Yul Lose Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 This morning I set up my Dillon 650 with the 44-40 head and changed the shell plate and started reloading. About every third or fourth cartridge set off the low powder beep so I fiddled with it and still had powder drop issues. I finally tore the powder measure down and found a dead spider just down in the measure below the funnel. I bought a used Dillon powder measure awhile back and it didn’t have one of the pewter lids so I had stolen the one off of this one to use on another one that I had on the press and I guess the spider crawled in and couldn’t get out. I cleaned it all out and put it back together and it works flawlessly now. Let’s hear your story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 So, do we now call you "Spiderman"? OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 I had a beetle do that somehow about 4 years ago. Ended up with a bunch of pocket pistol ammo that varied quite a bit in noise and power. Now I dump the powder after every loading session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 I had a customer tell me he found a mangle case in his powder measure...he said it had to have come from the factory with the case in it! Just to be clear ... it wasn’t Clean Shot! it was one of St. Mark’s Powder Company powders. I have heard other stories but I am too tired from moving to remember them! Hugs! Scarlett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Stock Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 I used to prime on the press on my Lee single stage Challenger. Used to being the key word here. A tiny metal shaving from either brass or a primer found its way into the primer arm assembly cup where the new primer sits. Upon inserting a new primer into the case, it detonated against the metal shaving. While my ears were still ringing, the wife came down into the garage to see what happened and to check on me. Since then, I prime with a hand priming tool and wear eye and ear protection whilst doing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 I used to store all my cleaned brass in a set of metal parts bin drawers. They are about 6X6X18 with no top but capable of having a divider about every inch. I also keep loaded ammo in them 1 draw per load. Use the dividers so that I am always using up the oldest ammo first. Last year we had an awful black cricket invasion. This spring I pulled out a drawer of brass and loaded 1000 rounds of smokeless 38. Then switch and started a run of APP 38s. Had a case over flow so I pulled all the cases in the press and started over. Again the case overflowed. This time I checked the previous case and the powder level was correct. Dumped out the offending case and discovered the very dried remains of a cricket. Found two more after I started inspecting brass. As my smokeless 38s are loaded with 2.7 grains of Clays if there was a cricket in any of the cases the powder wouldn't have over flowed so they went unnoticed. Now I have 1000 rounds of practice ammo. Not worried about over pressuring a case as the crickets are very dry, mostly air and all my firearms are chambered in .357. However if I get a fail to fire I'll be worrying about a hangfire caused by a smouldering cricket carcass the somehow prevents the powder from igniting. Reran all my cases back through the tumbler and purchased plastic ammo cans to store my now really really clean brass in so that this doesn't happen again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Stock Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 2 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said: smouldering cricket carcass Now there's a SASS alias! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendo Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said: I used to store all my cleaned brass in a set of metal parts bin drawers. They are about 6X6X18 with no top but capable of having a divider about every inch. I also keep loaded ammo in them 1 draw per load. Use the dividers so that I am always using up the oldest ammo first. Last year we had an awful black cricket invasion. This spring I pulled out a drawer of brass and loaded 1000 rounds of smokeless 38. Then switch and started a run of APP 38s. Had a case over flow so I pulled all the cases in the press and started over. Again the case overflowed. This time I checked the previous case and the powder level was correct. Dumped out the offending case and discovered the very dried remains of a cricket. Found two more after I started inspecting brass. As my smokeless 38s are loaded with 2.7 grains of Clays if there was a cricket in any of the cases the powder wouldn't have over flowed so they went unnoticed. Now I have 1000 rounds of practice ammo. Not worried about over pressuring a case as the crickets are very dry, mostly air and all my firearms are chambered in .357. However if I get a fail to fire I'll be worrying about a hangfire caused by a smouldering cricket carcass the somehow prevents the powder from igniting. Reran all my cases back through the tumbler and purchased plastic ammo cans to store my now really really clean brass in so that this doesn't happen again. So if you're shooting a stage and it bang and chirps, is that a M or a P? I'm asking for a friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 