Worst reloading horror story.

[Lefty Dude, SASS # 51223]

Y'all say reloading is not "Rocket Science". I believe you now !!!!!

[Lead Friend, SASS #53635]

3 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

What is awesome that you can add to media?

 

I would prefer to add some awesome to my loads so they all hit the target!

[Hoss]

1 hour ago, Lefty Dude, SASS # 51223 said:

Y'all say reloading is not "Rocket Science". I believe you now !!!!!

well, actually, reloading IS rocket science!

[Bittertrigger]

20 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Tip for inertia pullers is to throw that universal collet in the trash and use the shell holder from your press, Much faster and more secure than that three piece rubber band contraption.

Dang you Sedalia Dave 

I read that and had to try it 

work just like you said 

[Czexican Dave]

There have been a few, but the most memorable was a half century ago, and my very first experience at reloading - in fact my very first cartridge.  As a youngster, I'd watched my Dad reloading a variety of rifle shell, never quite understanding the details.  I was 12 when my parents gave me a brand new Ruger 10-22 Deluxe for Christmas.  I decided to reload a .22LR cartridge by pulling bullets from .22 cartridges, with pliers, and pouring the powder from one to fill to-the-brim the case of the other.  Then used the pliers to "reseat" the bullet.  Now some of you readers might be thinking this is destined to not end well.

 

On my next tip to the woods, I had a really hard time chambering and getting the bolt to close on my "reload".  I then inserted a full 10-round rotary magazine.  My 12-year old self did have sense enough to one-handed hold out the gun at arms length before setting off that magnum, hyper-velocity reload.  It was really, really loud.  The reload went off as did every round in the rotary magazine below.  Bulged the chamber/barrel and receiver; split the stock; and mangled most moving parts.  As I recall, only the buttstock plate was undamaged - and me, although my hand stung and ears ringed.  Picked up a few piece of shrapnel from the ground.

 

Probably wasn't exactly candid to my Dad as to what led up to the one and only shot.  He took it back to Target and they or Ruger replaced it with a new rifle.   I've bought a lot of Rugers since then.  And, I educated myself on reloading before starting for myself a few years later.

 

[Eyesa Horg]

16 hours ago, Lead Friend, SASS #53635 said:

 

I would prefer to add some awesome to my loads so they all hit the target!

Maybe some ground up magnetic particles in the lead

[Cheyenne Culpepper 32827]

another time while loading shotshells I made the mistake of using a federal wad in AAs,,,  felt a lil bump but thot,,,"oh, it's not that bad" and then knowing I should've checked it out further, but didn't, I loaded 200,,  only to tear them all apart when I finally did shell check them,,  ugh!!!

 

[Noz]

A former employee (died of old age) loaded a 20 ga shell with powder he had salvaged from a bunch of 22 shells.  He fired his super shell at a rabbit. No trace was found of the rabbit or the barrel of the single shot shotgun.  The action and the handguard were still in his hands after the smoke cleared.  He had not a scratch on him.

[San Joaquin Shootist]

Here is one I read about in 2011. I save the link and read it from time to time. Always wear eye protection when loading ammo or shooting is the moral to the story.

 

Click link--> http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=495909

[Slowhand Bob, 24229]

Lotsa years ago LEE came out with their bullet feeder, which I promptly purchased and put on one of my Loadmasters.  I still think it actually required more time to load with this new time saving device BUT thats another debate for another time.  Fast forward to my next SASS match and while loading up at the loading table I encounter a round of .45 Colt that wouldnt chamber in my Ruger V.  For some reason this somewhat fired me up and I was ready to seek out a hammer to solve the problem.  Fortunately I decided to investigate rather than detonate and low and behold the round looked like it was eight months pregnant.  Seems somehow between me and the confound bullet feed there were two big old heavy .45 slugs inside that case and I am very sure there was a mighty compressed load of smokeless under them!  If your honest answer to 'why' reloading is that you only do it to save buying the ammo, you need to be far more considerate and careful during that time spent reloading.  Guys that love the time and effort that they put into this part of their shooting sport will, I believe, be much more attentive.  Those like me are, on the other hand, just trying to get to the next stage AND really need to concentrate on their safety habits with much more care!

