Casting and Reloading Accidents! Share Your Stories!

[Hanzy4200]

I would really love to hear from some of the older guys. I am a relative newbie, and these stories can (hopefully) help guys like myself learn from others mistakes.

I personally don't have any overly dramatic stories to tell. Within my first week of casting, I was smelting down range scrap. I had hosed it down and left the bucket to dry in the sun for several days. I skimmed off the first run of dross and junk, and piled a new load on top of the molten lead. I stepped inside to give it a few minutes to melt down. About 30 seconds later I heard what sounded like a small caliber handgun shot from the porch. I opened the door to about 5 of the 20 lbs of molten lead spattered in all direction. Obvious to me know, a bit of moisture was trapped inside one of the deformed slugs. First lesson learned. NEVER add range scrap to a loaded hot pot! Had I been outside, I would have been severely burned.


Another less intense, but nearly as scary, incident occurred whilst casting. I was in water dropping .45 acp boolits when a droplet splashed up and into my mold. This happens occasionally, but is usually vaporized almost instantly. For whatever reason, this one did not. As I poured the next cast, the effected cavity regurgitated 200-250 gr.'s of hot lead straight up and out. Most hit bottom of the pot, and I got several small gobs to the face. After cleaning myself off (and changing my shorts) I put my glasses back on, to find a nice round splat of lead over my left eye. Glasses saved my eye.

[varmint243]

nothing particularly dramatic..
I have loaded rounds without powder when the powder measure ran dry, had to break down 50-ish rounds
I have had a squib or two
I have burned myself smelting in shorts
I have had a visit from the tinsel fairy when smelting
I agree that safety glasses should always be worn

Now stand by for all the posts from guys who have been reloading for 50 years and never ever made a mistake

[ukrifleman]

Now stand by for all the posts from guys who have been reloading for 50 years and never ever made a mistake [/QUOTE]

I haven't been reloading for 50 years (only 45!)

My advice to anyone would be as follows.

#1 Stay focussed on what you are doing, don't allow your attention to wander or be distracted.
#2 Develop a system and stick to it.
#3 Do one operation at a time.
#4 Don't rush, near enough is not good enough!
#5 Check and double check your load data and components (particularly for correct powder) before loading.
#6 Where possible, use a powder charge that fills more than 50% of case capacity, so that a double charge will cause the case to overflow.
If using light charges that are less than 50%, before you start, take a FIRED case and double charge it to see where the powder level comes to, so that you will recognise a double charge when you see it. Immediately empty the double charged case afterwards.
#7 Check weigh a minimum of every fifth powder charge to verify the measure is still correctly adjusted, or better still, check weigh every charge with your scale to be 100% sure, particularly if your loads are near the never exceed level.
#8 NEVER have loose primers and powder on the bench at the same time.
#9 Now the obvious, don't smoke or drink alcohol before or during loading or casting.
#10 When casting, make sure you have sufficient ventilation, stay upwind of the pot and if inside, position a fan to blow fumes away from you. Wear gloves, eye protection and a mask, as well as stout clothing to protect you in the event of spillage.
#11 Don't eat or drink when casting or loading.

I also shake each loaded round just before putting it its storage container, to verify that it has powder.

That's my system, which has served me well since I started loading in the early '70's and has pretty much kept me out of trouble.

I am sure others will contribute their knowledge and experiences, but this is how I do it.

However you approach loading/casting, remember it is not that complicated, but it is a precise undertaking and should not be attempted in a cavalier fashion, for your own (and others) safety.


ukrifleman.

[Animal]

I had a squib once while carefully developing a new load. All components and measurements were the same as the components used in the load data. After pulling all the bullets, I was able to confirm that the charges were set properly. It didn't end well, but I wasn't hurt. Long story short, published load data from a reputable source is the best source of data you can use. But even published load data only proves that the load functioned in all areas that the data company tested. This is no guarantee it will function in any gun that it hasn't been developed in. Each gun has it's own set of variables. Unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20. I was able to connect the dots after the fact with the help of a few experienced folks. This situation was totally avoidable with the proper knowledge. Understand your guns measurements and what the load is intended for. Approach all loads with extreme caution.