3 hours ago, Scarlett said: I had a customer tell me he found a mangle case in his powder measure...he said it had to have come from the factory with the case in it! Just to be clear ... it wasn’t Clean Shot! it was one of St. Mark’s Powder Company powders. I have heard other stories but I am too tired from moving to remember them! Hugs! Scarlett Scarlett, Just to understand; when you said your customer found a “mangle case” in his powder measure did you mean a crushed (mangled) cartridge case? If not a typo, then what is a “mangle case? I never heard the term. It just sets me to wondering how a crushed cartridge case could find its way into a factory container of any powder manufacturer’s product container, unless it was an employee act of sabotage. I’m just thinking there shouldn’t be any (other) ammo components in or around a powder manufacturing facility. That is strange. Cat Brules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom, SASS #54973 Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 5 hours ago, Cat Brules said: Scarlett, Just to understand; when you said your customer found a “mangle case” in his powder measure did you mean a crushed (mangled) cartridge case? If not a typo, then what is a “mangle case? I never heard the term. It just sets me to wondering how a crushed cartridge case could find its way into a factory container of any powder manufacturer’s product container, unless it was an employee act of sabotage. I’m just thinking there shouldn’t be any (other) ammo components in or around a powder manufacturing facility. That is strange. Cat Brules I was thinking she was talking about s mangled suitcase...I mean come on... You need to go back to the "Leadfoot" thread ... Phantom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 My 550 apparently operates in a "gravity" warp. The silly little spent primer chute does not respond to gravity in the expected manner. It will let spent primers drop onto the primer feed bar and jam just shy of position under the ram. I took the chute off, cleaned and polished it, deburred the cotter pin pivot and finally, in desperation, super glued about half a dozen #7 1/2 shot to the side of the chute, beyond the pivot point. We went from a 25% failure rate to twice in 400 rounds loaded. That was all it took to reinstall "gravity" on my bench. Imis can I claim to have debugged it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Mangled case... I think it was from a vendor who May have repackaged ... which would be a violation.... but yes, a mangled brass case! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tequila Shooter Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 16 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said: Now I have 1000 rounds of practice ammo. Not worried about over pressuring a case as the crickets are very dry, mostly air and all my firearms are chambered in .357. However if I get a fail to fire I'll be worrying about a hangfire caused by a smouldering cricket carcass the somehow prevents the powder from igniting. Reran all my cases back through the tumbler and purchased plastic ammo cans to store my now really really clean brass in so that this doesn't happen again. That's what you get for loading smokeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tequila Shooter Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Just yesterday I was loading 9mm on a Dillon SDB and for some reason it "spit" out good primer, nothing wrong with the primer just spit it out before it got into the seating hole. It did it a second time still don't know why, loaded another 300 rounds and it never did it again. Must've been gremlins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Church Key, SASS # 33713 Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Loading for a BP match using APP. Noticed powder stopped dropping. Found a tiny bag of desiccant jamming the hopper. Discovered the manufacturer puts them in the APP canister, but does not mention it anywhere. Stopped shooting BP as its too much of a PIA for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 There are two or three of those bags in every bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 7 hours ago, Church Key, SASS # 33713 said: . Found a tiny bag of desiccant jamming the hopper. Discovered the manufacturer puts them in the APP canister, The APP is very...hydroscopic...I think that’s the word...draws moisture... so it needs the desiccant bag... I was told to look for it when pouring into my hopper... I use a funnel so it catches it in case it sneaks by me. It’s good someone told me ...I’m not big on reading the labels. Give BP another shot! It’s such fun and the APP is easy clean up! Big hugs! Scarlett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusta B. Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 On 6/27/2020 at 3:58 PM, Church Key, SASS # 33713 said: Loading for a BP match using APP. Noticed powder stopped dropping. Found a tiny bag of desiccant jamming the hopper. Discovered the manufacturer puts them in the APP canister, but does not mention it anywhere. Stopped shooting BP as its too much of a PIA for me. You're supposed to shoot them - not insert them ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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