Wellwhatdoyaknow . . . I'm human afterall
- Thread starter Nick_C_S
- Start date
I don't know if I brought this up but I loaded a couple hundred .38. Afterwards, I found out that my scale had gone off balance, and f o fund that it had measure.2 grains over weight.
Pulled all 200 by hand, with a hammer puller on an oak stump. Nothing works better than a great, heavy chunk of wood for one of those pullers, a bit of inner tube helps make it work even better. The rubber creates an elastic collision, adding even more pull, and it's a lot easier on your hands.
Pulled all 200 by hand, with a hammer puller on an oak stump. Nothing works better than a great, heavy chunk of wood for one of those pullers, a bit of inner tube helps make it work even better. The rubber creates an elastic collision, adding even more pull, and it's a lot easier on your hands.
jetinteriorguy
New member
I've also had a couple of fun times pulling bullets apart. When I first got my AR and was learning about it, I didn't know about slam fires. One day while shooting with some friends, one of them had a slam fire and not knowing what it was I did some research. That's when I found out I had loaded up a thousand rounds with inappropriate primers. I hadn't had it happen yet so just to be safe I had about 900 left, so I bought a hornady collet puller and pulled them all down and reloaded them with proper primers. The second time I had inadvertently misread the scale on my balance beam and accidentally overloaded some .357 rounds with 5 grains too much on an already stout load. When I touched off one of these in my Model 27, whoa that had some snort. Went to eject and had to beat a little on the ejector with my hand to get it out. Good thing that gun is a tank. Luckily no damage, so I had 50 of these to pull down. Next day I bought a nice older RCBS 505 and it's much easier to read. I took this scale into our calibration shop at work and they checked it for me, and even though this is a fairly old scale it's still spot on. So is the newer Lyman as long as I set it right.
rivertrash
New member
This is a great reminder for all of us, no matter how much experience we have, that even with good habits things can go south. I think you had a pretty good regimen of ensuring your reloading practices were safe. It just goes to show you that things can and will happen. After I powder charge my cases I always do a visual to ensure each one has powder. Where you are wet cleaning your cases it would be obvious if one of those bright shiny cases were empty by simply eyeballing them in the shell block from above. I have done this as a precaution as I did the same thing you did! Thanks for the reminder to use caution when reloading!
jetinteriorguy
New member
Yeah, even though I've been shooting for over 50 years and reloading for over 30, I've always had AK's and Ruger Mini's so am very new to AR's. I loaded all these with CCI small rifle primers and had shot a few hundred while developing loads for 55, 69, and 75 gr bullets without any problems. One of my coworkers is a very experienced Reloader with a lot of AR knowledge, and even though he has used these same primers for years in his AR's without a slam fire, once I found out they aren't recommended I figured if anything would go wrong it would happen to me. So rather than take a chance I just pulled them down to be safe.
I had one slamfire with an AR10 clone using CCI's, but I don't think it was the primers fault.
I was using LC brass that I swaged primer pockets on.......old hard stuff dated 1967. I knew that high primers in an AR were bad news, and I thought I had that covered.
Not so. I loaded 50 and started shooting.....about the 10th shot I got a double bang! That's a bit unnerving when you get a machinegun effect.....even if it IS just two rounds!
What I found was 3 high primers including the one that went off in my batch of 50. (these were loaded on a progressive)
A little research, (unloading the other two high primer rounts, and removing the spent primer on the one that slam fired) and I found the problem.......the swager sliced off a little ring of brass instead of swaging it outward.......that is, the little sliver circle of brass was pushed to the bottom of the pocket!!........thus the primer was raised sitting on top.
There was only 3 raised primers in the batch of 50......so happily I didn't have to pull the other 47.
No more slam fires out of my Remington R25 after that.....still using CCI's.....properly recessed (once you have a slamfire, you check each and every round for a high primer!!!
BTW, I uniform the pockets when I prep "new to me" LC military stuff.....the uniformer just spins on top of a loose sliver of brass......so now I also watch carefully for the brass bits that come out of the pockets while using a uniformer......I have caught a few more cases since ... where the swager sheared ... instead of swaged!
