38S load w/o powder

[1Shirt]

Have loaded 38's for many years. Normal practice is to drop powder and set blt in case, when I get 50 ready, I seat and crimp. Regardless of experiance today I had the following happen. Shot a round (supposed to be 150 gr. WC, over 3.5 gr. of Bullseye, RP Br, and Win SP primers), and just nothing. Was shooting 6" Ruger Blackhawk. Tried to pull the hammer back, no luck! Primer had enough force to just push the WC inti the bbl just far enough to jam the cylinder. A pistol cleaning rod with a couple of wacks with a rubber hammer drove the WC back into the case far enough to remove the cylinder for cleaning. Pulled the blt which had some char on the base of the WC from jus the primer.

My loading practice for revolvers has been the same with fast powders like Bullseye because it is very easy to double charge with small amounts and not visually catch same. Heavier charges of unique, 2400 etc. are a different proposition, and with those powders, I charge all of the cases before seating the blts. But with these powders a double charge is easily evident with good lighting or a flashlight.

Regardless, after many, many years, I failed to charge a case and seated a blt.
Only damage was to my ego. Obviously when loading that batch of cases my train of thought got derailed at least one time, and that was all it took. Would like to hope that it will never happen again, but like the lettering on the expectant mothers sweat shirt says "Poo Poo Occurs".

I write this as a reminder and object lesson to myself, and as an object lesson to
other loaders. Be careful!
1Shirt!

[Rocky Raab]

That's why I tossed my loading blocks years ago. For 40+ years now, I've charged a case, looked into it and immediately seated a bullet. A digital powder dispenser makes it even safer, because it won't dispense a double, and it weighs every charge with the weight showing in big bold numerals.

[Mal Paso]

Had my first one after about 40,000 successful rounds. Mine made a funny Tink sound and tied up the cylinder. (Large Pistol Primer)

I start with primed cases upside down in ammo trays and charge them one at a time. The charged case gets put in the loading block. When the loading block is full I check with a flashlight before seating boolits. Evidently not well enough.

[ipijohn]

Several weeks ago I had two with no powder out of the first 100 of 400 I loaded. I have been loading for 50 years and never had this happen before. I loaded these with red dot for my wife (lite loads). After thinking about the loading process that I use and have for 50 years I blamed the powder measure then started thinking about the powder to volume ratio with such a low load.

[badgeredd]

That's why I tossed my loading blocks years ago. For 40+ years now, I've charged a case, looked into it and immediately seated a bullet. A digital powder dispenser makes it even safer, because it won't dispense a double, and it weighs every charge with the weight showing in big bold numerals.

I haven't thrown my blocks away but I don't charge several cases and then seat bullets. I use 2 blocks, one on the left with empty primed and belled cases; one on the right with charged, checked , bullets seated cases. It works for me so far. I pick up the case, drop the powder, check it, start the bullet by hand, set it in the press, seat the bullet. Later I crimp each case in line. Pretty easy to catch a crimp mistake and it won't hurt much if I miss one. It is slower, BUT safer in the event of a distraction...I might add here...for me.

Edd

[mdevlin53]

I usually meter weigh charge and seat each case one at a time. There is one powder that meters so well for me that i decided not to weigh each charge and i skipped the step on 20 rounds and just weighed the first and last charge. while shooting the rounds one made an odd sound and i saw the bullet hit the ground just in front of the 25 yard line. perhaps i did not get a full stroke on the lever but somehow i shorted the case. now i am back to meter weigh charge and seat one at the time. takes a bit longer but i know they are right.
Michael

[soldierbilly1]

happened to me once, never has happened again. I now look in every case before I put the bullet on there.
I feel with the Lee turret, up an down, really cant happen unless the chute gets clogged. I got my snake light shining down on it to see the powder level.
that was five years ago, has not happened since.
One nice thing, if you use same primers and cases for your run, you can always check weigh the finished rounds for no charge and double charge (in case you thing you fell asleep!).
billy boy

[Rocky Raab]

Mal Paso, that is EXACTLY the problem with loading blocks. Your eyes can get confused about which case you are actually looking at, or you can skip over one or more and think you looked into each one. You can even have each eye looking at a different case and not be aware of it. That's just one of many kinds of optical illusion. (There wouldn't be any such thing as optical illusions if our eyes weren't easily fooled.)

