Range days sometimes go poorly...as in Ka Boom!

[cwhuntsalot]

Since pistol loading has been mentioned, I would vote it the most likely to have a mishap, because the loads of powder are so small--probably 2-3 charges would fit. And, if you are not watching, it is easy to double charge a case. Many manuals suggest placing the powder filled rounds into a loading block and looking down into the cases to see if any appear visually to have been double charged!

When I first started shooting pistol I took a class at the Junior College a few miles from where I lived. A one income 2 kids and a dog family I couldn't afford to buy a box of ammo 3 times a week so I started handloading them. Two sessions in the class were on handloading. They taught to look into the cases to insure there were no double or uncharged cases. Sounded like a good idea to me. I started doing that.

One of the students jammed a bullet half way down the barrel during a range session. The instructor took the rest of his ammo into the room and tore it down There was one double charge and 2 uncharged which pretty much drove home to everyone the idea of looking into the cases. I check each tray after I charge it and again when I move to the press to start seating. In my 55 or so years of reloading I have done maybe 4 or 5 double charge pistol and a like number of rifle. Luckily the double charged rifles back-up into the funnel and the worst that happens is you make a mess. It has been over 30 years since I've done that.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have the cylinder from a 38 S&W that had a couple of squib loads followed by a double charge, split the cylinder and the case had to be hammered out, as well as bulged the barrel, customer wanted the cylinder "welded up"
gumpy

That guy's mom must have been his sister.

 

[Woodcarver]

Since pistol loading has been mentioned, I would vote it the most likely to have a mishap, because the loads of powder are so small--probably 2-3 charges would fit. And, if you are not watching, it is easy to double charge a case. Many manuals suggest placing the powder filled rounds into a loading block and looking down into the cases to see if any appear visually to have been double charged!

Pistol loads are the worst; really easy to put multiple charges in a single case. This is why I charge 1 case at a time (even when loading for a rifle), while moving it to the press, look inside to verify powder, then seat the bullet. There is never more than 1 charged case in the block at a time as the charged case is immediately corked with a bullet. I also never throw a charge from a measure directly into a case; every charge is weighed. Even when I was shooting several hundred rounds of 44-40 a week, loaded and seated 1 round at a time.
One container of powder on the bench, sitting right behind the block, so it is very visible. One weight of that caliber bullet on the bench (might be another box of bullets, but they will not fit in the cartridge being loaded).
All that being said, I have pulled the wrong jug of powder out and had the hopper and trickler filled before the mistake was realized. The only reload mishap I've suffered so far (knock on wood), was making the mistake of shooting an unknown reloader's round that was overcharged. Complete case head separation that fortunately did no harm to the rifle, or me.
Thanks @sestoppelman for the reminder that reloading requires attention to detail, and mistakes can happen, even to those of us that have been doing it for a decade or three. Glad you were unscathed in the mishap. Now you have an empty slot in the safe that needs reloading, get on it!

 

[sestoppelman]

Pistol loads are the worst; really easy to put multiple charges in a single case. This is why I charge 1 case at a time (even when loading for a rifle), while moving it to the press, look inside to verify powder, then seat the bullet. There is never more than 1 charged case in the block at a time as the charged case is immediately corked with a bullet. I also never throw a charge from a measure directly into a case; every charge is weighed. Even when I was shooting several hundred rounds of 44-40 a week, loaded and seated 1 round at a time.
One container of powder on the bench, sitting right behind the block, so it is very visible. One weight of that caliber bullet on the bench (might be another box of bullets, but they will not fit in the cartridge being loaded).
All that being said, I have pulled the wrong jug of powder out and had the hopper and trickler filled before the mistake was realized. The only reload mishap I've suffered so far (knock on wood), was making the mistake of shooting an unknown reloader's round that was overcharged. Complete case head separation that fortunately did no harm to the rifle, or me.
Thanks @sestoppelman for the reminder that reloading requires attention to detail, and mistakes can happen, even to those of us that have been doing it for a decade or three. Glad you were unscathed in the mishap. Now you have an empty slot in the safe that needs reloading, get on it!

Well actually it just made room for safe overflow!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Yeah, I don't know? It's kind of difficult to over charge with 4831. I WAS also loading my two brothers' Rem 788s .308s with W748, but I'm sure I didn't substitute with that powder. That would have been catastrophic.

@CoElkHunter
From memory the 788s have been tested to 125,000 psi but I could be wrong
Bob

 

[gbflyer]

Living proof that accurate 7 is not a substitute for reloder 7 in 45-70

 

[Newboomer]

Living proof that accurate 7 is not a substitute for reloder 7 in 45-70

Had a squib load in my 45acp that stuck the bullet halfway out the muzzle. It was a factory round, too, from a new box. I was about to crank out another round when the RO grabbed my hand and hollered stop. If he hadn't things could have become interesting. I sent that round and the rest of the box back to the factory and they replaced it. It was a bad lot.

 

[Woodcarver]

Squib loads can be as dangerous as those that are overcharged. Several years ago at an Old West Shoot in Raton, one of the guys in my bunch blew up a (formerly) beautiful nickel Colt 45. bent the topstrap severely, blew the top off the cylinder which also deformed the chambers on either side squeezing the bullets out the end against the frame. We had all heard the "ding" from the previous round, so we know the barrel was not blocked, but when that squib went off, everybody knew something bad had occurred. Fortunately, all the shrapnel went sideways, so neither the shooter nor the RO were injured, just the $1500 Colt.