[44man]

Only once in well over 65 years playing with lead. A friend and I were making ingots in my mothers kitchen on the stove. We used a big cast iron ladle and would set the bottom in water a few seconds to harden enough to dump. He left it in too long and the iron absorbed water after I told him to keep it hot. He dipped it and lead shot out onto my shoulder and arm. I peeled it off and ran into the bathroom to pour cold water on myself for 1/2 hour. Had a hose on the faucet. I never got a blister and had no scars that lasted.
If you get burned head for cold water.
I never had a problem with my loads. Only stuck boolits were from starting loads with a .454 and 296 that I caught. Only gun damaged was a S&W 27 that a factory load stuck at the muzzle and the next shot split the bottom of the muzzle. S&W replaced the barrel with an 8-3/8" ribbed barrel, removed the nickle and bright blued it for $35.

[Jack Beauregard]

I had a squib once while carefully developing a new load. All components and measurements were the same as the components used in the load data. After pulling all the bullets, I was able to confirm that the charges were set properly. It didn't end well, but I wasn't hurt.

What didn't end well? What happened?

[Harter66]

I hand sort the range scrap an ingotize when I get up to 1 of 4-5 5 gallon buckets about half full . I have since changed where I stack my sorting buckets .living in the high desert makes water pretty unlikely this was the result of a loaded probably 9mm that snuck into the 2nd dump of jacketed. It blew the side out of the pot and dropped 90# on the floor and 5-7 on the garage floor, walls, door and roof.

Attachment 133091

This is the worst of it,mostly. I had a long sleeved jersey tee on. The spray was also in my beard and hair . I ruined my glasses which fortunately were "last year's " work safety glasses.
Attachment 133092

If you shoot ARs with different uppers don't be this guy. The 1 on the right is a steel 223 that went through a 6.8 Rem upper with its proper brass case .
Attachment 133097

For the love of Pete 90% of 9mm Kurtz,x17,x19, Luger,parabelum, x21,x23 have over sized grooves often being ...... wait for it ........ .357 even .358 Don't be afraid to try a light 38/357 mould in them .

Even if you have a Ruger there is no reason to push a 45 Colts to 44 mag levels get a Casull or a 445 mag if you need or want 44 mag levels in your Colts.

Always cross check ,ALWAYS, cross check data . I have a Lee die set for 280 AI ,the load sheet is all for 280 Rem safe but very under loaded . Their 264 WM on the other hand starts at near maximum by data in 3 other books and exceeds maximums in 4 books. Granted in a brand new FN 98 it probably wouldn't end catastrophically but there is the very real possibility of a 75,000+ psi round going in a 64,000 psi cartridge.

Seating depth matters , A LOT, I once had a 45 Colts Load climb from 1050 to 1217 fps for a seating depth change that amounted to the difference in the top and bottom of the crimp groove. Go Ruger Blackhawk ,the listed load was safe by the books but I didn't care for the beating and the cases were really not as free as they should have been for ejection.

Sometimes load data just doesn't work in your gun . I had 3 manuals that all agreed on a start load in a 357 . It took me 45 minutes to get the cases out of that Taurus 66 . They were wedged tight.

[dolang1]

Once, a long time ago, I went into the garage on a fall morning to do some casting. I opened the garage door enough to let the fumes out, but keep the heat in. I turned on the pot, the hot plate, and the fan. I was wearing my casting hoodie, the one with the paint stains, the welding burns, and the sleeves with the tinsel fairy badges. The mold got to temperature the same time as the pot did. The first boolits were not wrinkled and the rest were dropping like rain drops. My 4-20 was not leaking and my sprue plate was not smearing. It was amazing. It only happened once and it was a long time ago.

[Steve77]

My 6 year old was running the handle of my press for me while decapping. She got a little hasty and pulled the lever before I got my finger out of the press. She ran the decapping pin through the center of my finger just behind the nail. She panicked and let go of the handle leaving me stuck. I lowered the ram and seen the look on her face. No need to say a word. She looked like a whipped pup, she silently walked out and came back several minutes later with a band-aid.

[Petrol & Powder]

Once, a long time ago...I started reloading; haven't been able to stop since.

[upnorthwis]

Was casting boolits in garage in winter on a folding leaf table. I think that when I moved to table into position by the door that the locking wedge may have loosened some. Had pot filled with 10 lbs. when the wedge let loose and the leaf dropped on my lap with full pot heading toward me. The shell of the snowmobile suit and boat cushion I was sitting on where both vaporized. Had it been summer and wearing blue jeans it would have been bad. I escaped without a scratch.

