Help avoiding squibs?

[Lou765]

I switched over to the Lee Adjustable charge bar on my Lee turret press. I have weighed and checked over and over and have never found where the powder didn't drop correctly (I did mod the powder holder with a bigger hole already).
However today in competition I had a squib. So I was wondering how I could check powder dropping easier and thought If I had a digital scale I could just weigh my loaded rounds individually. Would that work or wouldn't it pick it up reliably?? Suggestion please...I hate Squibs....

[jwrowland77]

Look in the case....

Attach a light or something to your press, and look in the case before putting bullet on top. Works for me.

[jepp2]

thought If I had a digital scale I could just weigh my loaded rounds individually. Would that work or wouldn't it pick it up reliably??

As a general rule, there is more variation in the brass and bullet weight that this isn't a viable method to determine if you missed a charge or or had a light charge.

[Nick_C_S]

I wish I had a dollar for every complaint I've read about Lee charge bars.

As previously mentioned: Look in the case before seating the bullet. I won't seat a bullet without first taking a peek inside the case. And I've never had a squib, in 30 years of loading.

[kilimanjaro]

I'm pretty anal about my loads. I visually check them before seating the bullet, and the weigh each round completed. Their is enough variability in brass and primer weights that there is 4 or 5 grains, maximum, of range in weight. Most are less, but that means only rifle loads will have enough powder charge to show a squib load. Wouldn't be a reliable test for pistol loads.

Visual confirmation is fast and reliable.

[Sport45]

Originally Posted by Nick C S

I wish I had a dollar for every complaint I've read about Lee charge bars.

Funny, the only squibs I've loaded we with my Dillon 550b. I was going to town with it once and didn't notice the square plastic bushing fell out of the PM and it had quit sliding the bar back and forth... Lesson learned, I go slower now and look in every case.

That was loading .45acp with Titegroup. I tried the scale thing and about half the "light" ones had powder in them. Had about a dozen squibs and most of those ejected the bullet all the way out of my 1911. You could actually see the thing in flight. That was shooting 200gr SWC, btw. I segregated that batch and was prepared to deal with the squibs at the range.

[Nick_C_S]

This is a major reason (and there are several reasons) why I haven't made the jump to progressive. I like charging each case by hand, then taking the entire loading block under a strong light and looking into each and every case before moving them over to the (single stage) press.

I then check one last time before placing the bullet atop the case.

Here I am some 100,000+ rounds later and it hasn't failed me yet. It's tough to forsake that kind of reliability for a progressive.

[Sevens]

Nick, I think you are a fine candidate for my hybrid semi-progressive system that I have detailed in other posts. 20k a year is just about my output over the last handful of years, with every single powder charge metered in to a load block where I can also see an entire tray of charged brass.

[mikld]

No experience with a Lee powder measure with a charge but, but I've read of possible "short stroking" the press and getting light/no charges.

I'm with Nick on this subject of progressive "automatic everything" presses (not condemning them, jes my preference). I have a Lee turret press that has the auto index disconnected, been that way for mebbe 11 years. I like that "personal contact" with my reloads and I too look in each and every case to make sure there is powder in there. Works for me...

My last squib was in about 1969 when I was reloading with a Lee Loader.

[jwrowland77]

I made the jump to progressive press which I love, and haven't had a squib. I still take my time and look in every singe case before I put a bullet on top. It's still just a matter of paying attention.

I don't have the feeders and probably won't get a bullet feeder, but a case feeder would be nice.

[testuser79]

In his book, Lee says not to use the adjustable charge using flak powder with capacity under 0.4 cc. (I don't know why it isn't in the instructions.)

Set it under 0.4 cc and throw 25 or 50 charges and once it and while it will be off.

Anyway, they used to make the microdisk to get around the problem. I think I read somewhere that the molding machine for the micodisk broke and their weren't enough sales to justify replacing it.

You can switch to a powder that better fills the case or use a different powder measure. I use an uniflow with a case activated linkage on my Lee sometimes, it can even be set up to bell the case.

[g.willikers]

After using a progressive machine for many years, I had one solitary squib.
The bullet stuck half way into the rifling, fortunately preventing the next round from chambering or allowing the gun to fire.
After that, I mounted a light on the press where it clearly illuminates the case before it gets to the bullet seating die.
Haven't had a squib since.
Of course, it requires remembering to actually look.
After using a progressive, doubt if I could ever go back to high volume loading on anything else.

[Xfire68]

A power "Check" or "Cop" die would be helpful if you have a open spot on your turret?

[Jim243]

Would that work or wouldn't it pick it up reliably?? Suggestion please...I hate Squibs....

It would pick it up. You didn't say what you were loading?? Pistol or rifle??

