bad reload experience

[Bersalover]

is there anyone who has done reloading and created an accident or dangerous situation? that is what has always held me back but I do not know how common it is to have a malfunction.

 

[kolob10]

Never had an accident reloading (44 years) but I am careful when reloading . I check and double check. I have a separate room for reloading. I never allow any distraction. Go ahead and jump in. It's just like driving a car for the first time - powerful and enjoyable machine when used properly.

 

[Aszerigan]

Malfunctions happen all the time in reloading, especially when you're starting out. A malfunction can be a failure to feed, a failure to fire, a squib, a double charge, primers seated backward, improper case sizing, etc. Follow the reloading threads on this forum and you'll see that it's a very common occurrence.

If by malfunction, you mean blowing yourself up - I think that's pretty rare, but not unheard of.

Having a solid base of how to reload in imperative before you start pulling the handle on a press. If you don't understand what you're doing, errors are 10 times more likely.

Take a reloading class - any class, offered by anyone that knows what they're doing. There are several here on the forum, as well as advertised at local firing ranges. It's the best way to avoid the majority of these situations.

Having said that, I taught myself how to reload by reading books - it was before the age of Youtube. You can do it safely if you do it PROPERLY. Don't rush, read all the manufacturers instructions before you start using their products, and ask all the questions you can. There is no such thing as a dumb question in the world of reloading, especially if it saves you time, money and fingers.

 

[shibumiseeker]

IF you stay well within published guidelines and are scrupulous about your habits then it's pretty safe.

I have reloaded in excess of a hundred thousand rounds and in that time I have had one bad incident. I also often am deliberately pushing the envelope of safety for various reasons and that incident was related to it.

With brass that hasn't been excessively loaded, with loads that are conservative, and with the proper steps taken, reloading and shooting those reloads is pretty safe, especially if you are wearing proper safety gear.

 

[03A3]

What kolob said.
No accidents here, but I have crushed a few case shoulders, ripped case necks, over crimped, over flared ect. I also ran a 30-06 case thru a 25-06 sizing die, which is ok if you intend to do it, but I didn't.
There is alot to know and alot of reading to do before you ever touch a press. My advice is to buy/find all the good info you can, like "The ABC's OF Reloading" and others, plus actual reloading manuals and read. Then read more. Take notes if you need to, that's never a bad idea.
Reloading manuals spell it all out for you. Other reloading related books supplement that info.
Attention to detail is crucial, from the time you decide you want to develop a load until after you've pulled the trigger.
And as Leo said a few days ago, keep good records. Do not rely on memory. What that means is document everything and retain those records. Write load info ect on your targets and keep them as well.

Added : These other guys are fast. They done got in here while I was still pecking.

 

[squirrelhntr]

I've been reloading for decades and had no problemo's cept forgetting a step sometimes. You need to purchase a bullet puller just incase. You have to pay attention. Get in a quite room with no interuptions. Some folks listen to music while reloading. It's very important to get the powder charge correct. Thats where you can have a serious, or deadly accident. Also it's important that your firearm is a good one. Ruger revolvers are probably the strongest built.

 

[AllenM]

I had a few squibs when I first got my progressive. But once I developed a system that problem went away.

 

[Cat-Herder]

I've had one squib out of tens of thousands of rounds loaded. No other problems ever made it to the range. I tend to load in stages, as I've had powder inconsistencies with all the powder throws I've used. It's just safer (IMO) to charge all my cases under a bright light, and check them for uniformity before loading.
As far as other "bad experiences"...just mechanical stuff. Crushed cases, broken decapping pins, mis-seated primers, etc. That stuff is just going to happen.
Get some books, watch a bunch of videos, do your research, take a class, whatever. Check, double-check, and then recheck your work. You'll be good to go. Reloading is a LOT of fun, and you'll always have new things to try out!

 

[03A3]

Also I recommend starting out with a single stage press. A few people have learned to reload while using a progressive press, but I wouldn't want to. There's alot of things to be looking for, and with a progressive most of it is going on all at once. That sounds like trouble to me.
I've been reloading for nearly 30 years, all on single stage presses. I very recently bought some Dillon stuff that is still in the boxes. I know as sure as the sun comes up in the East that I will run into trouble, and I had better be thinking about every move I make and watching close.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I can say that so far I have had no real issues. The only real mistake I have made is when using the hand primer to prime cases. I have gotten 3-4 stuck when not paying attention and they went in the primer pocket sideways. I was nervous when I fired my first batch of reloads. All went well though and I have had no issues. You get out what you put in. Take your time and check everything. If you rush or do not follow proper load data, you will make mistakes that will cost you.

 

[malern28us]

Also I recommend starting out with a single stage press. A few people have learned to reload while using a progressive press, but I wouldn't want to. There's alot of things to be looking for, and with a progressive most of it is going on all at once. That sounds like trouble to me.
I've been reloading for nearly 30 years, all on single stage presses. I very recently bought some Dillon stuff that is still in the boxes. I know as sure as the sun comes up in the East that I will run into trouble, and I had better be thinking about every move I make and watching close.

