my Rockchucker. I look into every case as I seat them into the shell holder. It paid off as I found an empty case. I had missed it when charging and inspecting (too quick), but the third check caught it. Now I've got to load some with boolits and go give the prairie dogs some trouble.

[Bret4207]

No powder= pilot error.

[gray wolf]

I never load cases while they sit in the loading block.
I have the loading block on the bench EMPTY, The cases are in a bowl next to it.
I pick up a case and charge it and THEN put it in the loading block.
At that point I know that if it is in the loading block it has powder in it or it should.
But I still check for powder and powder level with the little mag light.

[qajaq59]

All my my cases sit in the loading block with the primers facing up until they get powder in them. But I still check all of them with the flash light before I seat the bullets. It takes less time to check them then it does to get a stuck bullet out of the rifle barrel.

[Dave B]

I think ,but am not positive, these were loader on a LNL AP. I have used it a lot without problems. Maybe in small cals Unique sometimes clogs the tube? What was most puzzling was no pop with the primer, and not moving the bullet forward at all. Also, if the powder bridged for a cycle, it seems an over charge would have been next. That didn't seem to happen.

[Dan Cash]

I never load cases while they sit in the loading block.
I have the loading block on the bench EMPTY, The cases are in a bowl next to it.
I pick up a case and charge it and THEN put it in the loading block.
At that point I know that if it is in the loading block it has powder in it or it should.
But I still check for powder and powder level with the little mag light.

+1 on this technique except that I seat a bullet immediately after charging. This is especially important when using fast burning powders as with cast bullets. 17 gr. 2400 is great under a 175 gr. .30-30 bullet; 34 gr 2400 is NOT.

[hoosierlogger]

I do like greywolf does. But after my cases get powder, it get dumped in the scale to measure the powder before going into the block. I need to break down and buy an electronic powder measure with built in scale. But I dont want to spend the money.

[sqlbullet]

I recently acquired a Square Deal B on my bench. It still belongs to a friend, but he doesn't have a space to mount and use it. This was my first exposure to a progressive press.

What bothered me is the inability to see a small charge in a long case like a 357 or 44 mag. Was loading Unique, and the angles were such that I could not see in the case. Planning on getting a small dental mirror and mounting it so I can see down any case clear to the bottom.

[DLCTEX]

I recently acquired a Square Deal B on my bench. It still belongs to a friend, but he doesn't have a space to mount and use it. This was my first exposure to a progressive press.

What bothered me is the inability to see a small charge in a long case like a 357 or 44 mag. Was loading Unique, and the angles were such that I could not see in the case. Planning on getting a small dental mirror and mounting it so I can see down any case clear to the bottom.

That is a feature of the Lee Classic Cast Turret I really appreciate, The long stroke gives room to see into the cases and the little flex neck LED light fastened to the press with a rubber band (a tip picked up on this site) really works well.

[Rocky Raab]

I remain absolutely convinced that loading blocks CAUSE more zero or double charges than they prevent. Especially when people charge cases in the block; it is far too easy to lose track and either skip or repeat a charge. The closely-packed cases also lead to visual illusions.

Progressive presses are the next most sorrowful tool. Who the heck has so little time that safety becomes a secondary issue to volume production?

Charge one. Inspect one. Seat bullet. ... Absolutely and utterly foolproof.

[theperfessor]

Rocky, I'll agree with you about the problems with progressive reloaders, but I will disagree with you about using loading blocks, at least as far as handgun cartridges go.

I use 50 round loading blocks. Charges are thrown by using either a Bullseye powder measure with fixed brass rotors or an RCBS adjustable measure. My measures are clamped onto a shelf where they stick out far enough that I can load all fifty w/o turning the block around. I always follow the same procedure, and when I'm done I look at every case in the block to see that all are charged correctly. I have a clamp on light that helps, no shadows here. It's no problem finding missed charges, but I also find it easier to catch double charges this way, as I have the height of the powder in all the other cases to compare to.

I have had my wife pick a case at random from a loaded block and add another charge to it while I'm out of the room. I have never failed to quickly catch the bad load, and I haven't had a dud round or overcharge since I started doing this.

This seems to work for me, it may not for others. What's important is that a sound procedure be adopted and then followed EVERY TIME.

[mdi]

I never load cases while they sit in the loading block.
I have the loading block on the bench EMPTY, The cases are in a bowl next to it.
I pick up a case and charge it and THEN put it in the loading block.
At that point I know that if it is in the loading block it has powder in it or it should.
But I still check for powder and powder level with the little mag light.

Me too. I have a Mini-Maglight that I check the cases in the loading block, before I get up from my powder station (my desk). BTW; were you using a progressive press to get that many duds?

[mpmarty]

I use a Dillon 550B and generally tend to use ball type powders. I have never yet had a squib or double. I have a great deal of respect for Mikes' engineering and have never had a problem with one of his powder measures. They throw uniform charges as long as I keep the powder level in the tube at a reasonable level (never less than half full).

[Rocky Raab]

I'm genuinely happy for you, perfessor. But I still say that it's all too easy to get visually confused or lost while looking at 50 case mouths. Looking at one has zero chance of confusion.