Hambo
06-11-2016, 09:40 AM
I've been loading ammo since 1988 without a problem, until yesterday.
I've been shooting at an indoor range and was about to finish up with The Test with my spare Beretta. First three rounds were fine, then the hammer dropped and no bang, or at least that's what it seemed like. I ejected a spent case and the slide would not go into battery with another round. Time to whoa up. The exam found a 147gr SNS just into the rifling, which was a great thing because it prevented chambering another round. With other shooters on the range I couldn't hear anything different. What I thought was a FTE was really a primer only.
I'll admit it shook me up. This ammo was loaded on a 550 and I've had zero powder measure issues with them. My guess as to what happened is this: I check a round or two at the start of a session, and sometimes others during the process to make sure I'm dropping the right charge. The only thing I can think of that wouldn't cause a bunch of other problems is dumping powder on the scale, case back to position #2, rotate without powder, load bullet.
At any rate it's a cautionary tale. Don't take your eye off the ball, ever.
I've been shooting at an indoor range and was about to finish up with The Test with my spare Beretta. First three rounds were fine, then the hammer dropped and no bang, or at least that's what it seemed like. I ejected a spent case and the slide would not go into battery with another round. Time to whoa up. The exam found a 147gr SNS just into the rifling, which was a great thing because it prevented chambering another round. With other shooters on the range I couldn't hear anything different. What I thought was a FTE was really a primer only.
I'll admit it shook me up. This ammo was loaded on a 550 and I've had zero powder measure issues with them. My guess as to what happened is this: I check a round or two at the start of a session, and sometimes others during the process to make sure I'm dropping the right charge. The only thing I can think of that wouldn't cause a bunch of other problems is dumping powder on the scale, case back to position #2, rotate without powder, load bullet.
At any rate it's a cautionary tale. Don't take your eye off the ball, ever.