Seriously, get some xanax.
I am the biggest crap magnet on the planet and I learned on a Dillon progressive.
Just start slow and increase speed gradually.

 

[msd]

23 yrs of reloading, only one screw up. Forgot to load one row of 357's and one row was only 1/2 loads of bullseye. I misread the manual.
Needless I shot the 1/2 loads, and got to the no charges. Never made that mistake again.
I now double check all my manual load data and double check the blocks when loading on them

 

[DustyDawg48]

As others have stated it is more about just paying attention and having good equipment; a good quality scale is a must and a good reloading manual with published data concerning powder drops, bullet weight and overall bullet length is another must-have.

I'd say that you can start with any type of press, I did happen to start out reloading both shotgun and metallic on single-stages using a MEC Jr and an RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme respectively and there is some merit to starting that way. Having said that buying a good progressive press shouldn't present issues like you may see with lower quality gear.

The 2 issues I had with my first progressive was being able to verify the powder drop and then also verifying the primer was seated in the bullet. They make powder check dies that are great but my Hornady Lock-N-Load press has enough room that you can visually see the powder in the case before the bullet is seated on the press. Priming on the Hornady press is very simple since you push the handle forward and can feel the primer seat in the case and the shell plates are designed in such a way that you can easily remove the case to do a visual check on the bottom and then put it right back in without any interruption or issue.

Whatever press type and brand you buy don't less price influence you either way; beside with the cost savings you'll recoup the price of the reloading gear within the first few thousand rounds you load and the rest is just icing on the cake.

 

[youngda9]

I blew myself up once.

Worst thing ever was a squib load. Easily detected and remidied.

 

[03A3]

Originally Posted by 03A3
Also I recommend starting out with a single stage press. A few people have learned to reload while using a progressive press, but I wouldn't want to. There's alot of things to be looking for, and with a progressive most of it is going on all at once. That sounds like trouble to me.
I've been reloading for nearly 30 years, all on single stage presses. I very recently bought some Dillon stuff that is still in the boxes. I know as sure as the sun comes up in the East that I will run into trouble, and I had better be thinking about every move I make and watching close.

malern28us Seriously, get some xanax.
I am the biggest crap magnet on the planet and I learned on a Dillon progressive.
Just start slow and increase speed gradually.

I don't need no xanax's, thank you kindly.
You do it your way, I'll do it mine. Seriously.
And BTW I do honestly believe that I'll get along pretty well.

 

[malern28us]

Originally Posted by 03A3
Also I recommend starting out with a single stage press. A few people have learned to reload while using a progressive press, but I wouldn't want to. There's alot of things to be looking for, and with a progressive most of it is going on all at once. That sounds like trouble to me.
I've been reloading for nearly 30 years, all on single stage presses. I very recently bought some Dillon stuff that is still in the boxes. I know as sure as the sun comes up in the East that I will run into trouble, and I had better be thinking about every move I make and watching close.

malern28us Seriously, get some xanax.
I am the biggest crap magnet on the planet and I learned on a Dillon progressive.
Just start slow and increase speed gradually.

I don't need no xanax's, thank you kindly.
You do it your way, I'll do it mine. Seriously.
And BTW I do honestly believe that I'll get along pretty well.

I have no doubt you will do just fine. You sounded so unsure that you even scared me.

 

[03A3]

Not unsure, but cautious.
And that's what alot of us are saying about reloading, especially for someone that is starting out. Be alert and be use your head.
The last thing I'm trying to do is scare someone away from reloading. Done right it's relatively easy and satisfying. Just read up on it all you can and follow the advice of people who have been at it a while.
Stay safe.

 

[x10]

in my early days with a Lee progressive I had a double charge on a ruger 44 mag that swelled a cylinder that I had to send the gun back to ruger and they replaced the cylinder,

the worst I've had in years is an inverted primer that went pop but never ignited the powder, somehow it got past me 2 times, once on the bench and once while loading the mag,

Most of the time you'll find that more than one mistake happened for an event to go wrong

 

[LeeStreet]

I had my reloading equipment about a year before I loaded my first round. I purchased books, talked to people already reloading, bought reloading magazines. I wanted to be safe. The key is to check, & recheck, & not get distracted. As a treat to my wife, I always let her shoot the first few rounds that I've reloaded to make sure they go bang & function the gun properly.

 

[rimfire_crazed]

The worst thing that has ever happened to me on the firing line is a .44 mag that didn't get a powder charge. Pushed the primer out of the pocket and jammed up the cylinder a bit. No harm to shooter or firearm.

One thing that keeps me safe is that i absolutely do not choose powder charges that will allow me to double charge a case. If i double charge a case, the powder will be all over the reloading block and my bench.

This allows me a little bit of flexibility with distractions - which are sorta common in my house with 2 cats, 2 dogs, and a wife.