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Offline Evil Dog

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Pfffffftt
« on: June 10, 2007, 09:59:20 AM »
Hmm.... not a sound I like to hear when out shooting. Was out yesterday burning off the last of a thousand rounds or so of 38 Spl that I had loaded probably 8 or 9 years ago.... 160gr cast SWC and 4.8gr Unique if I remember correctly.

This had all been loaded on a Dillon Square Deal that I had bought at a yard sale. Have long since traded off that press as it had the habit of occasionally dumping the entire tube of primers for no reason at all. Had also experienced several high primers... less than 1% but still more than I care for.

Yesterday I am out at the range basically just firing it off into a dirt berm just to get rid of the last 150 rounds. Then one just went "pffffft".... wasn't any doubt in my mind what had happened.... no powder. Bullet was lodged between cylinder and barrel effectively locking everything up. Fortunately I had an aluminum cleaning rod with me and it was no big deal to drive the bullet back to where the cylinder could be opened. Happened again 2 more times in that particular box of 50... definitely not a good thing. That cleaning rod is never going to be the same again.

Decided to just pull the bullets from the last box and a half rather than shooting them... found 3 more sans powder. Evidently that Dillon powder measure didn't always function as designed.

For the past 6 years or more all of my loading has been on an old Pacific single stage press. Progressives may be faster but I think I will stay with the one-step-at-a-time method. No high primers, no questionable powder charges.

Will add a piece of 5/16" brass rod to my shooting bag just in case.
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Evil Dog

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.
Freedom is a well-armed lamb contesting that vote. - Benjamin Franklin (1759)

Offline NONYA

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Re: Pfffffftt
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2007, 10:05:43 AM »
I have a progressive that i regressed into a single stage,after a few bad experiences i decided that quality was WAY more important that quantity,since going back to the single stage process i am happy to say I have had 0 problems.
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Offline Mikey

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Re: Pfffffftt
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2007, 12:28:01 PM »
Evil Dog - I had the same problem with my Dillon years ago and changed my process for loading large numbers of cartridges.  Now I size and bell in one stage, prime in the next, and charge the cases and load the bullet in the last.  Since I changed I have had zero cartridge malfunctions.  It may take me longer to roll out 500 or so but at least they all go bang.  Mikey.
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