Blood, brass, and bullets

tjhands · February 22, 2006, 01:19 PM

It was just me and my single stage Lee press. I had a free hour in which to crank out enough rounds of .44 Special for a range session later on. Man, I was on a roll! Resized them all, and was halfway through expanding the mouths when CRUNCH! I was too slow in getting my index finger out of the way as the case went up into the die. Oh my. I didn't utter a word or a sound, but just looked up at the ceiling and waited for the pain to fully set in. I was afraid to look down at my finger. Blood was all over the place and was drip...drip...dripping off my mutilated digit.
It's now wrapped in band-aids and has been whacked and bumped waaaay too many times today. :barf:

The lesson: it doesn't pay to hurry when reloading, even with the simple, no-brainer steps before priming and charging.

bikenjam · February 22, 2006, 02:10 PM

I've never drew any blood yet, but i've smashed my fingers too many times. Those little mistakes make me realize what i'm dealing with, and to take my time.

hope your hand heals soon

**Mike Irwin** · February 22, 2006, 09:12 PM

Welcome to the club of one.

You're the ONLY person who has ever gotten his finger caught in a press...

"Hi, my name is Mike, and I got my finger caught in my reloading press..."

"HI MIKE!"

Reloading is a 12-step process.

tjhands · February 23, 2006, 09:16 AM

LOL Mike!

I took the band-aids off and looked at it. The cut is crescent-shaped, and remarkably enough, about the size of a .44

Ruger4570 · February 23, 2006, 09:29 AM

Been there, done that...but the upside is that it is like jumping off a bridge, you're probably only gonna do it one time..

tjhands · February 23, 2006, 09:31 AM

Right on, Ruger!

I finished the batch last night. Veeeeeery slowly.

Ruger4570 · February 23, 2006, 09:50 AM

See how fast ya learned. Hope you heal soon too.

**Mike Irwin** · February 23, 2006, 10:18 AM

I'm lucky in that I've never really cut myself.

I've trimmed my finger nail a time or two, but the worst was when I got my finger caught between the seating die and the cartridge was I was trying to realign a bullet for seating. I had to drill my fingernail that evening to relieve the blood blister.

zeisloft · February 23, 2006, 11:05 AM

I have had to learn to slow down twice, once the way you did, once by depriming my finger. The worst part was the ribbing I got from my buddy who was standing there watching me.

Him: "So let me get this straight, you trim the cases to length, run that little pin through your finger, then cuss out loud for a while, then prime, powder, and seat the bullet?...do you have to ram that pin through the same finger each time of can you switch fingers?"
Me: "Shutup!"
Him: "Cause I was just thinking, if you wanted to load alot of ammo, that finger would get kind of pulpy..."
Me: "No seriously, be quiet"
Him: "Just seems if yo changed fingers you could..."
Me: "Honestly, close your mouth"
Him: "I mean, your not realy going to be able to use that hand for a few days so why not just..."
Me: "OK lesson over, time for you to go home."

dfaugh · February 23, 2006, 11:54 AM

just ask me about getting in a hurry, and inattentive when using a table saw...Just ask...

I now use my middle finger on the trigger....as my index finger is a bit too short to reach....

MrGee · February 23, 2006, 12:50 PM

God must love stupid people... He made so many. me included worst part was the first time i did that was i felt the pain but didn't know i was doing it,, so pushed a little harder .. thats when i found out it was me...

Squirt...

tjhands · February 23, 2006, 01:22 PM

Wow, y'all are making me feel like I got off EASY!

Russ5924 · February 23, 2006, 04:54 PM

Hurts doesn't it

Swamp_Fox · February 24, 2006, 08:49 AM

Quote from zeisloft:

Him: "So let me get this straight, you trim the cases to length, run that little pin through your finger, then cuss out loud for a while, then prime, powder, and seat the bullet?...do you have to ram that pin through the same finger each time of can you switch fingers?"
Me: "Shutup!"
Him: "Cause I was just thinking, if you wanted to load alot of ammo, that finger would get kind of pulpy..."
Me: "No seriously, be quiet"
Him: "Just seems if yo changed fingers you could..."
Me: "Honestly, close your mouth"
Him: "I mean, your not realy going to be able to use that hand for a few days so why not just..."
Me: "OK lesson over, time for you to go home."
*************************************************

Barr · February 24, 2006, 09:12 AM

I mashed a finger a few months ago last fall while resizing with my MEC 600 JR. Drew a little blood myself. In a week or two your finger should be ok if you did not mash it too hard.

