Safety first

[BigCheese]

I was casting ingots from range scrap and got a rude awakening. There was a small heel of melt in my 20 lb. pot. Poured scrap on top and a few seconds heard an explosion, with lead ejected. Fortunately, it was mostly solids, so only a small amount of liquid was involved.

Of course, I wore a face shield, long sleeved coat, gloves, and long pants. No harm done. Reason: a live .22 round in the scrap. Over the years I have had many empty cases removed with the dross, but this was the first live one. The reason is obvious from examination of the 2 cases in the photo. The top one was not supported in a gun barrel when it burst. Lower one was also in the same batch and is a normal fired case.

Don't ever think it can't happen to you. Wear safety equipment at all times.

[school of mines]

Glad you weren't hurt! Proper safety gear is a must. Thanks for the reminder.

[10 ga]

A daily safety "meeting" is always good. Everyone should think of this kind of post everytime they start an "ore" smelt or even to cast with ingots. Remember, "hey, watch this", probably means hit 911 on speed dial. 10 ga

[plmitch]

That is some scary stuff there, good no one was hurt.

[ghh3rd]

I had the same thing happen with a primer that I must have swept into my scrap barrel. I had a surprise the day I decided to use the scrap :-) No injury, but a big pop and some spatter.

Randy