ortega Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I was reloading last night and after about 50 rounds, I noticed that at least the last 5 provably 10 the powder bar was not reaching the full move and the powder was not dispenced. I fix the problem but the question is how can I know what cartridges were made with no powder on them? If by mistake I fire one of them the bullet will go out of the barrel? Or is best to trow them all of the suspect 50 cartridges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Amish 1 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Hi, you were lucky that you only loaded 50 or so. The lack of powder can mean a squib and the bullet may not make it out of the barrel - the next round after that do extreme damage to yur gun and possibly you. Don't shoot them and buy yourself a "bullet puller" at a reloading store (around $20). Measuring the weight on handgun rounds may not do the trick to determine which one has powder because there are variations in brass weight. Good luck with your new purchase! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ortega Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 That was the other option I was thinking. Measuere the weight but I loaded 3.6 grains of powder on this 9mm case and wondering the variation will be minimum to idetify them. Thanks for the advise I will stop by this afternoon and get the bullet puller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 id pull them. 3.6 gr is a small variation. if it were a 20 or 30 gr rifle charge, weighing them shoudl suffice. Id put them in a coffee can to the side and get a bullet puller of some kind to check these. If anything, pulling 50 will make you a bit more conscious to look into the case for powder in each one and hopefully you wont have to pull more. and be glad it was only 50, not 500 (I've heard some stories,haha) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganShootist Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 (edited) Brass weights vary a lot... so I also vote for pulling them Edited February 23, 2011 by MichiganShootist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARKAVELI Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 +1 pull em! Better to correct a mistake then pay the price later. Imo if you weigh the cartrige it will weigh +/- and still not give youthe right weight even if the bullet weighs 124gr for example it. Sometimes can be off a tenth or if the brass might also be different in weight so don't go off the weight of the completed cartridge.... When I load I stay@ 50 completed cartridge test em take notes, cause I also read and heard of stories, I wonder that person is still pulling those loads? =-O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metalguy Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Been there, and did weigh the loads, found them to be too close to really tell! So...pulling them is indeed the right answer....bummer. I had a squib, and the bullet does NOT exit the barrel. I am lucky, I paid attention, as they sounded markedly different, and I stopped shooting to find a bullet lodged in the barrel. I took the pistol home, and pressed the bullet out, using a piece of brass, turned down to just undersize. I then separated ALL of the cartridges I had reloaded, and began pulling bullets! BTW, Hornady has a nice collet-type bullet puller I ended up using in a single stage press I have. Saves the bullet, and is easily used.-----Metalguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Someone around here (some sort of audio engineer, I think) once posted about a "squib tester" they made. The weight approach isn't reliable, so he ran a microphone and a set of headphones to a preamp. He then took each round, pressed the mic to it and shook it. He said he was able to identify the loaded rounds because he could hear the powder inside. I think that is a very cool solution. **There's a million thousand maybe-several-hundred dollar idea for someone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisonresq Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I started verifying that powder was in every 50th or so case and when I verified that it was in both the first round and the last (50th) I'd pull that pile out of the hopper and box em up. That way the most you may ever have to toss would be 50. Believe me, learned this the heard way. BTW, I also verified proper powder weight for the 1st and 50th rounds of every 50 round group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ortega Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 Thanks for all you posts. Yesterday I got the RCBS bullet puller and works just fine. I found 8 out of 50 without powder. Lesson learned, I have a dillon 550 and now is working great. Every single stroke I make sure the powder bar is activated all the way and that primer cup is filled correctly. Also check for powder on the case every 20 or 40 loads with a mirror. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARKAVELI Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 That is great you pulled em, you might be out a few gn's of powder but atleast you got your brass bullets and most important your limbs and weapon s.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calishootr Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 i sold an extra press to a budding reloader, with it, i also threw in a bullet puller, he asked what for??? i told him at somep oint, this will become your best friend, 6 months later he called to thank me, because in his haste to load last minute match ammo he neglected to look up at the powder container(empty) and they were mixed so no way to tell, sooo pull em all...like was said before the bigger powder charges you 'mite' be able to weigh em and tell, but as i was always told, wen in doubt, pull it....not worth blowin up an expensive gun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik S. Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 (edited) Note: Assuming you're using a Dillon 550: If your powder plunger is set up properly, you should never have a problem actuating the bar on the UPWARDS stroke. It sounds like you've got the problem fixed for now, but there may still be something configured improperly on your press. Try tightening down the nut on the failsafe rod (the rod that goes from the powder system to your shellplate). If it's too lose, the rounded ends of the levers on the powder system will be contacting something on the upstroke. This could cause binding of some sort. Either way, if it WAS binding, you'd end up with a seriously belled case mouth. Is your powder die screwed down far enough so that the powder funnel/plunger inside the powder die is FULLY actuating the powder bar? Also a note on the weighing technique. Definitely a no-go with only 3.6 grains of powder. Granted I'm loading for .45 and have much heavier bullets, but I've had bullets themselves vary by that much (since I shoot lead). Considering that as well as case weight variation, be very careful when using that approach. *edit for clarity Edited February 24, 2011 by Erik S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ortega Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 Yes I'm using a 550. And I notice that the problem was on the two screws that hold the powder funel/system to the powder die. That litle piecs was inverted and the guide did not went all the way, so after some strokes the powder system moved up the powder dy and the system could not activate the powder bar completely. I disasembly the powder system and put the pieces in the correct way with the guide pointing down, tighten the screws (I saw the difference) and now the powder system is right in place and tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Ryder Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Pull them all out of the ammo can and put them in the screw up can. 5$ worth of bullets does not justify having to buy a new gun and explaining to the Emergency room staff, AND your wife, why you screwed up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerryinokc Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) This isn't a sarcastic question, but on my 550 I look at every single load before placement of the bullet. Is that not part of your routine? I'm more than likely missing something. Just wondering. Whatever the process, I hope you get your answer. Edit: I guess you reload while seated? Edited February 28, 2011 by Jerryinokc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snake32 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 i load while seated but can still see the powder in my cases before setting the bullet on top. but i guess 10.5 gr of powder is easy to see in a 38sc as it almost fills the case to the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewiston Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 OP, I strongly recommend you pickup a powder check system. I happen to use the RCBS lock out die which works great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik S. Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 If it makes you feel any better, we ALL have to pull bullets sooner or later no matter how much experience we have. I just seated 15 match grade .308 rounds too deep! My die was set up for another bullet and those rounds take me a LONG time to make since I do so much brass prep and weigh each charge. Needless to say....time to get out the bullet puller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 This isn't a sarcastic question, but on my 550 I look at every single load before placement of the bullet. Is that not part of your routine? I'm more than likely missing something. Just wondering. Whatever the process, I hope you get your answer. Edit: I guess you reload while seated? I load standing and I have both a small gooseneck lamp and a swivel-mounted mirror over the bullet seating station so I can more easily see the powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik S. Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 This isn't a sarcastic question, but on my 550 I look at every single load before placement of the bullet. Is that not part of your routine? I'm more than likely missing something. Just wondering. Whatever the process, I hope you get your answer. Edit: I guess you reload while seated? I load standing and I have both a small gooseneck lamp and a swivel-mounted mirror over the bullet seating station so I can more easily see the powder. Good idea! I'm gonna do that! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagger10k Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 That's a cool idea! I long ago noticed that I could hear the powder in a single round of 7.62x54R, or a mag full of 40 s&w, but not a single 40. I wonder if my electronic ear pro will make let me hear it? Someone around here (some sort of audio engineer, I think) once posted about a "squib tester" they made. The weight approach isn't reliable, so he ran a microphone and a set of headphones to a preamp. He then took each round, pressed the mic to it and shook it. He said he was able to identify the loaded rounds because he could hear the powder inside. I think that is a very cool solution. **There's a million thousand maybe-several-hundred dollar idea for someone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 That's a cool idea! I long ago noticed that I could hear the powder in a single round of 7.62x54R, or a mag full of 40 s&w, but not a single 40. I wonder if my electronic ear pro will make let me hear it? Someone around here (some sort of audio engineer, I think) once posted about a "squib tester" they made. The weight approach isn't reliable, so he ran a microphone and a set of headphones to a preamp. He then took each round, pressed the mic to it and shook it. He said he was able to identify the loaded rounds because he could hear the powder inside. I think that is a very cool solution. **There's a million thousand maybe-several-hundred dollar idea for someone! That's a good thought. I don't have any rounds without powder but making a couple shouldn't be hard. I think I'll try it and see if my electronic ears can pick up the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Hmmm... lets see... Well, I think that sounds like about 3.7 grains Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik S. Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Hmmm... lets see... Well, I think that sounds like about 3.7 grains Well...I think the point would be to determine if there is powder in the case at all. After that it's up to the measure to dispense properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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