February 22, 2006, 01:19 PM	#1
tjhands Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2005 Posts: 1,718	Blood, brass, and bullets It was just me and my single stage Lee press. I had a free hour in which to crank out enough rounds of .44 Special for a range session later on. Man, I was on a roll! Resized them all, and was halfway through expanding the mouths when CRUNCH! I was too slow in getting my index finger out of the way as the case went up into the die. Oh my. I didn't utter a word or a sound, but just looked up at the ceiling and waited for the pain to fully set in. I was afraid to look down at my finger. Blood was all over the place and was drip...drip...dripping off my mutilated digit. It's now wrapped in band-aids and has been whacked and bumped waaaay too many times today. :barf: The lesson: it doesn't pay to hurry when reloading, even with the simple, no-brainer steps before priming and charging. __________________ "If the sole purpose of handguns is to kill people, then mine are all defective." - Uncle Ted Nugent

February 22, 2006, 09:12 PM	#3
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	Welcome to the club of one. You're the ONLY person who has ever gotten his finger caught in a press... "Hi, my name is Mike, and I got my finger caught in my reloading press..." "HI MIKE!" Reloading is a 12-step process. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

February 23, 2006, 09:16 AM	#4
tjhands Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2005 Posts: 1,718	LOL Mike! I took the band-aids off and looked at it. The cut is crescent-shaped, and remarkably enough, about the size of a .44 __________________ "If the sole purpose of handguns is to kill people, then mine are all defective." - Uncle Ted Nugent

February 23, 2006, 09:31 AM	#6
tjhands Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2005 Posts: 1,718	Right on, Ruger! I finished the batch last night. Veeeeeery slowly. __________________ "If the sole purpose of handguns is to kill people, then mine are all defective." - Uncle Ted Nugent

February 23, 2006, 10:18 AM	#8
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	I'm lucky in that I've never really cut myself. I've trimmed my finger nail a time or two, but the worst was when I got my finger caught between the seating die and the cartridge was I was trying to realign a bullet for seating. I had to drill my fingernail that evening to relieve the blood blister. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

February 22, 2006, 02:10 PM	#2
bikenjam Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2004 Posts: 194	I've never drew any blood yet, but i've smashed my fingers too many times. Those little mistakes make me realize what i'm dealing with, and to take my time. hope your hand heals soon

February 23, 2006, 09:29 AM	#5
Ruger4570 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2005 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 2,136	Been there, done that...but the upside is that it is like jumping off a bridge, you're probably only gonna do it one time..

February 23, 2006, 09:50 AM	#7
Ruger4570 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2005 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 2,136	See how fast ya learned. Hope you heal soon too.

February 23, 2006, 11:05 AM	#9
zeisloft Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2005 Location: Amarillo TX Posts: 419	I have had to learn to slow down twice, once the way you did, once by depriming my finger. The worst part was the ribbing I got from my buddy who was standing there watching me. Him: "So let me get this straight, you trim the cases to length, run that little pin through your finger, then cuss out loud for a while, then prime, powder, and seat the bullet?...do you have to ram that pin through the same finger each time of can you switch fingers?" Me: "Shutup!" Him: "Cause I was just thinking, if you wanted to load alot of ammo, that finger would get kind of pulpy..." Me: "No seriously, be quiet" Him: "Just seems if yo changed fingers you could..." Me: "Honestly, close your mouth" Him: "I mean, your not realy going to be able to use that hand for a few days so why not just..." Me: "OK lesson over, time for you to go home." __________________ A scalpel can be just as effective as a broadsword Obviously, Occam was not a reloader

February 23, 2006, 11:54 AM	#10
dfaugh Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2002 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 1,715	Hey.. just ask me about getting in a hurry, and inattentive when using a table saw...Just ask... I now use my middle finger on the trigger....as my index finger is a bit too short to reach.... __________________ "If you Listen to Fools, the Mob Rules" "No one has the answer, but one thing is true. You'e got to turn on evil, when its coming after you. You've gotta face it down,and when it tries to hide, you've got to go in after it, and never be denied. Time is running out...Let's roll. Let's roll for freedom, let's roll for love. We're going after satan, on the wings of a dove. Let's roll for freedom, let's roll for truth. Let's not let our children grow up fearful in their youth."

February 23, 2006, 12:50 PM	#11
MrGee Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2005 Location: NC Posts: 260	God must love stupid people... He made so many. me included worst part was the first time i did that was i felt the pain but didn't know i was doing it,, so pushed a little harder .. thats when i found out it was me... Squirt...

February 23, 2006, 01:22 PM	#12
tjhands Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2005 Posts: 1,718	Wow, y'all are making me feel like I got off EASY! __________________ "If the sole purpose of handguns is to kill people, then mine are all defective." - Uncle Ted Nugent

February 23, 2006, 04:54 PM	#13
Russ5924 Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2005 Posts: 1,874	Hurts doesn't it __________________ Russ5924

February 24, 2006, 08:49 AM	#14
Swamp_Fox Member Join Date: February 20, 2006 Posts: 22	Quote from zeisloft: Him: "So let me get this straight, you trim the cases to length, run that little pin through your finger, then cuss out loud for a while, then prime, powder, and seat the bullet?...do you have to ram that pin through the same finger each time of can you switch fingers?" Me: "Shutup!" Him: "Cause I was just thinking, if you wanted to load alot of ammo, that finger would get kind of pulpy..." Me: "No seriously, be quiet" Him: "Just seems if yo changed fingers you could..." Me: "Honestly, close your mouth" Him: "I mean, your not realy going to be able to use that hand for a few days so why not just..." Me: "OK lesson over, time for you to go home." *************************************************

February 24, 2006, 09:12 AM	#15
Barr Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2006 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 286	I mashed a finger a few months ago last fall while resizing with my MEC 600 JR. Drew a little blood myself. In a week or two your finger should be ok if you did not mash it too hard.