singing the double charge blues

[oldpink]

Yikes. Makes me glad most of the stuff I reload will spill over if I double charge it.

Yep
There are other reasons for high bulk powders (more consistent muzzle velocities and therefore better accuracy, more reliable ignition in cold weather), but having a powder that fills the case a bit over 50% at a specific charge weight serves as an instant reminder of an error in loading.

 

[EOD Guy]

Glad to hear you still have all your digits. I'd mount the gun above your reloading area as reminder of a lesson learned!

 

[deviljunkie]

So after a little investigation I've determined it was a d.c. for sure. A double charge comes right up to the bottom of the bullet. With the bullet seated it came out to 1.592....right in the range that I was getting (1.588-1.593)

 

[deviljunkie]

Oh and I pulled that bullet after taking that picture.

 

[Alpo]

I've used Dillon 550 and 650 presses for a lot of years. I like the powder sensor alot that comes standard with the 650. A lot of folks use an RCBS lockout device on their 550.

 

[OutdoorDad]

You were very lucky.
Thanks for the reminder of how dangerous reloading can be!

glad you're ok!

 

[denwag]

There is a lot to be said thats right about using a Lee Classic Turrent Press with a lee automatic power measure. You would have to physically index the charger three times to get it to double throw. Charging takes a different stroke of the press makes a distintive sound unlike sizing or bullet seating and crimping. And the fact that the next stroke after chargeing seals the case by seating the bullet keeps you from charging it again. Once you place the case in the loader it never comes off the press until the four strokes of the press and its finished

Coming from a single stage press using loading blocks for each operation, using the turrent press is a brilliant way to reduce that chance of a double charge.

regards
denwag

 

[WebSnyper]

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.

This. Blowing up a Ruger isn't easy.
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.

I don't reload, but that was my first thought: "Wow, he blew up a Ruger". Pretty amazing.

 

[trophyhunter]

OP I'm glad to know you didn't get injured, that must have been one heck of a round to touch off I can't imagine holding on to it. If you want to see what the ballistics of that kaboom look like on paper I'll run a Quickload Spreadsheet on it so you can see how much pressure that Ruger held up to and subsequently took the loss in place of your hand.

Just need the total powder charge of HS-6, bullet construction & length and COL of the finished round it would interesting to say the least to see how much pressure was involved.

 

[deviljunkie]

Ill get back to Ya on that one.

 

[trophyhunter]

Ill get back to Ya on that one.

I ran some ballpark numbers based on a range of normal HS-6 loads times 2 and a 125 SWC, you likely had 100,000 psi or more (possibly much more) that went bad. We'll run the real deal and post the figures when you get more info but that had me puckered up when I saw the red warning boxes light up in the program with the pressure numbers.

I've always said if you can't blow a gun up with AA#5 or HS~6 it can't be done with anything else, they happen to be my two favorite powders.

Again, so glad you didn't get hurt Bill Ruger must have been smiling down on you from the heavens that day.

 

[deviljunkie]

OK here goes. The bullet weighed 166.2 gr. Was
.710 long with right at .310 from crimp groove to the nose. It is a sec design with a gc. Total powder charge was 18gr. Oal was 1.59

 

[Markus]

I am new to reloading and hearing a story like yours deviljunkie scares the beejeezus out of me.

 

[ruger1800]

Send it back to ruger, if they can't fix it they may offer a new one at a deep discount.

 

[SSGSAD]

I am new to reloading and hearing a story like yours deviljunkie scares the beejeezus out of me.

All you have to do, is PAY ATTENTION, I have been reloading, for over 30 years, and not blown up a gun, YET....

I have showed several people on here, the BASIC steps, to reload SAFELY.....

I reccommend Profire's classes .....

 

[trophyhunter]

OK here goes. The bullet weighed 166.2 gr. Was
.710 long with right at .310 from crimp groove to the nose. It is a sec design with a gc. Total powder charge was 18gr. Oal was 1.59

WOW, that's in excess of 266,000 psi. here's a spreadsheet showing the ballistics under and over that charge weight I used a 4" barrel is that correct? If not I'll make another one real quick.

Cartridge          : .357 Magnum (SAAMI)Bullet             : .358 166 SWC RCBS
Useable Case Capaci: 15.209 grain H2O = 0.988 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 1.590 inch = 40.39 mm
Barrel Length      : 4.0 inch = 101.6 mm
Powder             : Hodgdon HS-6


Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !


Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms


-20.0  104    14.40   1643     997  118018  12950    100.0    0.258  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-18.0  106    14.76   1676    1036  127532  13155    100.0    0.250  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-16.0  109    15.12   1708    1077  137862  13354    100.0    0.242  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-14.0  112    15.48   1741    1118  149109  13545    100.0    0.235  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-12.0  114    15.84   1773    1160  161388  13727    100.0    0.227  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-10.0  117    16.20   1806    1204  174836  13900    100.0    0.221  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-08.0  119    16.56   1839    1248  189615  14064    100.0    0.214  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-06.0  122    16.92   1872    1294  205921  14217    100.0    0.208  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-04.0  125    17.28   1906    1341  223988  14359    100.0    0.202  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-02.0  127    17.64   1940    1389  244104  14489    100.0    0.196  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+00.0  130    18.00   1974    1439  266621  14605    100.0    0.190  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.0  132    18.36   2009    1490  291979  14706    100.0    0.184  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0  135    18.72   2045    1543  320732  14791    100.0    0.179  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0  138    19.08   2081    1599  353591  14857    100.0    0.173  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0  140    19.44   2118    1656  391477  14903    100.0    0.168  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0  143    19.80   2156    1716  435614  14927    100.0    0.163  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

 

[bradmedic04]

Well, as others have said, glad there were no injuries. You may have spent all of your luck for quite some time if the figures above are correct

 

[Drail]

Every single time over the years that I have seen this happen - it was always loaded on a Dillon. Every single one. Dillons are high quality machines and very fast - but they make mistakes like these easy to miss until it's too late. Be very very careful cranking out rounds on any progressive. Have a good strong light and NO DISTRACTIONS. If you must stop for any reason - clear out all the stations and start completely over again with empty cases. So many people get into reloading and fixate solely on loading large quantities as fast as they can go. That's a really bad idea with something like loading ammunition. I started reloading long before Dillons were available on a single stage. 40 years later I am still using the same single stage. I have used friend's Dillons but I really just don't see the "need" to go that fast. Reloading on a progressive is a lot like rock climbing - you absolutely must not lose your focus. If you do - really bad things can happen.

 

[Sling10mm]

Sorry about the Ruger and glad you weren't injured. I like Accurate #9 for my magnum loads (357 and 44), as well as 10mm Auto and 357 Sig. Fills the cases up nicely.

 

[oldpink]

[...]Reloading on a progressive is a lot like rock climbing - you absolutely must not lose your focus. If you do - really bad things can happen.

What an apt simile.