How often does......

Robby6Pack · 01-14-2011, 07:13

Have a lee progressive press. Loaded a bunch of .40's and headed to the range. All was fine until I had one go pop instead of bang. The gun cycled and chambered another round. I had since enough to stop and check. Had one stuck in the barrel. How often does this occur, if ever?

RobbY T

Colorado4Wheel · 01-14-2011, 07:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robby6Pack

Have a lee progressive press. Loaded a bunch of .40's and headed to the range. All was fine until I had one go pop instead of bang. The gun cycled and chambered another round. I had since enough to stop and check. Had one stuck in the barrel. How often does this occur, if ever?

RobbY T

Are you using the adjustable charge bar?
What charge and powder?

BTW, this should never happen. But I had some issues with my adj. charge bar doing the same thing with light charges of TiteGroup. Discs never did this to me.

unclebob · 01-14-2011, 08:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robby6Pack

Have a lee progressive press. Loaded a bunch of .40's and headed to the range. All was fine until I had one go pop instead of bang. The gun cycled and chambered another round. I had since enough to stop and check. Had one stuck in the barrel. How often does this occur, if ever?

RobbY T

Often when people do not look inside the case to make sure that the powder did drop in the case and that the powder is at the same height as all of the rest of the rounds that were loaded.

fredj338 · 01-14-2011, 10:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclebob

Often when people do not look inside the case to make sure that the powder did drop in the case and that the powder is at the same height as all of the rest of the rounds that were loaded.

WHich is why I do not recommend TG to a newb reloader & even exp reloaders have to be careful.
It's a squib, either no powder or very little. How often it happens is completely dependent on the guy pulling the handle. If your technique & setup is good, should NEVER happen. Has it to me, sure, & most reloaders at some point for some reason.

shotgunred · 01-14-2011, 11:22

It has never happened to me. But I started on a single stage and then moved to a Lee turret before I settled on Dillons. The first two presses taught me to be anal about checking the powder.

wanderinwalker · 01-15-2011, 05:52

It shouldn't happen, and can be avoided by sitting up high enough to look down into the cases while you are loading. And use a powder that is bulkier and fills up more of the case so you can spot it more readily.

Now, having said that, it has happened to me too. Mine with with Unique in .38 Special on my LEE press. I think it was due to leaving the powder in the hopper overnight. Even though I rechecked the charge weight I *think* the powder must have settled and stuck so it wasn't flowing through the disk after the first few throws. The simple solution was not to leave powder in the hopper overnight and it hasn't happened since.

dudel · 01-15-2011, 06:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotgunred

It has never happened to me. But I started on a single stage and then moved to a Lee turret before I settled on Dillons. The first two presses taught me to be anal about checking the powder.

+1. Started SS, learned to check every step, added progressives to the mix, and I still check each and every case for powder.

In 20+ years, no squib loads. <knock wood>

Colt's Rule · 01-15-2011, 06:55

There is no substitute for forming good habits while reloading but distractions can occur. Also as I've aged, I have found the powder alarm on the Dillon 650 and 1050 to be very reassuring.

El_Ron1 · 01-15-2011, 08:57

If you load enough or shoot enough it's likely to happen sometime.

ron59 · 01-15-2011, 09:02

26,000 rounds of 9mm in the last 18 months... ZERO squibs.

It helps to have reliable equipment, but you also must be ever vigilant. That is the one station that I really *focus* on during reloading.

EL_NinO619 · 01-15-2011, 10:35

And....that's why I bought the lock out die. Wouldn't there have to be some powder to make it cycle, or Are there slides that are light enough that a primer will do it?

XDRoX · 01-15-2011, 10:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by EL_NinO619

And....that's why I bought the lock out die. Wouldn't there have to be some powder to make it cycle, or Are there slides that are light enough that a primer will do it?

I'm guessing there must have been some powder in it.

Colorado4Wheel · 01-15-2011, 11:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron59

26,000 rounds of 9mm in the last 18 months... ZERO squibs.

It helps to have reliable equipment, but you also must be ever vigilant. That is the one station that I really *focus* on during reloading.

Exactly.

My Dillon powder measure never, ever, ever has failed to drop powder. I can't imagine my Hornady would either. Just avoid crappy powders that can bridge or meter poorly.