 

[sestoppelman]

Squib loads can be as dangerous as those that are overcharged. Several years ago at an Old West Shoot in Raton, one of the guys in my bunch blew up a (formerly) beautiful nickel Colt 45. bent the topstrap severely, blew the top off the cylinder which also deformed the chambers on either side squeezing the bullets out the end against the frame. We had all heard the "ding" from the previous round, so we know the barrel was not blocked, but when that squib went off, everybody knew something bad had occurred. Fortunately, all the shrapnel went sideways, so neither the shooter nor the RO were injured, just the $1500 Colt.

A squib is when a round usually has no powder, or not enuf powder to get the bullet out of the barrel, then another bullet is fired and this can bulge or split the barrel.
The one you describe sounds more like a detonation, or an overcharge, not a squib.

 

[gizmo]

Man I’m just glad you are ok. Mistakes happen and inevitably will. The main thing is you weren’t hurt. We had an ex swat commander that became our range master several years ago shoot himself in the hand taking the slide off a Glock. Scary deal and thank God he was ok. His pride was hurt more than his hand thankfully and him being the guy he is used it as a department wide training moment.

 

[sestoppelman]

I was showing the remains of the rifle to my son today and he was amazed but also impressed by the old Mauser holding together as well as it did.

If that bolt had unassed out the back it would have been a whole different story.

 

[fourfive8]

There is also a phenomenon with revolvers that can involve contaminated powder, incorrect powder, ball powders in cold conditions or slower ball powder loads. The primer detonates pushing the bullet into the forcing cone, the bullet stops, then the powder charge ignites, a bore obstruction/high pressure situation is created with the stationary bullet stuck in the forcing cone. The more common cause of pistol ka-booms is a double charge of a fast powder like Bullseye. Either the double charge goes unnoticed because of the smaller volume of even a double charge of the fast powder or a misstep in using progressive equipment for loading large quantities of ammo for high volume shooting with pistols. One hiccup or pause for whatever reason in the process....restart... then double charge.

 

[Woodcarver]

A squib is when a round usually has no powder, or not enuf powder to get the bullet out of the barrel, then another bullet is fired and this can bulge or split the barrel.
The one you describe sounds more like a detonation, or an overcharge, not a squib.

That's the worst case of a squib load, a detonation. If you're lucky, a squib pops the bullet. Sometimes they get stuck in the barrel, sometimes they dribble out the end. But when there is too much vacant space in the case, and still have enough powder, you can get a detonation. He was loading at the very bottom of safe in an attempt to reduce recoil and shoot the stages faster. He also threw his charges straight to the case. This round was just undercharged enough to create that condition needed to cause the detonation.

 

[sestoppelman]

NRA Family | Gun Safety: Squib Loads

Well, THAT just didn't sound right...what to do now?

www.nrafamily.org

 

[Woodcarver]

While rather lacking in detail, this is the basic idea of a detonation, and the possible cause(s).

NRA Family | Ammunition Safety: Mysterious Detonation Phenomenon

What we do (and don't) know about this ammunition safety question.

www.nrafamily.org

 

[sestoppelman]

But there is no correlation between a true squib and detonation. Note the slow burning powder aspect. Either way the detonation is largely theoretical and almost impossible to replicate, squibs happen often and the reason is known, while a detonation is quite rare.
They are two different events.

 

[Woodcarver]

But there is no correlation between a true squib and detonation. Note the slow burning powder aspect. Either way the detonation is largely theoretical and almost impossible to replicate, squibs happen often and the reason is known, while a detonation is quite rare.
They are two different events.

I guess the way it has always been explained to me is, the squib and a detonation are so closely related, that the detonation is simply a squib of the worst sort. And playing with excessively light charges is an invitation to experience one, or worse, the other. We are probably arguing semantics here.
What I've always found interesting is that nobody has been able to replicate a detonation intentionally, so it still remains a theory, except for the poor bastard that experiences it. For him, it is no longer theoretical...

 

[sestoppelman]

I guess the way it has always been explained to me is, the squib and a detonation are so closely related, that the detonation is simply a squib of the worst sort. And playing with excessively light charges is an invitation to experience one, or worse, the other. We are probably arguing semantics here.
What I've always found interesting is that nobody has been able to replicate a detonation intentionally, so it still remains a theory, except for the poor bastard that experiences it. For him, it is no longer theoretical...

Yes, the detonation is about impossible to replicate, its purely by chance and only theories about why it happens.
Squibs however are easily explainable. Too little powder to fully propel the bullet safely out of the barrel, pure and simple with the only result of a squib being at worst a bulged or split barrel.
I sold my dad a S&W .44 Special once and he later complained about a bulged barrel on it. I thought WTH?
Upon some questioning, it turned out he stacked a couple bullets in the bore. He sent it back to Smith and they replaced the barrel.

 

[Arctic97]

I am glad I discovered my error or I might have tried these rounds in another rifle and blown it up too!!

What a maroon!!!!!

Glad you are ok. As you say many of us have been reloading for multiply decades, but experience breeds familiarity. Always nice to see someone admit a mistake - and let us in on it so we can all learn from it! Thank you.