[Spammy_H]

Greetings,

I've been reloading with a friend who has been teaching me on his equipment. I've done about 200 rounds of .45 ACP with 230 gr. LRN on top of 5.0 grains of Hodgdon Titegroup & Winchester Large Pistol Primers.

After finishing one of the 50 round sets (I've set it aside for safekeeping), I realized that I forgot to visually inspect the cases after filling with powder to make sure I didn't have any double charges:shock:.

Anyways, here's my question - am I safe in weighing a few rounds from another group to get a "control" weight, and then weigh each of the 50 rounds to make sure none are 5 grains heavier than the control round (which would have been an extra 5 gr. powder a "double charge"), or should I pull all of them and start over? I really don't want to pull all of them, but want to be safe at the same time.

The reloading was done on a Lyman T-Mag II, with a Lyman 55 powder measure, using a Lyman balance scale to check the charges, with Lee carbide dies.

Thanks in advance for your advice

 

[mcb]

It might work if all your brass is from the manufacture and same lot. If you are using mixed brass then the variation from one make to another will be greater than your 5gr powder charge. It often tough to do this even with all the same manufacture if the brass comes from several different production runs.

I ended up pulling a little over 400rds of 40S&W after a double charge because I could not find the doubles or squibs (no powder) in the batch due to the variation in wight of the cases.

Good luck
mcb

 

[Spammy_H]

It might work if all your brass is from the manufacture and same lot. If you are using mixed brass then the variation from one make to another will be greater than your 5gr powder charge. It often tough to do this even with all the same manufacture if the brass comes from several different production runs.

I ended up pulling a little over 400rds of 40S&W after a double charge because I could not find the doubles or squibs (no powder) in the batch due to the variation in wight of the cases.

Good luck
mcb

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks for the advice - the brass was all the same - we separated the brass into batches before reloading 50 at a time. I forgot to add the info about the brass - good thoughts.

 

[highscore]

Pulling 50 rounds apart is cheap insurance, especially when your dealing with your well being. Is it worth taking a chance with there only being a 5 grain difference, probably not. Even though you say your brass was sorted, brass weight will vary if from the same lot and even more so if from different lots. Lead bullets always vary to some degree and I've seen 185 gr. 45 ACP bullets vary close to 4 grains. Most don't vary that much but a small percentage do. Chances are you can weigh them and tell if there is a problem but why take a chance?

 

[oillogger]

What would be the pressures created with a double powder load? If a normal load can be 30,000 psi I believe it may be best for you to break them all down and start over.

 

[FunBobby]

Just sell them to someone that owns a Glock...

 

[Spammy_H]

Just sell them to someone that owns a Glock...

++++++++++++++++++++++

LOL - that's some great advice:mrgreen:!!!!

 

[Spammy_H]

What would be the pressures created with a double powder load? If a normal load can be 30,000 psi I believe it may be best for you to break them all down and start over.

++++++++++++++++++++++


While I'm fairly confident that I didn't do a double charge in these 50, obviously I'm not 100% sure, or I wouldn't be posting this thread. Everyone's advice so far is leaning me toward the smart 'n safe approach of pulling the 50 & re-reloading them. I think I'm trying to back myself into a safe situation by weighing all the rounds w/o going through the trouble of pulling all 50 of them, knowing it's not the safest approach.

Thanks to all for the input - I greatly appreciate it.

On a purely hypothetical note - any ideas how bad a double charge in this load (230 gr. LRN, Winchester Large Pistol Primer, Hodgdon Titegroup 5 gr. X 2) in an XD45c (4" barrel) would/could be? Has anyone had the misfortune of experiencing a double charge with a similar load on an XD45?

Thanks again.

 

[fredj338]

As noted, 5gr diff. in wt. would be diff. to spot on a scale. This is another reason I do NOT like uberfast powders. You have to closely inspect to make sure you have no double charge, or almost as bad, no charge (squib). Pull them. A double of TG would easily be catastrophic. As it is, you are already pushing +p pressures @ 5gr.
230 GR. LRN Hodgdon Titegroup .452" 1.200" 4.8 855 17,000 CUP

 

[Tard]

Buy it, love it.

 

[roscoe55]

As noted, 5gr diff. in wt. would be diff. to spot on a scale. This is another reason I do NOT like uberfast powders. You have to closely inspect to make sure you have no double charge, or almost as bad, no charge (squib). Pull them. A double of TG would easily be catastrophic. As it is, you are already pushing +p pressures @ 5gr.
230 GR. LRN Hodgdon Titegroup .452" 1.200" 4.8 855 17,000 CUP

+1 Your already at the top end charge for a lead round, better to be safe than sorry. I would pull all of them and double check for peace of mind but I'm a little fussy when it come to handloading. I think the winchester primers are a little "hotter" than other primers so this could boost pressures as well, I use that same bullet over 4 grains of titegroup CCI primer 1.25oal and it's a joy to shoot. I use a SA mil-spec Govt. Good luck and don't worry about it every reloader will pull rounds at some point

 

[Edubya]

All of this knowledge is being communicated to you at little, or no expense to you. Just do what you think is right, then your only obligation is to share from your experiences.
Experience is what we call the accumulation of our mistakes.

 

[Mercmar]

Friend of mine double charged a few rounds of .45ACP, using 8gr. of AA#5. Friend's son-in-law blew up his brand-new G30 on the third round he shot. I was able to find the other double-charged rounds by weighing all the loaded rounds. 16 grains of AA#5 is pretty stout!

 

[BJ]

How about running your product through the scale and overcharge will show up

 

[azguns0331]

weigh each of the 50 and pull the heaviest and lightest 5 or 10 from the batch.

 

[Edubya]

Friend of mine double charged a few rounds of .45ACP, using 8gr. of AA#5. Friend's son-in-law blew up his brand-new G30 on the third round he shot. I was able to find the other double-charged rounds by weighing all the loaded rounds. 16 grains of AA#5 is pretty stout!

It wouldn't even take a "double" load to blow up a "Block"!

 

[Spammy_H]

Thanks again - I hadn't talked to my reloading mentor yet, but I'm probably going to pull & re-reload.

 

[highscore]

Buy it, love it.

Bought it, hate it, used it too much!

 

[redyak3]

Bought it, hate it, used it too much!

I got the Hornady Cam-Lock puller its another love/hate relationship... for me, if I aint sure, its definately not worth guessing :shock:

 

[Wizard1500]

I can only echo what some have said here....pull them....it will be much safer in the longrun.....double charges are not pretty.....