I was using LC brass that I swaged primer pockets on.......old hard stuff dated 1967. I knew that high primers in an AR were bad news, and I thought I had that covered.
Not so. I loaded 50 and started shooting.....about the 10th shot I got a double bang! That's a bit unnerving when you get a machinegun effect.....even if it IS just two rounds!
What I found was 3 high primers including the one that went off in my batch of 50. (these were loaded on a progressive)
A little research, (unloading the other two high primer rounts, and removing the spent primer on the one that slam fired) and I found the problem.......the swager sliced off a little ring of brass instead of swaging it outward.......that is, the little sliver circle of brass was pushed to the bottom of the pocket!!........thus the primer was raised sitting on top.
There was only 3 raised primers in the batch of 50......so happily I didn't have to pull the other 47.
No more slam fires out of my Remington R25 after that.....still using CCI's.....properly recessed (once you have a slamfire, you check each and every round for a high primer!!!
BTW, I uniform the pockets when I prep "new to me" LC military stuff.....the uniformer just spins on top of a loose sliver of brass......so now I also watch carefully for the brass bits that come out of the pockets while using a uniformer......I have caught a few more cases since ... where the swager sheared ... instead of swaged!
Last edited:
condor bravo
New member
With a double, caused by a slam or something else, you hope to never have a triple or quad. Standing with an '06 Garand could knock you over. Just those doubles do get your attention.
condor bravo
New member
Ouch, and ending up with a bloody eye, I'm sure I'm following what you are saying.
Never had a slam fire. Right now, I'm having real problems with failure to set off the primers. The primers on reloads are harder th a factory and the hammer springs a unbelievably week. A dud round like that grabs me clear to the scrotum.
I had a base rip open all the way down at the rim a while back. The shock of the round dumping down into the receiver wasn't even as shocking as a dud in the middle of a series of rounds.
I had a base rip open all the way down at the rim a while back. The shock of the round dumping down into the receiver wasn't even as shocking as a dud in the middle of a series of rounds.
A boost of confidence
Went to the range today. First time since the infamous squib load. I needed to practice with my Smith M67 for an IDPA match this Saturday.
Put 57 speedloaded cylinder's worth (that's 342 rounds, in case you didn't have a calculator handy) downrange with no problems. That's a lot of rounds for me for one day. Typically, I usually shoot about 170 - 200 per session. My range is only 3 miles away from home, so I have the luxury of being able to go often. Shot pretty well. Ready for Saturday.
Anyway, they all went 'bang.' Just like the 150,000 prior to the squib
Went to the range today. First time since the infamous squib load. I needed to practice with my Smith M67 for an IDPA match this Saturday.
Put 57 speedloaded cylinder's worth (that's 342 rounds, in case you didn't have a calculator handy) downrange with no problems. That's a lot of rounds for me for one day. Typically, I usually shoot about 170 - 200 per session. My range is only 3 miles away from home, so I have the luxury of being able to go often. Shot pretty well. Ready for Saturday.
Anyway, they all went 'bang.' Just like the 150,000 prior to the squib
g.willikers
New member
Not meaning to send this thread off in another direction, (oops, too late),
a 342 round practice session seems kind of excessive.
For both checking the ammo and all the other things we like to practice for.
Not that I didn't used to do that, too.
Until realizing it wasn't necessary to stay sharp without burning all that ammo and the tedious reloading required to replace it.
More chance to screw up a load?
Maybe we could have another thread on focused practice with limited amounts of ammo?
a 342 round practice session seems kind of excessive.
For both checking the ammo and all the other things we like to practice for.
Not that I didn't used to do that, too.
Until realizing it wasn't necessary to stay sharp without burning all that ammo and the tedious reloading required to replace it.
More chance to screw up a load?
Maybe we could have another thread on focused practice with limited amounts of ammo?
Round count at range trips
Yesterday's trip to the range and subsequent round count had nothing to do the squib last week. So we're changing the subject and it's all good
It would probably be helpful to know that I did a lot of "support hand (left) only" practice. The competition I'm attending tomorrow historically tends to have a stage or two where "support hand only" is at least a part of it.
