singing the double charge blues

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  • deviljunkie

    Plinker
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    Jan 22, 2012
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    Grandview
    Somehow must have double charged my 357. Cant remember any hiccups during loading so I dunno. R.I.P. please no flames......I realize it was my mistake. Just posted this to remind others just to be careful. Got lucky. No injuries whatsoever. Still have all my fingers
     
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    bwframe

    Loneranger
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    Feb 11, 2008
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    Somehow must have double charged my 357. Cant remember any hiccups during loading so I dunno. R.I.P. please no flames......I realize it was my mistake. Just posted this to remind others just to be careful.

    Wow, hope you are OK? No injuries? Guns are cheap compared to body parts...
     

    indyjohn

    PATRIOT
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    Dec 26, 2010
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    In the trees
    I worry about it all the time while I reload. I make every effort to be diligent & not distracted.

    Hope you're ok and no injuries.
     

    Irishshooter

    Marksman
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    Jan 4, 2011
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    Thank you for posting. It is a good reminder to be diligent.
    I had the opposite happen, I had a round get way undercharged and lodged a bullet in the barrel. Thankfully a good RO at the bowling pin shoot caught it and nothing bad happened. But it gave me a wake up call.
     

    Alpo

    Grandmaster
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    Sep 23, 2014
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    Could it possibly have been 2 projectiles in the cartridge? Sometimes, stuff happens. When I was reloading 1000 rounds per month, I'd made sure I took breaks and avoided distractions. Even so, I occasionally made mistakes. Fortunately they were more in the "failure to prime" and "no charge" variety. When in doubt, I weighed each batch and put the questionable items in a "Pull" box.
     

    deviljunkie

    Plinker
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    Jan 22, 2012
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    Grandview
    Pretty sure it wasn't. I was using rcbs 162gr swc and hs-6 powder. For now on the rule will be that it must be physically impossible to double charge. Bad thing is up until it blew up that load was shooting pretty good
     

    oldpink

    Grandmaster
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    Apr 7, 2009
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    Farmland
    Not that it would have made all that much difference with any other revolver, but that must have been an insanely overpressure load to totally wreck a GP100!
    Glad you're still intact, even though you have irretrievably lost an excellent revolver.
    I'm sure you've already thought of something similar, but a bright light aimed directly at your cases to allow you to peer into your charged cases before bullet seating would definitely be in order.
     

    warthog

    Shooter
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    Feb 12, 2013
    5,166
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    Vigo County
    Not that it would have made all that much difference with any other revolver, but that must have been an insanely overpressure load to totally wreck a GP100!
    This. :runaway: Blowing up a Ruger isn't easy. So glad no one was hurt. You can replace it and I hope you do but wow! What Powder and what was the intended charge behind which sort of bullet? Since I have Rugers and carry them I want to know just because.

    I reload and I do pay close attention. I don't yet have a progressive and have been loading on a Lee Turret, what sort of press was used? Anyway this is what I am most afraid of, double charges and I just think it might be easier to do on a progressive.:dunno:

    I have LEDs on my press currently and they do make a big differene.

    Imagine had that been a Taurus. Would have been like a grenade explding in your hand. Good thing you bought quality.

    Again, so glad no one was hurt.
     

    Broom_jm

    Master
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    Dec 10, 2009
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    Pretty sure it wasn't. I was using rcbs 162gr swc and hs-6 powder. For now on the rule will be that it must be physically impossible to double charge. Bad thing is up until it blew up that load was shooting pretty good

    This is the answer, and why I've never used a load that could be double-charged without overflowing. I'm glad to hear you didn't suffer any injuries.
     

    ScouT6a

    Master
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    Mar 11, 2013
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    Certainly glad you were not hurt, OP. That is scary stuff. Yes, I have made mistakes during my 20+ years of reloading. Thankfully nothing catastrophic like that.
    I started out on a progressive press from day one. Dillon 550B. I have since acquired a turret press and loaded several thousand rounds of shot shells on presses.
    In my humble opinion, I think it would be harder to have a double charge on a progressive. I have to manually index the rounds and I have a round behind and in front of the powder charge station that act as reminders as to what is being performed. I also do a visual look into the charged case, as I index it to the bullet seating station, to make sure things look right.
    Thanks for posting. It should be a reminder for all of us that reload to be careful. You never know who's hand that gun is going to be in when the trigger is pulled. Could be a wife, child, neighbor, who knows.
     

    87iroc

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    Dec 25, 2012
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    Glad you were OK. I use a Lee Turret and if I feel like I got distracted...I will pull the case and dump it out...then put it back in and charge it. So far so good.

    It is most definitely a 'good' feeling when you're loading and a double charge shows visually its overfull...but only a couple of the powders I use give me that luxury with anything.

    Thanks for the reminder...
     

    deviljunkie

    Plinker
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    14   0   0
    Jan 22, 2012
    112
    16
    Grandview
    This. :runaway: Blowing up a Ruger isn't easy. So glad no one was hurt. You can replace it and I hope you do but wow! What Powder and what was the intended charge behind which sort of bullet? Since I have Rugers and carry them I want to know just because.

    I reload and I do pay close attention. I don't yet have a progressive and have been loading on a Lee Turret, what sort of press was used? Anyway this is what I am most afraid of, double charges and I just think it might be easier to do on a progressive.:dunno:

    I have LEDs on my press currently and they do make a big differene.

    Imagine had that been a Taurus. Would have been like a grenade explding in your hand. Good thing you bought quality.

    Again, so glad no one was hurt.


    It was supposed to be a 162 gr swc with a gc over 9 GR OF HS-6 with an oal of 1.59 Not a max load but pretty warm. Loaded on a 550b
     

    billybob44

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    Sep 22, 2010
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    In the Man Cave
    Glad to hear that you were not hurt...

    It was supposed to be a 162 gr swc with a gc over 9 GR OF HS-6 with an oal of 1.59 Not a max load but pretty warm. Loaded on a 550b

    357 Magnum Load Data ? Nosler

    ^^^This shows 17.6gr. of water capacity for this case. Makes me wonder how a double charge is possible, even with 9gr. of HS-6??

    It seems that a double of that charge would be running all over the press??

    When I load "Warm" .357Mag., I usually use 2400 or H-110/W-W-296. I KNOW a double of those powders will run over the case.

    You can replace the SP....NOT so easy with your body....Bill.
     

    bloodman

    Marksman
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    Mar 4, 2011
    193
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    in your nightmares
    I also blew up a gun with hs-6, a Taurus 24/7 pro 45acp. After that I weighed every charge for about a year and developed a flinch that still plagues me to this day. every time I come home from the range my wife asks me how did you do? DSC_0388.jpg I say great didn`t blow it up, kinda stings when they do.
     
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