Reminder to be careful with reloading
by bj 
, Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 10:52 (4628 days ago)
A friend of mine related this story of what he saw at a range this past weekend:
"I am busy and not paying attention to that end of the range when I hear an extraordinarily loud bang for an AR.
I look down there and there is a flurry of activity. I walk down to see what is going on. I see a brand new once fired M4 style AR blown up. He says that he is shooting hand loads and that they were his first attempt. I ask him what his load was. He says 25.5 grains. I ask of what? He says TITE GROUP. I say you are lucky to be alive.
His AR was blown up but he was unmarked. The front 1 inch of the bolt and carrier looked to be lightly brass plated."
I've always known since I was very young that there were lots of different powders and they were specific uses, but I wonder how obvious this is to the person new to reloading. I've heard of people doing this same thing by loading 2400 into high intensity rifle cartridges, the justification being that 2400 says "rifle powder" on the label.
A mentor
I don't understand why a new reloader doesn't have a mentor to help him along. Reloading is dangerous if you fail to abide by some very simple rules. There are many things that are NOT in the reloading books.
My mentor were my buddies, me, myself and I...
by Hobie 
, Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 17:48 (4628 days ago) @ Bud
edited by Hobie, Thursday, February 02, 2012, 06:03
I followed the rules, kept to the manual loads, worked up every load for each rifle and kept my digits and skin otherwise intact. That's me...
We have people come in the shop who won't reload due to horror stories they've heard. We also have people come in who ask but won't take advice. One "blew up" a nice Krag carbine a couple of weeks back. Another asks incessant questions wanting more detail, apparently, but never asking more than "Why?" He never listens either.
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Sincerely,
Hobie
Scary dudes Hobie...
you wonder what 'n hell gets into to people like that. When I reload, there is nothing else on my mind, plus I don't care to load with someone else in the room. I keep a burn rate chart on the wall not in a file. My loaders log is thicker than many reloading manuals.
Anyone can make a mistake, the goal should be to avoid such
by Hobie , Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Thursday, February 02, 2012, 06:06 (4626 days ago) @ Bud
but so many are trying to save a couple of bucks by using inappropriate powders or not understanding the powders they are using come up with borderline dangerous loads (or must live with an angel working overtime). I've even met one fellow who does what he pleases because its "his right" to do so.
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Sincerely,
Hobie
Lucky guy. When I strarted reloading, I had no one
by Cherokee , Medina, Ohio, Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 16:43 (4628 days ago) @ bj
to help or guide me. I used the brain God gave me. I read, I followed written instructions, I was consertive and careful. 50 years later I have not blown up any of my guns. I have trouble understnding why gun people are so thoughtless, but I know many are. Saw some at the range today.
I used 27 grains of 748 and a 70gr Speer bullet for years in
by Bob Hatfield , Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 17:20 (4628 days ago) @ bj
in a Mini 14 with its 1/10 twist. When I got my AR with a 1/7 twist it could not handle that load. First shot blew the primer pocket so big you could put a large rifle primer in the hole. Plus it locked up the gun requiring beating the case out with the rod that the Colt had in the buttstock. Didnt use that load again. Although it was maximum that faster twist must have raised pressures dramatically
Bob
You got lucky Bob
JT always said that every gun has its own personality and quirks. I've seen same dang gun models do completely different traits. Its something I look forward to though...figuring out what works for each firearm.
working up loads...
by bj , Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 20:09 (4628 days ago) @ Bud
In response to the incident mentioned, another of my friends had this to say:
"when you blow up a gun, you should reduce the load by 1 grain and try again. when you get to the point that you don't blow up the gun then you know you are getting close to the maximum load".
But seriously between the Mini-14 and AR there could be lots of possible differences besides the twist that would affect pressures- barrel freebore, bore diameter and chamber dimensions immediately come to mind.