Badgeredd, I use one or two plastic baskets or tubs. One holds cases ready to be charged. I pick out one case, charge it, check it, and immediately seat a bullet. The loaded round then goes either into another basket or a cartridge box.

[fcvan]

Loading block, flashlight, careful inspection. Easy with straight walled cases, not so easy with .223 cases. The only loads that seem ok without powder is wax wadcutters and hot glue boolits. Those are just fun. Frank

[44man]

Happened to a friend. The boolit went into the barrel and he shot another .41 mag behind it. Ruined the Ruger.
He was loading one at a time, his son distracted him and he forgot the powder.
He should have known something was wrong with the shot and looked but he also failed to notice there was no noise or recoil!!!!!

[oldfart1956]

Well.....at least you guys had the primers in. I'm just sayin'. Prepped 50 cases (.45 colt) before going to work. Got off work at 7a.m. and resumed. Meticulousley (sp.?) measured each and every load....5 of each...going from start loads to midrange. So, 10 loads of 5 different weights. All the same boolit. Put the first one in the press (single stage) and ran home the boolit and watched powder squirt out thru the empty primer pocket. Aww jeeze. Good practice...got to weigh all the charges all over again. Audie......the Oldfart...

[flipajig]

I have been loading for 4 years now with a clasic turet press
One ting I make shoure to use is adequate lighting. And check each case and load them one at a time and check each case before I seat the bullet and check my powder charge every 3rd round or so. After several 1000 rds no mistakes yet safety first I stop loading when distactions come around.

[mdi]

I'm familiar with that "phhhhiiizt" sound from a squib, but haven't heard it for a few years. My method is much like Rocky's; I weigh out powder, pick up a case, dump powder into the case, or charge directly into the case, glance in the case and note powder level, drop a bullet in the case mouth, put case in press and seat bullet. I don't let go of the case from the time I pick it up until I put it in the press to seat bullet. Sometime I'll charge a bunch, but I use one block, the primed brass is in a tub/cup on another side of the powder measure. I'll pick up a case, charge it and then put it in the loading block. Only charged cases in the loading block. Also double check visually with my Mini-Maglite before I seat a bullet. These have worked for me since that .38 Special squib when I didn't have a "range rod" and had to stop shooting and drive all the way home...

BTW, no TV in the loading room and I always reload alone!

[stubck]

Just yesterday at the range,I had a ftf in my 38. First thought, bad primer. I had about a 5% misfire rate with the last batch rem. small pistol primers I had bought. I went back to ww. Upon inspection, I found the primer seated upside down, OOPS. I handprime and check primer depth by touch, this one got by.


Stubck

[RED333]

I aint been loading long, weeks, yea just weeks, now I dont feel so bad, upside primer on 1 case and no powder on another.
Thanks guys.

[1Shirt]

Age and experiance doesn't eliminate mistakes! That said, there is an old yankee sayin "the only people who don't make mistakes is them that don't do nothing!" So much for old sayings!
1Shirt!

[Elkins45]

Age and experiance doesn't eliminate mistakes! That said, there is an old yankee sayin "the only people who don't make mistakes is them that don't do nothing!" So much for old sayings!
1Shirt!

I would go so far as to say that experience sometimes CAUSES the mistakes because the task has become familiar to us.

Sal Glesser, owner of the knife company Spyderco, did an instructional video for their fantastic Sharpmaker knife sharpener. In the video he talks about the importance of installing the hand guards before sharpening, and he makes the point that it's not the new users who slice their hands open because they are paying attention. He says it's the guys who have used it a lot and have gotten careless/complacent.

[1Shirt]

Elkins, I agree with you!
1Shirt!

[btroj]

I do like Rocky does. A basket of primed, ready tomload cases. Case has powder dropped,then a bullet is seated.
No loading blocks for me.

[**oneshot**]

I use 2 blocks and transfer back and forth through each step. Once the block is full of charged cases, flashlight verified, I seat boolits, change operations and crimp.
The blocks are just there to keep my cases upright.