Lee's adjustable charge bar sucks with small charges of some otherwise very good metering powders. Thats just the way it is. Switch to disks and the problem goes away.

Most squibls are not a result of the powder measure. They are a result of the operator screwing something up while "fixing a issue" with the machine. Thats why I preach about not putting stuff on a press that requires a high fiddle factor to work right. That does not help the situation at all.

fredj338 · 01-15-2011, 12:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colorado4Wheel

Exactly.

My Dillon powder measure never, ever, ever has failed to drop powder. I can't imagine my Hornady would either. Just avoid crappy powders that can bridge or meter poorly.

Lee's adjustable charge bar sucks with small charges of some otherwise very good metering powders. Thats just the way it is. Switch to disks and the problem goes away.

Most squibls are not a result of the powder measure. They are a result of the operator screwing something up while "fixing a issue" with the machine. Thats why I preach about not putting stuff on a press that requires a high fiddle factor to work right. That does not help the situation at all.

The older DIllon, the one w/ the spring, could fail to return at atimes, the reason for the upgrade to a return bar. If you were not paying attention it was not beyond happening. Bottom line, always verify, I don't even trust the various COP dies, but you almost have to if loading rifle rounds on a progressive.

Colorado4Wheel · 01-15-2011, 12:50

Well my Hornady is spring loaded. You can hear it opperate. I wonder if it would ever not return to drop powder? I prefer to visually confirm charges. In a rifle, I think I would use a powder cop over the RCBS. Seems the RCBS requires tinkering to work right. Anything that is that finicky at the start can become finicky later and you may never know it has failed. That does not inspire confidence in my book.

WiskyT · 01-15-2011, 14:57

How often have a seen a squib that would run the gun but stick a bullet in the bore? Never.

dudel · 01-16-2011, 02:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colorado4Wheel

Well my Hornady is spring loaded. You can hear it opperate. I wonder if it would ever not return to drop powder? I prefer to visually confirm charges. In a rifle, I think I would use a powder cop over the RCBS. Seems the RCBS requires tinkering to work right. Anything that is that finicky at the start can become finicky later and you may never know it has failed. That does not inspire confidence in my book.

The Dillon could/would fail to return on some larger stick powder. Never had a problem with ball or flake. The stick powder would get sheared, and the spring wasn't always strong enough to do it. Hence the failsafe bar.

dudel · 01-16-2011, 02:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiskyT

How often have a seen a squib that would run the gun but stick a bullet in the bore? Never.

That's what the OP said happened to him.

"The gun cycled and chambered another round. I had since enough to stop and check. Had one stuck in the barrel. How often does this occur, if ever?"

Three-Five-Seven · 01-16-2011, 06:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiskyT

How often have a seen a squib that would run the gun but stick a bullet in the bore? Never.

Happens regularly with a blow back design.

WiskyT · 01-16-2011, 06:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Three-Five-Seven

Happens regularly with a blow back design.

Are there any other blowback operated 40's besides High Point?

gpo1956 · 01-16-2011, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by El_Ron1

If you load enough or shoot enough it's likely to happen sometime.

Very honest, and accurate, answer. I've been reloading for over 35 years and it has happened to me twice. I don't think ANYONE here is more diligent than I am when it comes to reloading, but the odds are, its going to happen.

unclebob · 01-16-2011, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by dudel

The Dillon could/would fail to return on some larger stick powder. Never had a problem with ball or flake. The stick powder would get sheared, and the spring wasn't always strong enough to do it. Hence the failsafe bar.

No. they istalled just a rod to take of the powder problem. The Failsafe is to prevent double charge.

dudel · 01-16-2011, 08:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclebob

No. they istalled just a rod to take of the powder problem. The Failsafe is to prevent double charge.

You are correct. I should have been clearer. I was referring to the rod alone which ensures the powder bar is pulled back when the shellplate is fully lowered.

meangreenlx50 · 01-16-2011, 11:21

Reloading is about paying attention and no short stroking the ram. Get into a habit of going at a sustainable speed with rhythm. I load at a speed that I can look in a make sure the case is charged and then I put a bullet on. I use a Lee Turret press and haven't had problems with squib loads. My Pro 1000 was another story.