So of those 342, well over 100 of it was shooting one-handed left.
I know when I'm tired and it's time to pack it in. Been at this a long time. The gun was light (and it's had a mild trigger job) and so were the rounds (my "IDPA rounds" = 148g @ 724 f/s). And the alternating hands thing afforded me some extra play time, if you will. I wasn't tired. Could have gone longer.
But typically, my day at the range is about 200 rounds, more or (usually a little) less.
Yesterday's trip to the range and subsequent round count had nothing to do the squib last week. So we're changing the subject and it's all good
It would probably be helpful to know that I did a lot of "support hand (left) only" practice. The competition I'm attending tomorrow historically tends to have a stage or two where "support hand only" is at least a part of it.
So of those 342, well over 100 of it was shooting one-handed left.
I know when I'm tired and it's time to pack it in. Been at this a long time. The gun was light (and it's had a mild trigger job) and so were the rounds (my "IDPA rounds" = 148g @ 724 f/s). And the alternating hands thing afforded me some extra play time, if you will. I wasn't tired. Could have gone longer.
But typically, my day at the range is about 200 rounds, more or (usually a little) less.
g.willikers
New member
Some of my practice sessions easily exceeded 250 to 300 rounds.
Sometimes as much as 400, and that was much lower than some of the other folks.
But without losing any skills, I eventually got the practice round count to less than 100, and quite often even less.
It just took some planning and realizing that was more useful.
For example, for weak hand practice, this method worked very well:
Draw, transfer gun, shoot two rounds, repeat as necessary.
For an added bit, reload between double taps using what ever method works.
Another version is to change back and forth between strong and weak hands every two rounds.
For general stage practice, draw and double tap one target, reload and run, (or run and reload, depending on the game rules), to a second shoot box, then double tap the same target.
Using two targets, double tap one, swing to the other, double tap that one, back to the first one, and so on, with an occasional reload in between.
Repeat until satisfied.
And so on, practicing specific skills as needed or desired.
Cuts way down on the needed ammo and even the number of targets and seemed to actually make an improvement in skill development over previous higher round methods.
Sometimes as much as 400, and that was much lower than some of the other folks.
But without losing any skills, I eventually got the practice round count to less than 100, and quite often even less.
It just took some planning and realizing that was more useful.
For example, for weak hand practice, this method worked very well:
Draw, transfer gun, shoot two rounds, repeat as necessary.
For an added bit, reload between double taps using what ever method works.
Another version is to change back and forth between strong and weak hands every two rounds.
For general stage practice, draw and double tap one target, reload and run, (or run and reload, depending on the game rules), to a second shoot box, then double tap the same target.
Using two targets, double tap one, swing to the other, double tap that one, back to the first one, and so on, with an occasional reload in between.
Repeat until satisfied.
And so on, practicing specific skills as needed or desired.
Cuts way down on the needed ammo and even the number of targets and seemed to actually make an improvement in skill development over previous higher round methods.
Last edited:
Glad you caught it , not charging a case is embarrassing , but not noticing the lack of report, recoil and hole in the target and then firing another bullet behind it is much worse....that's really being asleep at the wheel.
So you did good. No matter how careful you are, load long enough and you going to miss charging one...we all do it sooner or later.
An experience like the squib load kind of kicks up your careful factor a notch.
Load safe,
Gary
So you did good. No matter how careful you are, load long enough and you going to miss charging one...we all do it sooner or later.
An experience like the squib load kind of kicks up your careful factor a notch.
Load safe,
Gary
condor bravo
New member
Disintegrating the M-1 carbine
Didn't want to jump into this thread but will come clean and do so. Firing a .30 M-1 carbine using CCI #41 milspec primers, was getting a large number of misfires. Throughout the confusion an out of powder round must have snuck its way in, was unnoticed and thinking it was another misfire, the bullet did its usual thing. Failed to notice that the extracted case lacked a bullet. The next shot fired and pieces of the carbine went here and there, the barrel and receiver in one piece, the trigger group in another, and the stock in about four or five pieces. No one was scratched and, to avoid embarrassment, no one even noticed. I immediately gathered up the pieces, put them together to somehow resemble a gun, and hid it back into a case.