[Texas Jack Daniels]

Let a relative reload once.  They triple charged a bunch on .44 mags that were a hot load to begin with.  The Super Blackhawk completely exploded.  cylinder split nearly clean in two.  Top strap bent like tinfoil, both grips shattered,........

[Marshal TKD, Sass # 36984L]

I know I was not the first on this one and will not be the last. I was loading on my 650 and I was in a hurry, so I was running the machine fast. I just put 100 primers in the tube pulled the handle and boom all 100 primers detonated. The ran for cover, the house keeper screamed. Dillon does a great job of building a blast proof primer tube. All 100 primers went straight up and every where. The primer tube rod hit the ceiling and kinda crumpled up. I discover that is why it is made of plastic, it designed to crumple and not go through the ceiling.

My daddy always said I was hard headed. As it turns out once wasn't enough. The second time I felt the primer hang up and stoped and  then gently tried to force the primer into the pocket and it popped. Only one primer went off but it still damaged the press. 

Both times it was the result of S&B brass. After the second one I culled all of it. I thought about giving it to a friend (enemy).

When the house was painted the painted asked me if I wanted the weird looking dent in the ceiling fixed. I told him no.

[Jefro, SASS#69420]

Dang y'all are scaring the behebegebes outta me Don't know if I want to pick up the timer any more now Mr. TKD, I'm gonna guess those were Federal primers Good Luck

[Seamus McGillicuddy]

On 9/18/2017 at 1:01 PM, Bittertrigger said:

Dang you Sedalia Dave 

I read that and had to try it 

work just like you said 

What Bittertrigger said!  Guess that's why I waste, er spend, so much time lookin' at the Wire. 

 

Seamus

[Knarley Bob]

A long time ago, perhaps 20 years. I was just getting into reloading. I was loading .38 specials, and switched over to .357 mags. Checked the books, adjusted the powder charge, and started on my merry way. After the first, noticed the slug was way down deep in the case. Yup forgot to re do that. So I figured that the easiest way to clear the problem was to shoot out the slug, and restart. Went out the back door and shot it into the ground, no harm, no foul.

After about 20 minutes, I heard the door bell ring. The wife was upstairs and answered the door. I figured that if I was quiet and stayed down stairs I'd be safe..............(that's gonna work)

Wife hollers down the stairs, that "Denny" wanted to talk to me, Denny being the town cop. I decided that no matter what, I was telling the truth, so up the stairs I went. 

Marilyn had told Denny that she had not heard any thing  but he wanted to ask if I had heard any gunfire................

"Yeah, that would be me" I answered. "WHAT?" "Well".............I told him about my reloading mishap........."And you wanted the brass back?"........."Well.... yeah"

"Hang on". He got on his radio and called the TWO County Sheriffs coming lights and siren off............I didn't get ticketed, but was advised to find a better way to take care of such things........I got one of them hammer-take-the-bullet-apart-thingies now............

 

Knarley

 

[Grouchy Spike]

  My capable assistant and I had been loading 30-06 with IMR4064 on a Redding T7.  When that run was finished, one of us dumped the 4064 into the jug of IMR 4064 or so it was thought.     The next loading session was 45 acp for the LA State WB match so I ran 400 rounds of 45 acp with Trail Boss on the 550B.  During the match, my 45 acp demonstrated some variance in velocity, and sometimes the slide on the 1911 didn't lock back on empty.  Twice I moved to the next shooting position with the slide forward, earned a SDQ and then a MDQ.  Back at home I played detective looking for the problem, checking magazines, pulled cartridges apart, checking weight, shooting some more of those rounds at the local gun club, could not isolate  the problem.  Later I loaded up the powder dispenser in the 550B with Trail Boss to load up some more 45 acp, just happened to notice some black grains of powder mixed in with the Trail Boss.  In some sections of the powder column, the TB was clean, other parts had maybe 5% black grains max.  I emptied the hopper, looked at those black grains, saw that they were extruded grains.  I poured out some powder from the jug of Trail Boss, and sure enough there were MORE grains of extruded powder mixed with the TB. Recalling the previous loading sessions, I realized that either my assistant or I emptied IMR 4064 from the Redding powder measure into the jug of Trail Boss, contaminated the Trail Boss and then used the Trail Boss to load 45 acp for the State Match.