[plainsman456]

I have a scar on my left hand from a rather small splash of lead that missed the gloves that i was wearing.
Other than that i have been lucky.
It does make one tend to look more closely at what you are doing.

[Eddie2002]

The worst I've done so far was loaded up about 50 100 grain plinkers over 5 grains of bullseye for a 7.7 Jap and forgot to prime the brass before pouring the powder and seating the bullet. Had to pull the bullet which mangled it, dump the powder and run the brass back through a resize die to make sure I didn't beat the mouth of the case up from pulling the bullet. Didn't think priming loaded cases was a bright idea even with plinker loads.
Had a buddy give me a bunch of 8x57 Mauser berdan primed brass and was using the punch and pry method to decap them. Had one that still had a live primer in it even though it was dented by the firing pin, boy did I jump when it went off, glad I alway wear safety glasses while reloading. Resized that brass down to 7.7 Jap and still get a chuckle when I fire it.

[bedbugbilly]

I've been casting for 50+ years - always in an open pot over a LP hot plate. I had cast for an hour or so a few years back and needed to add some lead to the pot as it was getting low. (I was casting RB for BP so it was soft lead). I had a large box full of everything from old un-shot minie balls to round balls in sizes that I couldn't use. The minie balls had some lube in the bases but I wasn't worried about that as it would act as flux. The box of lead had been given to me - I carefully looked at the lead balls, mines, etc. as I put them in a large ladle to carefully dump them into the pot. Well, I carefully reached over and dumped them in and took several steps away to retrieve another mold from the shelf a short distance away. All of a sudden . . . POP . . and a loud one at that and the tinsel fairy paid a visit. Fortunately, I was far enough away and didn't get spattered or burned. While I'm not sure, I'm of the opinion that the guy I got the lead from had been on the "careless" side and a percussion cap had gotten buried in the old crisco in the base of one of the minie balls.

Thus, I learned my lesson . . . look at EVERY piece of scrap before it goes in the pot and if any of it is a minie ball . . . scrape the old lube out prior to putting it in. I'm not afraid to say that it scared me quite a bit when I got to thinking of "what could have happened" had I been closer to the pot. I always wear a face shield over safety goggles, high wrist welding gloves as well as heavy pants with cuffs covering my shoe tops. Even after casting for so many years . . . it bodes well to keep alert and NEVER take short cuts.

[bangerjim]

Never add more lead scrap to the liquid melt!! Especially dirty range stuff. Those FTF's have a way of sneaking there.

If you MUST wash your range stuff (not needed at all...everything floats on molten lead) put it in a cold pot and bring the temp up to drive out all the moisture. Range scrap and other carp in a bucket can hold water for weeks! Even in the sun.

I have been cooking and pouring Pb for years and have NEVER had any problems at all. Just use common sense and "think ahead!"


And.............

"It has been proven that the position of one's mouth is directly proportional to the success of the process one is endeavoring to complete"

[nannyhammer]

Once upon a time I learned that you should pay attention to those numbers on the right side of the beam scale. When you are expecting 5.2 grains but end up with 5+2 grains of unique, a .38 special is pretty warm and accurately recreates the old 38-44 round. From a 4" Model 10 velocities were just over 1100fps and all four rounds grouped about 3/4" at 15yds, best group ever out of the gun. Fired two and then replaced the chrony battery because something was amiss. After two more rounds, I pulled the last two and found the mistake. Glad the chrony was there to dummy check the dummy.

[Jumbopanda]

I once managed to drop a glob of molten lead on my toe while casting. Those warnings you hear about not wearing sandals while working exist for a reason!

[MR45]

The worst one for me is spilled a 40 pound pot off the plumbers furnace.
Lucky for me I can jump fast.

[1911cherry]

Had a range scrap explosion , apparently a live round in the mix, visit from the tinsel fairy once, and two squibs back to back, had to pull down a bunch of pistol rounds to make sure that was all of em. If you never make a mistake its because you never did anything, just learn from them and move on.

[upnorthwis]

Went to a gun show today and was reminded of what a fellow shooter did that makes my previous post tame be comparison. He loaded 296 in a .308 Win instead of 748. The firing pin went through his right eye and went around to the back side of his head, on the inside. He lost that eye but lived to see another day. No pun intended.