Next step was to immediately run into the gun room to purchase another carbine. Two were available, one with a better looking stock than the other so selected that one. Turned out it had a rather bent barrel which is not all that uncommon with carbines, making it impossible to get a sight adjustment and be on target. However was able to straighten the barrel myself, sighted it in, and it shoots fine. Still haven't done anything with the pieces of the destroyed carbine, just put them into recycling I guess.
I'll join the group of those who have been humanized.
Didn't want to jump into this thread but will come clean and do so. Firing a .30 M-1 carbine using CCI #41 milspec primers, was getting a large number of misfires. Throughout the confusion an out of powder round must have snuck its way in, was unnoticed and thinking it was another misfire, the bullet did its usual thing. Failed to notice that the extracted case lacked a bullet. The next shot fired and pieces of the carbine went here and there, the barrel and receiver in one piece, the trigger group in another, and the stock in about four or five pieces. No one was scratched and, to avoid embarrassment, no one even noticed. I immediately gathered up the pieces, put them together to somehow resemble a gun, and hid it back into a case.
Next step was to immediately run into the gun room to purchase another carbine. Two were available, one with a better looking stock than the other so selected that one. Turned out it had a rather bent barrel which is not all that uncommon with carbines, making it impossible to get a sight adjustment and be on target. However was able to straighten the barrel myself, sighted it in, and it shoots fine. Still haven't done anything with the pieces of the destroyed carbine, just put them into recycling I guess.
I'll join the group of those who have been humanized.
Last edited:
I really, seriously, am fed up with reloading, shooting, the whole thing. Today's range trip began with taking three guns, but only ammo for two. Ran fifty rounds through my .357 and a primer failed to fire. I presume that happened, as there was nothing but a click. I just put them together and I'm as positive as I can be that there were no powder errors.
My .380 is once again bringing my bp up. I wanted to use up a box of new loads. This time it worked far better, powder burned better, no muck flying out of the barrel, yet still, when I dropped a few rounds at six feet, the paper was badly pitted with sandblasing from uninvited powder. I surrender, I decided last week to try a new powder, and of course, I forgot to take the new rounds. Strike two, no nine mm, no new .380.
To add to the annoyance, out of fifty rounds, twelve dimpled and didn't fire. Lousy hammer springs.
My .380 is once again bringing my bp up. I wanted to use up a box of new loads. This time it worked far better, powder burned better, no muck flying out of the barrel, yet still, when I dropped a few rounds at six feet, the paper was badly pitted with sandblasing from uninvited powder. I surrender, I decided last week to try a new powder, and of course, I forgot to take the new rounds. Strike two, no nine mm, no new .380.
To add to the annoyance, out of fifty rounds, twelve dimpled and didn't fire. Lousy hammer springs.
condor bravo
New member
No brian, you can't be getting fed up just yet and possibly be thinking about quitting, not until you have had the BIG ONE, see my post #57. You're only getting started with common variety every day type miscues that we all do. But maybe you are serious, you have offered to sell your .40 brass.
But maybe you are serious, you have offered to sell your .40 brass.Nick,
You are letting one issue cloud your judgement. You have checked your rounds and all have powder. Your horizontal check is complete.
What would be the reason to expand the check vertically and look for double charges, missed crimps, high primers, etc?
More importantly 1:150k failure rate is not bad. You probably are exceeding the limits of human performance. Possibly charging in the progressive cycle with an eye check before seating could me a countermeasure??
You are letting one issue cloud your judgement. You have checked your rounds and all have powder. Your horizontal check is complete.
What would be the reason to expand the check vertically and look for double charges, missed crimps, high primers, etc?
More importantly 1:150k failure rate is not bad. You probably are exceeding the limits of human performance. Possibly charging in the progressive cycle with an eye check before seating could me a countermeasure??