Pistol Powder Double Charge Overflow

I have found that just "looking" at a charged case isn't good enough. It can appear that a sufficient charge is there when it isn't. Judging the amount of powder in the case is very hard to do. Even when I have "looked", I've found inadequate charges or too heavy of charges. My only trustworthy solution has been to check powder level with a marked dowel or brass rod -- on every round. Have had too many stuck bullets to do anything else.
willr
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Not to kick a person while they are down... but you need to examine your reloading technique.

A visual check is not, nor is it ever, an indication of the weight of a charge. If you are familiar with the case fill of a given charge in a given case, it is possible to detect a double charge... but not a heavy or light charge, per se.

Properly setting up your powder drop (or whatever it is you are using to measure charges) is paramount. There should be NO QUESTION that once you have your drop adjusted, it is dropping a proper charge within tolerances. If you are getting light charges, or your charge variance is so great it results in an dangerous (over pressure) or inadequate (squib) charge... you have problems.

My first powder measure was a Lee Perfect... I could not get it to throw consistently so I sold it. My next measure was a Hornady... it took me about 5 years to full trust it, enough where I wasn't check measuring every 5 charges or so.
 
Dillon Girls....

Never influenced my purchase decision - I've been using RCBS for 30 years. My Dillon case vibrator was due to capacity, which was the largest available at the time and was equal in price to the RCBS.

But, if your getting paid to show me T&A, I'll oblige...and worry the day I no longer want to :-)
 
Now... you put Jennifer Anniston in front of a Dillon press... and I just miiiiiight think about drinking the blue Kool-Aid.
 
I was doing some loading today and thought about this thread.

The load de jour was 38 Special; 158 X-treme RNFP; 5.0 grains of Unique. After getting the hopper set at 5.0 grains (always good for a chuckle or two, when working with Unique), I intentionally threw a double charge (10 grains); and yep, it fit in a 38 Special case, with room to spare. Would have probably fit 12 or 13 grains.

So even nice, fluffy, Unique will still double charge in the spacious 38 Special case. Point is, off the top of my head, I can't think of any 38 Special loading where two charges won't fit in the case.

Oh, and for the Dillon models: My wife and I have shared a laugh over the gratuitous nature of it all. Rather amusing. They're certainly are fetching though. For the record, I bought my Dillon press before I ever saw an image of any of the ladies. They make great presses - glad I drank that kool-aid.
 
So even nice, fluffy, Unique will still double charge in the spacious 38 Special case.
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The only way you are going to fill most handgun cartridge cases is with big charges of slow powders... IMR4227/W296/2400/et al... which leaves a bit to be desired in something like .38SPC. I know there are exceptions, like Trail Boss, I think, but generally speaking you need to rely on your loading technique and visual clues.
 
"I have found that just "looking" at a charged case isn't good enough. It can appear that a sufficient charge is there when it isn't. Judging the amount of powder in the case is very hard to do."

OMG, My suggestion to look was to see if there was powder in all the casings, and a double charge would easily be spotted too if you just LOOK! Or, are your eyes just painted on? I am not suggesting you can weigh the powder with your eyes. Geeeeeez.
 
The only way you are going to fill most handgun cartridge cases is with big charges of slow powders... IMR4227/W296/2400/et al... which leaves a bit to be desired in something like .38SPC.
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Yes. I know. Been loading 38 Special since 1984. At the risk of over-simplifying: 38 Special resides almost exclusively in the domain of fast powders; save the +P variety, which usually steps up to the intermediates. That's why I said . . .

I can't think of any 38 Special loading where two charges won't fit in the case.
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By "any 38 Special loading," I meant any useful/practical 38 Special loading. I probably should have been more specific.

Thank you for the clarification just the same. It may have shed some light on our lesser experienced loaders here.
 
Thank you for the clarification just the same. It may have shed some light on our lesser experienced loaders here.
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Sorry... wasn't busting on you specifically. Someone posted a quote or reference to Elmer Keith that he never used a powder that could double-charge without overfilling the case. a) I've never heard that before, and b) as I mentioned, it would eliminate everything but big charges of slow powder.
 
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