  Even though I only have one powder bottle on the bench at the time, somebody grabbed the wrong powder jug from beneath the bench.  My safety glasses used during reloading weren’t bifocals and the powder wasn’t in clear focus.  I have since fixed that problem, and now look closely at the powder every time it’s handled.

 

The amount of contamination by the 4064 was relatively small, never more than 5% but only a few grains of 4064 were required to effect the performance of the Trail Boss.

[Marshal TKD, Sass # 36984L]

On 9/21/2017 at 1:40 PM, Jefro, SASS#69420 said:

Dang y'all are scaring the behebegebes outta me Don't know if I want to pick up the timer any more now Mr. TKD, I'm gonna guess those were Federal primers Good Luck

Oh ya they where federal primers. I have since slowed down and do not load S&B brass.  

[Jefro, SASS#69420]

13 hours ago, Marshal TKD, Sass # 36984L said:

Oh ya they where federal primers. I have since slowed down and do not load S&B brass.  

Ah Ha!! The reason I asked is I have seen three examples where Dillon primer tubes stuck in ceiling, and one with Lee Auto Prime blasted (plastic), all with Federal primers. That's why I only use Winchester or "other" when loading BP. In fact Lee has/had at one time said do not use Federal with a particular press or prime system. Good Luck

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

had a bunch of primer tubes loaded for my Dillon.  Had some longer than normal tubes in the mix (from old vibrating primer loader?)

 

as I was reaching for one of the long ones it slipped out of my hand and hit the wooden floor.  Primers went off and I was picking pieces of aluminum tubing out of my lower legs for a week--of course I was in shorts

 

Wife was not too happy about the floor in the cupboard either

[SouthwestShooter]

So , here's your sign.................no reloading after midnight

[Griff]

Okay, the only parties that could have been injured was my pride, and the collected observers... i.e. my Posse!  The 1st year I shot BP (think Frontiersman today), we were required to load on the line... the second year we were allowed to charge our pistols off the line, but cap them at the loading table, much as it is still to this day.

 

Anyway, I was back in my trailer charging my pistols, as it was a slightly damp EOT that spring in Southern CA.  I had put powder and wads in all the chambers of my revolver (we only used 1 revolver in those early days), when my son (9 at the time) with some immediately pressing news... to an 9 year old.  I holstered my pistol and rushed out to tackle whatever that crisis was.  And as an aside, if you have an 9 year old son, treasure the time you can spend together... 'cause somewhere between then and 14, you become the stupidest, most uncool person on the face of the planet)!

 

My next stage had the dreaded "indian head KDs".  I knew that my little 77 grain .375 RBs would take them down if I hit them in the upper 3 inches.  5 of those bad boys, and were the last shots of the stage.  Through 10 rifle and IIRC 6 shotgun KDs I was clean... I stepped over to the pistol position and drew my 1851 ASM .36 caliber revolver and took careful aim at the top of the 1st indian.  Boom went my sedate charge of 3F BP, and watched spell-bound as that wad hit that 18" or so diameter indian head right about 3" from the top edge.  The thought barely had enough time to flicker thru my consciousness, "...that had to be a fluke..." when the second round repeated the exceptional accuracy and full effect of the 1st.  And so went the next three rounds... Those big ol' indian heads never trembled 

[Oddnews SASS# 24779]

My biggest reloading mistake has been not doing it and not participating in the sport for a long time. Hoping to fix that this winter.

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

Apart from two squibs early on, since corrected with a lock out die, using Clays loading data with Universal powder results in watching the bullet go down range.  Hit the target but I could have raced it down there and beat it.  Luckily, it wasn't the other way around.