There are a number of ways this can be corrected:

A - A powder measure scale combination:



B - A trickle charger used with a scale:



C - A powder checker (Cop) Diethe black one on the right)



Or you could just pay more attention to what is going into the case.
Jim

[Lou765]

Thanks for the replies
I am loading rifle and pistol rounds in .38 mostly around 3gr of tite group. I don't have an open spot on the turret and a light wont help because the turret height is to low to see inside so I have to pull out each round and look in which I do on about 1 in 7 rounds.
So which model scales would pick it up and how much would one cost?
Rethinking it... It would probably take just as long to put each loaded round on a scale as it would to look inside each one so its a wash...

[Sevens]

The answer to your question is quite simply that no company has ever built a scale at any price point ($millions!) that has your answer because three grains of Titegroup can not be reliably distinguished with normal variances in bullets and brass.

That's the answer--
if you should happen to have a cartridge case that's a tiny bit on the heavy side and you also have a bullet that is a tiny bit on the heavy side...

...you could take the world's finest and most expensive scale and not notice that the missing three grains is or is NOT your powder charge.

If you're talking about a large center fire rifle round that carries 35 grains weight of a powder charge, now maybe you're talking about something you can catch with a scale. Three grains of Titegroup? Forget it.

[GWS]

This is a major reason (and there are several reasons) why I haven't made the jump to progressive. I like charging each case by hand, then taking the entire loading block under a strong light and looking into each and every case before moving them over to the (single stage) press.

I then check one last time before placing the bullet atop the case.

Here I am some 100,000+ rounds later and it hasn't failed me yet. It's tough to forsake that kind of reliability for a progressive.

I used to use a light and a mirror with my progressive.....but now it's even easier and as fail save as a direct look, using a micro camera and video screen for less than a $100.



video below shows the method even tho several calibers unhappily hitch a ride on a single shell plate for the demo.
Click the picture.

[Sevens]

That is just plain techy-cool.

Nobody under the age of 40 that wouldn't say, "Dude, well done!"
And probably a slew of guys over 50 that would say, "arrrgh, these damn kids!"

I love it, bro!

(for the record, I'm 42. And I won't be setting one up, but you have my thumbs-up!)

[GWS]

I'll be 65 in Dec. When you get even older you start looking for ways to make things easier and faster. My well used Rock Chucker just flat got too slow after 40 years of stroking the handle. Too much to load.....not enough time left to spend it all reloading.

One stroke per round is flat addictive.

[Jim243]

Yea, that is cool and I am 70 so age does not play a factor. I am still trying to figure out where the camera is on the press?????? (LOL)

But the one that got me was the DeWalt setup for case trimming with what looks like a Foster or Lyman case trimmer. (nice going)

What is the PVC pipe for in the picture?? Is that holding up the DeWalt?

Also looks like you motorized that press (nice job).

Jim

[Xfire68]

I agree with Sevens GWS that is just COOL!

[Nick_C_S]

That's the hot set-up GWS.

Does anybody say "hot set-up" any more?

Didn't think so. That was an old gearhead expression.

[GWS]

Jim, you know that a Pro 2000 has removable tool heads like Dillons do except they have station three that rests stationary on a peninsula. The camera is epoxied to that peninsula near the center. Most Pro 2000 users loading pistol use that station 3 for a lock-out die.....another way to prevent squibs that I no longer need. The last frames in the vid show the camera.

You are curious about my motorized Forster.....The Dewalt is a clutched Drywall screwgun that friction fits into the PVC fitting, elbows over to a PVC shaft that goes through the bench-top and it weighted by 3 lbs of lead. So gravity sets the 3-way cutter in place. Foot Pedals raise the shaft, a spring ejects the case into the bin when I release the collet.

So the only effort my carpel tunnel/arthritic framing hammer ruined hands have to do is tighten the collet....helped by the file handle. Very fast.....nearly Giruard speed, no Giruard wrist squeeze. That tool was the result of finding a glaring bottleneck after going progressive....again too little time....

click the picture....little vid.

Does anybody say "hot set-up" any more?

Probably just old farts like me.....thanks for the kind words. I have a ball removing the bottlenecks in my reloading. My last two "hot" set-ups in my life, were yellow, a 1968 GTO!......and later a Suzuki RM370 motocross bike....now those were fun and hot!

[Nick_C_S]

a 1968 GTO!

My father is the original owner of a '68 Goat. I looked on this computer for pic, but was unsuccessful

Anyway, he's 84 and has had a stroke; so he can't drive it any more. But it's garaged and my brother keeps it up to running condition. It's an unrestored original for the most part; so it's not much to look at. But it runs like a clock and we take it out for a spin around the block a few times a year.

[Jim243]

Cool GWS now that is really Cool the way you have that setup.

Sorry but at 70 I reserve the word "Hot" only for good looking blonds or Red heads (LOL).

Jim